Montessori learning helps residents with dementia at Essex care home

The owners of Retirement Villages Ltd, who operate ten care homes located in the South of England and the Midlands, claim to have achieved positive results from incorporating the Montessori method of learning into one of their care homes.

With the direction of leading dementia consultant Dr Daniel Nightingale and activities co-ordinator Leah Dayes, staff at the Moat House, in Great Dunmow, have been working to help residents with memory loss retain and, in some cases, regain skills that a decline of cognitive ability has taken from them.

Excited by the results, Retirement Villages are now in the process of implementing the Montessori method in its other specialist dementia homes, with particular attention paid to the eating habits of residents. Managing director of care and operations Paul Walsh comments:

“We always strive to deliver the very best care and support to our residents. The introduction of the Montessori methods into our dementia suites, with the help of Dr Nightingale, is a demonstration of how seriously we take that commitment. Every single one of our residents, whatever their daily challenges, deserves the very best support to enable them to live their life to the optimum. Simple activities like eating unaided can boost confidence in other areas.”

The Montessori learning method is named after Italian physician Maria Montessori, who, over several decades, developed child learning methods based upon independent actions and interacting with surroundings using all the five senses.

Dr Nightingale commented: “Early research has shown very positive results using these methods. I am delighted to be helping a well respected company like Retirement Villages lead the way in introducing techniques which can make a real difference every day to their residents.”