Product Description
Caring for people with advanced dementia presents unique challenges that the Namaste Care™ program addresses using simple, holistic practices. Through comforting and meaningful sensory-based experiences, this enlightened approach to care honors the enduring spirit of each person. It brings satisfaction both to people experiencing it and to those who care for them. Evocative scents, soothing music, and gentle massage are just part of this innovative program, which can be implemented with minimal resources and training and meets regulatory guidelines for person-centered activity programming for all stages of dementia. Step-by-step advice for staffing, budgeting, operating, and marketing the program is provided along with detailed information for creating a suitable setting for running a Namaste Care program. Recommended lists of nursing and activity supplies, suggested activities, and other valuable resources are also included.
Proven effective in skilled nursing facilities, assisted living memory care communities, and hospice organizations, this evidence-based approach has been implemented and validated around the world. Positive outcomes include improved resident comfort, engagement, and quality of life; increased family involvement; and strengthened staff morale. And the concepts of Namaste Care are flexible enough to be used with groups of residents or one-on-one with individuals. Embracing a loving-touch approach and focusing on the particular end-of-life needs of people with dementia, this program enables the care team to bring grace and dignity to those completing their dementia journey.
Completely revised Third Edition
This award-winning book includes full instructions for implementing a Namaste Care program plus new evidence and features:
- Detailed descriptions of Namaste Care groups and individuals
- Suggested adaptations for a variety of settings
- Additional stories about creative uses and efficacy of Namaste Care
- Increased scope of practice in the U.S., Australia, the U.K., Europe, and Singapore
- In-depth description of the physical setting and supplies needed
- Expanded discussion of death and dying
- Updated research and references
Joyce Simard, M.S.W., has worked in the long-term care industry for more than 40 years. Now retired, she continues to offer online educational presentations throughout the world. She is also involved in research projects investigating the effects of Namaste Care™ in Australia and the United Kingdom. She earned her bachelor of arts degree in sociology and social work from Ithaca College in New York and her master of social work degree from the University of Minnesota.
HPP Admin –
“Voted ‘Book of the Year, in 2013 by the American Journal of Nursing, Professor Joyce Simard’s 3rd edition of Namaste Care has been eagerly awaited. Full of the wisdom and practicalities of its original purpose for people isolated with advanced dementia, it has been expanded to include individual care at the bedside in the last days of life and at home. It remains a ‘must.'”
—Jo Hockley, RN, Ph.D., OBE Senior Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh
HPP Admin –
“A comprehensive and educational guide to understanding the need for, and benefits of, Namaste Care. So often dignity is lost in the dementia decline. Namaste Care places the dignity right back where it should be, to continue to value an individual as worthy of care in a loving, calm, gentle manner. This book explains how Namaste Care can work in several environments—a Namaste Care Room, a nursing home, a hospice facility, and in a person’s home. Practical, helpful information is provided to help you implement this care approach fairly easily. It is important to also note: Namaste Care can be beneficial to individuals with end-stage Parkinson’s, ALS, MS, as well as other progressive diseases. What a comfort it is to know this type of well-thought-out care is available for our community, our loved ones, and even ourselves.”
—Patricia E. Morrison, LCSW, Co-Editor of The Hospice Team: Who We Are and How We Care
HPP Admin –
“It is with great pleasure and honor that I endorse Joyce Simard’s 3rd edition of The End-of-Life Namaste Care Program for People with Dementia. Namaste began at the Vermont Veterans’ Home in Bennington, VT over 20 years ago, and was developed to meet the unique needs of people with advanced dementia who often fall through the cracks in long-term care. This sacred programs embraces the person’s humanity and ensures that the person living with advanced dementia or end of life issues fully lives until their last breath.”
—Christina M. Cosgrove, LICSW, Behavioral Health Director, Vermont Veterans’ Home, and designated Namaste Care International Champion in the U.S.