Programming & Activities

At The Alton, we focus on

The activities that make up a resident’s daily experience should reflect the individual’s preferred lifestyle while providing a sense of usefulness, pleasure, success and as normal a level of functioning as possible.

Activity=Being in Action

The activities that help us feel safe, in charge, socially connected, loved and loving come from day to day, moment to moment events and encounters of life. A full balanced life depends on successfully performing activities from three domains:

Productive activities (work) that make us feel useful and needed
Leisure activities (relaxation and entertainment) that are fun
Self-care activities (personal and instrumental activities of daily living) through which we express our independence and the intimate personal aspects of personality

What does a person with dementia need to feel whole?

To be Comforted is crucial for our needs for acceptance and tenderness.
Attachment speaks to our need to be connected to significant people around us.
Inclusion goes beyond attachment and speaks to our desire to be a part of group.
Occupation understands that each person has had meaningful roles through life.
Identity must be considered within the context that each of us needs to know who we are, what defines us and allows us to ground ourselves.

(Adapted from T. Kitwood: Dementia Reconsidered; The person comes First)