A Valuable Tool
The Raising the Bar Practice Guide for Nursing Home Communities is a valuable tool that belongs in every long-term care community serving Elders living with dementia.
We have no greater responsibility than to ensure those Elders are able to live their lives well, with dignity and respect.
We have no better advisors in doing so than the Elders living with dementia themselves, who informed every facet of these practices.
The standards are high, but so are the stakes, and we must continually strive to meet this commitment to those who are entrusting us with this honor.
Mimi DeVinney, Dementia/QOL Specialist
St. Johns, Rochester, NY
This multi-year project is based on an inclusive, consensus-based process that brings together people living with dementia with aging services professionals and thought leaders to define a set of best practice processes that put the person first. Choose from electronic download or print formats below.
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What People Are Saying About Raising the Bar...
Flip through these testimonials to find out!
“ Exciting!!! Well-Designed
As a clinician and leader in the field of dementia training, service, and support, I have always valued best practices for supporting individuals living with dementia. I am excited about the well-designed Raising the Bar Practice Guides. This remarkable resource, developed by Dementia Action Alliance and The Eden Alternative, is a long needed framework for providers seeking to offer person- and relationship-based support and service for people living with dementia, their families, and their communities. ”
Teepa SnowOccupational therapist, International dementia educator, and Founder of the Positive Approach to Care®
“ A Must-Have
Raising the Bar is a must-have for any organization that supports people living with a diagnosis of dementia. There is no other guide available that provides this combination of comprehensive organizational steps, cutting-edge concepts, and partnership with people living with dementia in its creation. If you want to raise the bar in your own organization or care initiative, this is the "road map" you need!”
Al Power, MDGeriatrician, International dementia educator, and award-winning author of Dementia Beyond Drugs and Dementia Beyond Disease
“Raising The Bar
A Valuable Tool
The Raising the Bar Practice Guide for Nursing Home Communities is a valuable tool that belongs in every long-term care community serving Elders living with dementia.
We have no greater responsibility than to ensure those Elders are able to live their lives well, with dignity and respect. We have no better advisors in doing so than the Elders living with dementia themselves, who informed every facet of these practices.
The standards are high, but so are the stakes, and we must continually strive to meet this commitment to those who are entrusting us with this honor.”
Mimi DeVinneyDementia/QOL Specialist
St. Johns, Rochester, NY
“Raising The Bar
A Valuable Tool
Raising the Bar establishes an empowering platform to support well-being through structural elements that drive outcomes based on the preferences of persons living with dementia. It is an invaluable tool that not only inspires, but provides best practice processes to support personhood and well-being in the lives of individuals living with dementia. ”
Percell SmithOperations Specialist at Brookdale Senior Living
“Skillfully weaves in proactive, inclusive, capacity-building approaches.
With an unwavering commitment to approaches that prioritize the voice and choice of people living with dementia in decisions that affect their lives, this practice guide skillfully weaves proactive, inclusive, capacity-building approaches along with the latest evidence on dementia support. Lighting the way to a brighter future, this trailblazing resource aims to engage and educate a variety of stakeholders in developing and nurturing a person- and relationship-centered culture that supports the well-being of everyone involved. What a repository of wisdom!”
Jennifer Carson, PhDDirector of the Dementia Engagement, Education and Research (DEER) Program, Univ. of Nevada, Reno
“What we want for our loved ones and ourselves!
It is my sincere honor and joy to commend and recommend this extraordinary, first-of-its-kind, set of Practice Guides focused on person-and relationship-centered dementia support. This has been birthed by so many people that I truly respect and admire, but most importantly by my amazing friends and colleagues who are living with dementia. I thank all of you who contributed to the creation of these practice standards, and my sincere hope is that they are fully embraced and brought to life to create the kind of care and support that we all want for our loved ones and ourselves.”
Kim McRaeFCTA, Family Caregiver Turned Advocate
“I love that it is in "I" language!
The Raising the Bar Practice Guides are an important step in applying a needed paradigm shift to person-centeredness. It is comforting to read words that feel like they are my own. To me, this signals consistency in our collective message, as well as fidelity with what we all know to be true. I love that it is in “I” language.”
Sonya Barsness, MSGGerontologist, Sonya Barsness Consulting, LLC
Raising the Bar Guides are
framed around five essential assumptions:
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Assumption #1
The voice and choice of individuals living with dementia are at the center of all discussion around support and quality of life. To honor this value, the Guides state outcomes and practices in the first person
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Assumption #2
Living well with dementia is a human right. Individuals living with dementia are often stigmatized and devalued, which impacts negatively on their well-being.
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Assumption #3
Appropriate support for individuals living with dementia focuses and builds on current strengths and abilities, rather than on weaknesses or inabilities.
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Assumption #4
Individuals living with dementia are entitled to accommodation, just as other individuals who live with different physical, cognitive, intellectual, and developmental abilities. The rights and needs of individuals living with dementia are covered by the American Disabilities Act (ADA).
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Assumption #5
Practice Guides are premised on the vision of inclusive living for all individuals who live with dementia.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What does the downloadable version offer
The downloadable version has the same full-color design features that the print version does, and it includes the downloadable Assessment Tool, and brief introductory video that sets the stage for your use of the Practice Guide. What the downloadable version offers that the print version does not is hyperlink navigation. What this means is that hyperlinks are used to make navigating to referenced information elsewhere in the guide easy. Clear instructions for hyperlink navigation are provided at the beginning of your guide and as a separate document.
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What does the print version offer?
The print version is a spiral-bound, full-color resource. It includes access to the downloadable Assessment Tool, and a brief introductory video that sets the stage for your use of the Practice Guide.
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Who do I contact, if I have questions along the way?
Send your questions to [email protected].