"If a [person] is to be treated differently than he is today a radical change, and one upon which everything else will depend, must first be made; and that change must be made in [us]."

– Dr. Maria Montessori

Greetings!

Fall is a time for reflection. When teaching Dr. Maria Montessori’s principles, we talk about changing or preparing the environment. However, how often do we think about making a change in ourselves?

In The Tao of Montessori by Catherine McTamaney, she reflects on the human instinct to protect our ego by pointing out the flaws of those around us. In the modern workplace, we must be mindful of how we treat our colleagues; for how we relate with them will reflect in our approaches towards those in our care.

Here at CARD, we are inviting you to be agents of change in our industry. Join us on December 6th for our virtual International Montessori for Dementia Conference, co-presented by our French partners AG&D and hosted by Linked Senior.

We are also excited to announce that the Person-Centered Montessori Abilities SystemTM (PCMAS) is now officially available for purchase.

Keep Reading For More
  • Activity ideas to support you and your partners
  • Virtual Event: International Montessori for Dementia Conference
  • Better care guided by PCMAS results
  • Blog: Truth, Deception, and Lies
  • Training and CEU Updates - NEW CEU!
  • Partner Spotlight: Frontier Management
  • Newly Credentialed Communities
Activity Ideas & Resources
Find these and other activities ideas on our Free Resources page. 
Browse activity manuals and other books in our Online Shop.
Place Settings
Caring for the environment is important in a Montessori lifestyle. It allows people to act on their environment and gives them a sense of responsibility for the things around them. This place setting activity is designed to improve motor skills, eye-hand coordination, and practice the skills needed to set a table and recognize table settings. 
Practice this together to get ready for your Thanksgiving gathering!
Centerpiece Construction
Many people will be gathering together to celebrate Thanksgiving or prepare festive decorations. Here is a guide for supporting persons with dementia to create seasonal centerpieces. Collect flowers, fallen leaves, or gourds together and give your space an autumn atmosphere. 
This activity was published in A Different Visit, where you can also find a guide for a bead stringing activity and colored sand bottles for additional decorating ideas. 
Mark your calendar!
If you are curious about how Montessori principles are being applied in long-term care settings to engage persons with dementia AND staff members in the United States and beyond, please join us for the International Montessori for Dementia Conference! Our French partners, AG&D, will be presenting with us on December 6th from 12 - 4 PM EST.

Raffle Prizes
We will be raffling off several Hiding the Stranger in the Mirror books and a free one-hour consultation session with Gary Johnson on staff engagement!

Complimentary CEUs
  • NAB (administrators)
  • NCCAP (activity professionals)
  • NCCDP (dementia practitioners)
  • NCTRC (recreation therapists)
  • NZSRDT (New Zealand activity professionals)
Better Care Guided by PCMAS Results
The PCMAS helps care partners and memory care professionals create person-centered care plans by identifying remaining abilities and interests in those living with mid-to-late stages of dementia. Learn more here.
In the video above, Dr. Evan Shelton reviews sample results from the PCMAS. The results can be printed out and added to a person's plan of care or another accessible location. The information from the PCMAS provides particularly helpful knowledge for nursing staff, activities staff, and physical and occupational therapists on how much assistance a resident might need for daily care tasks and activities that will best suit them.
Truth, Deception, & Consequences
When is it ok to tell a lie to someone living with dementia?

Get a perspective from one of our founders, Vincent M. Antenucci. He provides insights how to handle difficult or uncomfortable questions through the use of external aids with procedural learning techniques as an effective alternative to deception.
Training & CEU Updates
NEW ONLINE COURSE
12 Key Principles of the Montessori Inspired Lifestyle®

