Montessori Gold
How Loretto’s Montessori Approach to Alzheimer’s and Dementia is giving choice and voice back to memory care residents
Loretto offers a Montessori Approach to dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease care, one of only a few skilled nursing memory care facilities nationwide to offer this kind of specialized care. This unique approach to memory care is resident-led, giving Loretto residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia the control and independence they desire in a safe, secure environment to improve their quality of life.
About Montessori
For more than a century, children have benefited from the Montessori method of learning developed by Italian physician Dr. Maria Montessori. Montessori believed in increasing the autonomy of the individual, even at a very young age, by letting them decide what to learn and how to engage with others. Her learning model gave students a choice and voice while affirming their dignity and treating them with respect.
The Montessori Inspired Lifestyle Approach
Today, that same model has been redeveloped by Dr. Cameron Camp, director of the Center for Applied Research in Dementia (CARD), to help individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia during one of the most vulnerable times in their lives.
The “Montessori Inspired Lifestyle” is an evidence-based care model that focuses on residents’ abilities, strengths, and autonomy while creating a safe, stimulating environment for each individual to live and thrive. The philosophy of care is that all are worthy of dignity and respect as they age and that each resident can find purposeful activities and meaningful roles in their communities based on their abilities and self-expressed interests.
Loretto Earns National Montessori Gold-Level Designation
Loretto partnered with Dr. Camp and his CARD Team to implement the Montessori Method and become a certified Montessori Inspired Lifestyle Community. Staff and administrators completed a year-long training program that included testing and evaluation to earn bronze-, silver, and ultimately, gold-level certification.
Loretto Health & Rehabilitation earned the gold-level credential in September of 2024 making it only one of 29 facilities nationwide to earn that designation. The Memory Care Community located at Loretto’s The Commons on St. Anthony in Auburn, New York, will receive its gold-level credential by the end of 2024.
For more information about Loretto’s Montessori approach to Alzheimer’s and dementia care, visit: Loretto Health & Rehabilitation’s Memory Care Community Earns Rare Gold-Level Montessori Credential | Loretto
Contact: Kathleen White, Public Relations and Marketing Manager, (315) 413-3462
Testimonials
"The Montessori approach has benefited my mother because you cannot tell her what to do—it increases her agitation and makes it more difficult to interact with her because of her dementia. Because the model is based on offering choices, allowing flexibility, and encouraging autonomy, she is now calmer and easier to be around."
-Jim Trexler, son of a resident
"In the first month, I could see a tremendous change. She was surrounded by people and making connections with others, which helped her calm down, and she was much less agitated. Loretto has given her the last two years of her life. Without the care she has received, she would not be here today. She wasn't taking care of herself; she wasn't eating right; now I see that those moments of clarity and her personality shine where before, she was gone. From my standpoint, this approach to her care has been life changing.”
-Elaine Reid, daughter of a resident
“The Montessori approach to memory care is about allowing the person to live with purpose and wholeness and have some control over their environment and life. Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are progressive, debilitating diseases, and to help them, we want to enhance residents’ quality of life as much as they can while they live in our facilities. We believe this Montessori approach helps to do that.”
–Dr. Joelle Margrey, Loretto Chief Nursing Officer
About Loretto
Loretto is a leader in comprehensive healthcare services in Central New York. As the fourth largest healthcare provider in the region, 2,400 exceptional people at Loretto’s 19 programs and facilities deliver extraordinary care to more than 10,000 people of all ages, income levels, and care needs in Onondaga and Cayuga counties each year. From short-term rehabilitation and community-based programs to the home-like settings in its assisted living communities and skilled nursing facilities, Loretto is actively investing in its employees, in medical research, and in new technologies to improve care in our community, making every day, extraordinary. Loretto: Exceptional People. Extraordinary Care.
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