Earlier this year Solvere Living, a senior living and active adult management company, partnered with Fit Minds, a technology-based cognitive stimulation solution, to offer programs to residents at its communities.
Fit Minds is an effective non-pharmacological treatment option for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The programs combine human-to-human, meaningful engagement with a sophisticated cognitive improvement measurement software that is quickly gaining traction across the state of Florida and the nation for its results.
“Although Fit Minds was created mainly for people with Alzheimer’s and related diseases, we realize the programs could benefit many residents with mild cognitive impairment and those just wanting to keep their minds sharp and engaged in a variety of ways,” said Kristin Kutac, CEO, Solutions Advisors Group and Solvere Living.
President and CEO Janet Knupp brought Canada-based Fit Minds to the United States, following her mother’s diagnosis with Lewy Body, a form of dementia causing progressive decline in mental abilities. Knupp, a veteran education CEO with both private equity and not-for-profit experience, sought out a program that went beyond pharmaceutical care. When she began Fit Minds’ cognitive stimulation program with her mother, she was astounded by the results.
“I saw the magic,” said Knupp, “My mother was herself down to her last day of life. She knew who I was, and who her grandchildren were. She began reading and writing again. The data I was able to collect from her coaching sessions is how we knew when to make the difficult decision to move her from a senior living community to hospice, and she passed two weeks later. She left our world with dignity and an amazing quality of life.”
Lorie Dancy, Chief Wellness & Compliance Officer for Solvere Living can also attest to positive results. She bought a Fit Minds kit for her father who has Alzheimer’s disease. He also engages in one on one personal cognitive stimulation therapy sessions through Fit Minds three times a week. “I’ve noticed his loss of memory and other symptoms related to his dementia have decreased and stabilized since he started using the program. He looks forward to the lessons and feels like he’s making progress,” said Dancy.
The Fit Minds program leverages technology to target five key areas of cognition to develop a customized mental stimulation plan. For Solvere Living, Salus and Valeo (activity and memory care) coaches meet with residents to provide cognitive stimulation lessons, supporting what research tells us about the brain’s ability to build resilience and create new neuron pathways to prevent memory loss. Each lesson not only offers meaningful engagement, but it also allows family members to stay connected.
People suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s have experienced positive results such as reading again, living independently, remembering family members, and in some Lewy Body cases, even keeping hallucinations at bay for extended periods of time. These results, as well as Fit Mind’s unique use of data-collecting software combined with human-to-human coaching, is what has attracted many families and senior living communities to partner with Fit Minds.
The innovative program originated in Canada, where it is actively used in 25 percent of senior living communities. The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) mandates that CST therapy be offered to dementia patients upon first diagnosis.
An estimated 5.8 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease and by 2050 it will rise to nearly 40 million. “I want Fit Minds to be a game-changer for seniors and for it to become the norm in Florida,” said Knupp. “Dementia changes relationships; it does not end them.”
About Solutions Advisors Group
Formed in 2009, Solutions Advisors Group is a group of companies providing comprehensive consulting and operations management expertise for the senior living and active adult sectors. With offices in St. Petersburg, Fla., and Richmond, Va., the three companies are:
Learn more at SolutionsAdvisorsGroup.com and on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
About Fit Minds
Fit Minds offers an enhanced quality of life for seniors with dementia and Alzheimer’s through a customized, research-backed cognitive stimulation therapy program that combines human-to-human, meaningful engagement with a sophisticated cognitive improvement measurement software. The company offers three core programs: one-on-one cognitive coaching led by a Personal Trainer for the Mind™, premier group sessions led by Fit Minds certified coaches, and subscription group content led by senior living professionals. Learn more at www.Fit Minds.net, 813-282-8282.
