Lunch and Learn: Dementia Awareness

Each month, Forefront Living teammates gather to participate in educational training sessions and informative presentations entitled “Lunch and Learns”. August’s topic was one that affects people in and outside of the senior living industry: Dementia. The presentation featured a comprehensive and empathetic look at Alzheimer’s disease and other related brain disorders. Presbyterian Village North teammates provided experiential learning opportunities through a compassionate touch exercise and DementiaLive®, a unique curriculum featuring dementia simulation. This specialized program provides participants with an impactful immersion experience to increase awareness of the challenges associated with living with dementia.

Additionally, teammates enjoyed a catered lunch created to aide those suffering from dementia, as the disease often causes changes in an individual’s tastes and texture processing. The nutritious and delicious meal highlighted MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet foods, focusing on food groups that can boost brain power while providing protection from age-related brain decline. The menu included finger foods such as deviled eggs, turkey meatballs and salmon cakes, and incorporated palette-pleasing textures that would appeal to dementia patients.

Forefront Living is grateful for the teammates who dedicated their time and talents to leading a memorable, insightful and tasty Lunch and Learn opportunity. These teammates included: Estee Cahani, Kim Cook, Katie Fiddes, Twolla Marchman, Denise Odom, Elizabeth Owah, Shante Wright and Chef Manny Herrera, Ke’o Velasquez and the talented dining team.