The Arbor Company has launched a new program to aid memory care efforts. Ella is a digital caregiver assistant with more than 60 built-in reactions or behaviors, as well as intervention suggestions. The app features a full library of memory care resources for caregivers.
Ella‘s creation stemmed from a desire to enhance empathetic and personalized care for individuals facing memory challenges. Launched as a pilot project in January, Ella made its inaugural appearance in two Arbor communities: Arbor Terrace Mount Laurel in New Jersey, and Arbor Terrace Citrus Park in Florida.
The pilot’s main purpose is to evaluate Ella’s efficacy in reducing the need for medications related to resident behaviors, while also mitigating the frequency and severity of dementia-related behaviors over time. In addition, the program aims to validate Ella’s capacity to offer personalized interventions and empower caregivers to deliver compassionate care.
What makes Ella unique is its inclusivity. By incorporating a wealth of training materials and allowing families to input relevant personal data, the program facilitates tailored interventions and approaches for each resident. Caregivers can seamlessly access Ella for real-time guidance, receiving curated lists of suggested interventions to address specific dementia-related reactions.
With Ella’s integration into memory care neighborhoods, nearly 60 caregivers across both communities are equipped with a powerful tool to deliver better care to residents living with dementia and neurocognitive disorders.
According to the National Institute on Aging, dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning — thinking, remembering, and reasoning — to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities. Some people with dementia cannot control their emotions, and their personalities may change.
Dementia ranges in severity from the mildest stage, when it is just beginning to affect a person’s functioning, to the most severe stage, when the person must depend completely on others for basic activities of daily living, such as feeding oneself.
More than 40% of nursing home residents nationally are estimated to have Alzheimer’s disease, related dementia or cognitive impairment, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. The condition is also common in senior living communities.