If you missed last year's Dementia Education Series on the 12 Key Principles of Montessori Inspired Lifestyle®, we're pleased to announce that all 12 sessions are now available on-demand as an online course! Now you can explore each of the 12 Montessori principles that can give persons living with (or without) dementia a more meaningful and fulfilling life. Discover practical ways to create a supportive and inclusive environment by exploring how to adapt care tasks and activities to be more accessible to anyone. The 12 one-hour sessions are split into 3 courses, each covering 4 principles. Save 20% when you sign up for all 3.
NEW CEU APPROVALS FOR CASE MANAGERS AND SLPs
Montessori Dementia Care Professional Course

One of our most popular courses is now CEU-approved for Case Managers and Speech Language Pathologists! In this 6-credit course, participants will learn the basic principles of Montessori Inspired Lifestyle® and how to adapt this programming to meet the needs of clients and facilities.
Partner Spotlight: Frontier Management
What is possible when a community strives to help its residents live a Montessori Inspired Lifestyle®? We have been watching the accomplishments of Frontier Management, which includes 3 GOLD-level Montessori Inspired Lifestyle® Credentialed Communities in Bend, Oregon.

Frontier was one of the first communities to recognize the possibilities that a lifestyle based on Montessori principles could bring to the individuals in its care, and continues to be a model of how to put people first, respect their interests, and enable them to accomplish their goals using the abilities they have.

Here we share some of the achievements of their community members:
Resident entrepreneurs created their own line of spa products, with sales of the handmade products benefitting the Alzheimer's Association and more products being planned for the future.
Crafty seniors take a trip to the fabric store for supplies to make festive seasonal apple centerpieces, giving a great example of breaking a task down into steps and working together.
Caring members of the Outreach Committee make love blankets for Loma Linda University Children's Health, demonstrating yet another activity with deep meaning and purpose.
When you feel at home and want to welcome people, taking on the role of Resident Tour Guide is a natural fit. This resident assists the marketing director by giving tours to families at Mt. Bachelor Memory Care.
Congratulations!
Newly Credentialed Montessori Inspired Lifestyle® Communities
These communities have earned new Montessori Inspired Lifestyle® Credential levels through their commitment to Montessori values and raising the bar for person-centered care.
Arbor Springs is Iowa’s only Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) that is dedicated entirely to Alzheimer’s and dementia care. Arbor Springs cares for individuals through all stages of dementia. Located in a residential area, a hallmark of Arbor Springs is its award-winning design that offers residents the comfort, safety, and security of an environment similar to their own home.
Sunnyside Village in Sarasota, FL, is a not-for-profit Christian senior living community with a deep-rooted mission of sharing God’s love by serving others with kindness, truth, and respect while providing nurturing support that enhances meaningful living. Sunnyside offers out-patient therapy, assisted living, short-term rehabilitation, long-term comprehensive care, and palliative care within a 35-acre neighborhood.
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Villa Palazzo Senior Living Community‘s Montessori-based memory care community provides high-quality personalized memory care to residents living with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Their emphasis on physical and cognitive abilities brings dignity and a sense of purpose to each resident. Group engagement programs help to establish social roles and create a sense of belonging, while singular care plans encourage personal choice and autonomy.
Larksfield Place is a not-for-profit life plan community that has been serving Wichita since 1988. Magnolia Court Memory Support residences within Larksfield Place Assisted Living is now a Montessori Inspired Lifestyle® credentialed community, working to fulfill its mission of enriching the lives of discerning older adults by providing distinctive lifestyle, health and wellness services.
ArchCare cares for people of all ages and faiths where they are most comfortable and best able to receive it – at home, in the community and in nursing homes. ArchCare at Ferncliff Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center in historic Rhinebeck, New York serves individuals and families from every corner of the Hudson Valley and beyond, and is home of the Center for Advanced Memory Care.
Read more about the Montessori Inspired Lifestyle® community credentialing process HERE, or send an email to jamie@cen4ard.com to learn how your care community can deliver the pinnacle of person-centered care through a Montessori-based approach.
34194 Aurora Road #182
Solon, OH 44139
We'd Love to Hear From You!
Please reach out to us at info@cen4ard.com with feedback or questions you may have.

Sincerely,
—The Team at CARD