Investing in Better Dementia Care: How ThriveMore is Helping Residents Thrive
A dementia diagnosis changes many things, but it does not change a person’s need for purpose, connection, creativity and joy.
That belief is at the heart of ThriveMore’s approach to dementia care and why providing exceptional support for people living with cognitive change has become one of the organization’s strategic priorities. From opening North Carolina’s first Green House home to developing the innovative EverTogether community at Brookridge, ThriveMore has continued to explore how dementia care can better support the whole person.
But innovation is about more than buildings or programs. It also means investing in the people, expertise and structure needed to provide exceptional care every day.
That is where Rachael Wonderlin comes in.
Bringing a dementia expert to the table
Wonderlin is the founder and CEO of Dementia By Day, a dementia care consulting and education company that works with senior living organizations and caregivers. She holds a master’s degree in gerontology and began her career as a dementia care director.
In 2014, Wonderlin started a blog called Dementia By Day to share stories and lessons from her work with residents. That blog eventually grew into books, speaking engagements, consulting and Dementia By Day School, an online education platform offering dementia care courses for professionals and caregivers.
Her relationship with ThriveMore began after she connected with President and CEO Reed VanderSlik around the end of 2020. By 2021, Wonderlin had begun consulting with ThriveMore.
Her first step was visiting ThriveMore’s communities and looking closely at how dementia care was being provided.
One of her earliest recommendations was clear: If ThriveMore wanted dementia care to be a priority, it needed dedicated leaders whose primary responsibility was making that care successful.
Wonderlin advocated for dementia care directors who could oversee programming, support team members, help new residents and families through transitions and make sure the principles behind ThriveMore’s dementia care approach showed up in daily life.
ThriveMore leadership agreed, and today has Dementia Care Directors Brooke Nooe at Brookridge and Crystal Garmon at Taylor Glen. Wonderlin works directly with them, giving them extra training and providing an outside perspective they can turn to when challenges arise.
Creating a program with purpose
As part of her consultancy, Wonderlin worked alongside the ThriveMore team to develop Mindful Impressions, the organization’s approach to dementia care.
Art and creativity became important components of the program, alongside principles Wonderlin teaches through Dementia By Day, including meeting residents in their reality, educating families, supporting thoughtful transitions for new residents and developing engaging daily programming.
The goal is to create the support and structure that follow best practices and maintain a high quality of life.
“I feel like without a program, programming and activities and engaging people falls to the wayside very quickly,” Wonderlin said. “And even if you have the best medical clinical care, if everyone's just sitting around doing nothing, that's not life. Yes, they're getting changed appropriately, they're getting showers and these things — but they're not living the way we want people to live.”
That distinction matters.
Good dementia care must certainly address a resident’s health, safety and physical needs. But ThriveMore believes those needs are only part of what makes a meaningful life.
Residents still need opportunities to create, laugh, socialize, make choices, participate in familiar routines and engage with the world around them.
Wonderlin regularly reviews activity calendars from ThriveMore’s dementia care programs, looking for robust programming throughout the day. She has also helped guide the creation of life stations, including spaces built around babies, pets and other familiar experiences residents can connect with.
Families are part of the equation, too. Through the partnership with Dementia By Day, ThriveMore families have access to an online education portal designed to help them better understand dementia and their loved one’s experience.
Continuing to live with purpose
Perhaps the most important philosophy behind this work is the recognition that someone living with dementia is a person with passions, interests and a desire for a meaningful life.
Wonderlin said beyond the basic activities, the question that she focuses on is about maintaining this quality of life.
“How do we help this person continue to do what they've always been passionate about?” she said. “How do we help them continue to live a life that they are excited about living?”
It is a philosophy that closely aligns with ThriveMore’s mission to foster holistic wellness and inspire meaningful living for all.
As our understanding of dementia continues to evolve, so will ThriveMore’s approach. The organization’s partnership with Dementia by Day provides expertise, education and accountability.