Serving Seniors with Excellence, Love and Dignity.
Radiant Care is a faith-based, charitable not-for-profit organization offering a full continuum of seniors housing and care at two sites in the Niagara Region.
Dr. Cameron Camp, a Psychologist and Applied Gerontologist, applied the Montessori method to people living with dementia, focusing on their remaining strengths to enable them to continue to contribute and live meaningful lives.
Montessori emphasizes supporting the person and supporting their environment.
Programs Get Involved
Montessori is getting my mom engaged in meaningful activities that take her mind off of her worries. It’s helpful in keeping my mom in a place where she has a purpose, a reason to get up and go!
Montessori engages people in the home, making them feel like they're back home doing activities that are meaningful to them. It gives them a sense of purpose, worth, and accomplishment.
We look at their past, who they are, their values & beliefs and create activities that connect to that. We create activities for people to connect with who they are, what defines them. This way I am able to help residents live to their fullest potential.
Montessori continues to change our homes. We can see how happy the residents are! It makes them happy because we show them our love. When we learn what they like we can implement programs to help them connect to their past.
Montessori is having the ability to deal with different stages of dementia and different personality traits. It has taught me different techniques on how to help the residents.
I have been making toques for about 20 years. I brought this here and we got some of the ladies involved. They weren't sure at first if they could do it, but we taught them. We have made thousands over the years and sent them to those in need.
I donate to Radiant Care because the money is used wisely. We have fantastic staff here. My donations go to make improvements for those who live at Radiant Care. We can trust our gifts to Radiant Care will be used for a good purpose.
The Montessori philosophy focuses on the use of remaining strengths and abilities. This positive approach to dementia care is a source of creativity and comfort for both people with dementia and caregivers alike. There is a person behind the dementia or the behaviours - a person with a rich past, an engaging present, and a hopeful future!
Our focus is always on the person as an individual. We promote independence and offer dignified engagement that is stimulating and purposeful based on each individual’s interests, needs, and skills. Being able to focus on the task at hand and experience success again helps people with memory loss feel more secure and confident, and less angry and frustrated. Living in an environment that enhances function and independence and provides meaningful engagement helps our residents and tenants experience comfort and joy.
Family and friends are comforted by seeing residents and tenants engaged in activities that give them joy and purpose. Our Montessori approach to dementia care directly affects the quality of life of the person living with dementia by helping them engage in meaningful and purposeful activities and tasks as independently as possible. Montessori uses activities as tools that help create the bridge to reconnect to people who may seem unreachable. Family, friends, and volunteers are encouraged to use the activities, tools, and information available to create positive interactions with their loved ones who have dementia.
Providing our staff with training in DementiAbility Methods™ (formerly called Montessori training) equips them to fulfill our mission of serving seniors with excellence, love, and dignity, and elevates Radiant Care as a leader in care. Staff find their work to be more fulfilling when they are able to effectively engage residents and tenants using Montessori activities, tools, and knowledge, which has a positive impact on resident care. There is evidence that these approaches can re-connect people with their passion!
The Montessori philosophy focuses on the use of remaining strengths and abilities. This positive approach to dementia care is a source of creativity and comfort for both people with dementia and caregivers alike.
• Children’s clothing & newborn baby clothing
• Markers, pencil crayons, dry erase markers
• Non-toxic paint, paint brushes, table easels, canvases
• Watering cans and gardening supplies (e.g. hand rakes, shovels, dirt)
• iPods
• iPads
• Sewing needles & yarn (only yarn for TM)
• Simple puzzles
• Sorting activities
• Coffee table style reading/picture books