Nayas use validation therapy to help those with memory diseases

In 2016 there were an estimated 63,000* Iowans living with Alzheimer’s Disease, a disease without a cure. Every individual living with this disease is as unique as they were before symptoms and diagnosis. However, caregiving can often be a one-size-fits all approach.

One retirement community in Ankeny does memory care differently. Vintage Hills at Prairie Trail offers a memory care program with special caregivers, called Nayas, who are trained in validation rather than correction. The title of Naya was chosen to indicate that this crucial role goes beyond the traditional title of caregivers. The word Naya is Classical Sanskrit for guide, teacher and friend.

Nayas go beyond caregiving, spending time side-by-side with residents as each day unfolds. This approach helps cultivate a sense of calmness, confidence, community and creativity, despite memory loss.

“I became a Naya because I wanted to give back and the residents bring me joy,” said Kyli Brooks, a Naya at Vintage Hills at Prairie Trail.

Every Naya is a certified dementia practitioner trained in validation therapy. Validation therapy ensures Nayas are not correcting residents, but meeting them where they are and being a part of their reality. This shift in thinking is important, because it stops the struggle of trying to get someone to remember something he or she simply cannot remember and instead, pivots the focus to enjoying that moment. “If they say it is Christmas, then we celebrate Christmas,” said Brooks, “If it makes them happy, then it makes me happy.”

Nayas work with the same residents as much as possible to get to know them, their history, likes, dislikes, names of relatives, favorite pastimes, hobbies, anything and everything. It’s critical to building relationships and to simply enjoying life together. “I get to know my residents through talking to them, observing them, asking them questions and getting to know their families,” explained Brooks, “I learn what they like and dislike.”

Nayas are an essential part of the THRIVE memory care program developed by Watermark Retirement Communities, the company that manages Vintage Hills at Prairie Trail. The THRIVE program is designed to give residents purpose, a sense of community and cultivate creativity. In the program, resident programming is incorporated into the rhythms of daily living. Residents pitch in with meal preparation and even tasks such as folding laundry if it brings a sense of calm and purpose. They enjoy their own personal pantry space, go on extraordinary outings and have personalized music playlists in addition to live music performances and other tailored activities and events.

“We truly get to know our residents and focus on what they can do, never what they cannot,” said Kristen Canham, Executive Director at Vintage Hills at Prairie Trail. “It’s the key to ensuring they thrive.”

For more information, contact Vintage Hills at Prairie Trails at 515-963-4000 or visit vintagehillsankeny.watermarkcommunities.com.

Photo: Resident Doris Dixon and Kyli Brooks, Naya, look through a photo book.

* 2016 Alzheimers’s Disease Facts and Figures report: Iowa