Morning Pointe Senior Living calls its memory care buildings and apartments The Lantern. It’s an appropriate image for the care that associates provide to residents diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other dementia disorders – bringing a sense of light and warmth into their lives.
Perhaps nothing brings as much joy into these residents’ lives as meaningful activities. As part of the Morning Pointe Meaningful Day™ program, each Lantern community offers activities designed specifically around residents’ interests and abilities, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. And the activity director, called Lantern Program Director, oversees these activities, from arts and crafts to baking to pet therapy visits and musical entertainment.
Lantern Program Directors (LPDs) have a challenging, and highly rewarding, role in sparking purposeful engagement for memory care residents. LPDs invest time and attention in understanding each resident’s prior roles and careers, routines and interests.
Meet two of Morning Pointe’s dedicated LPDs as they discuss how much goes into the role.
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Dawn Pittman – The Lantern at Morning Pointe of Lexington, KY
Dawn has been an LPD for six years, starting out at Morning Pointe of Lexington-East for three years before coming to The Lantern Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence in Lexington.
“I always knew I wanted to help people,” Dawn shared.
She didn’t approach the senior living activities field directly. She earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Eastern Kentucky University and was planning to go into that career.
“I started working for Morning Pointe as a Resident Assistant, and I just fell in love with it,” Dawn said.
It wasn’t long before she was trying her hand at activities, and she’s been in it ever since.
Dawn begins her day by greeting the residents as she walks in, sharing a smile and a compliment before starting the activities. Approaching the residents with positivity boosts morale throughout the building.
Morning is time for exercise and devotions, followed by some kind of physical activity, such as Walking Club or cornhole. After lunch, residents usually participate in another engaging activity, such as arts and crafts or performances from entertainers. Often, Dawn schedules musical entertainment for 3 p.m., about the time when residents start to “sundown,” a term for increased agitation in those with memory deficits as the day starts to wind down.
“Music is really therapeutic for the residents,” Dawn said. “I’ve seen where it turns their day around.”
Then, in the early evening, the residents usually do some sort of trivia or brain games.
“The biggest part of my job is bringing purpose to the people here – that’s pretty much what I’m here for,” Dawn shared. “We can find purpose in many different ways.”
On Fridays, for example, Show and Tell allows residents to share their passions with others and reminisce about things and people that are important to them. For one resident, that recently meant sharing his knowledge of history, while for another, it meant simply sharing a photo of her grandchild.
Every resident is different, and every moment is different.
“You never know what’s going to happen,” Dawn said. “You have to be flexible and creative and meet them where they’re at. If it’s the 1960s, you’re right there with them. If they remember that they’re 80, you’re there with them too.”
The rewards come from bringing joy to the residents no matter where they are in their mind.
“I love having fun with them and them having fun with me,” Dawn shared. “Just seeing their smile is something that is engraved in my memory.”
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Audrea McKnight – The Lantern at Morning Pointe of Chattanooga, TN
Audrea started her LPD position at The Lantern in May 2022, after hearing about the opportunity from her friend Michelle Sutter, Executive Director at the building. Michelle had seen Audrea’s skills in action in ministries and thought they would be a perfect fit to work with memory care residents.
“I felt very strongly that God was leading me to this,” Audrea shared.
Audrea has a degree in English and taught junior college before her first son was born. Then she was a stay-at-home mom and took on a variety of different responsibilities while her two boys were young. Those included working in a literacy lab and helping with ministries such as children’s choir and drama. She worked with a wide variety of people from different backgrounds and with different needs.
In memory care, too, each person has a different need, and Audrea and her two assistants bring out their variety of tools to meet each one.
“I’m a counselor,” Audrea said. “I’m a friend. I’m a cheerleader. Yes, I’m an event planner. And an advocate. The Nurses fill the medical side. The Resident Assistants fill physical needs. The dietary team fills nutritional needs. The LPD covers so much else – spiritual, emotional and mental needs. It’s a daunting task, but it’s a very deep and significant one.”
Audrea loves those moments of connection and levity with her residents. This past Thanksgiving, she had the residents in a group and asked, “What are some things we are thankful for?” One resident piped up and said, “For me!”
Another time, a resident started telling Audrea about something she had done for her. The resident was sitting with her daughter, and neither the daughter nor Audrea could figure out exactly what was being said. Audrea wasn’t sure how to respond but tried, “You would do that for me?”
The resident responded, “Why, yes!”
“She ended up feeling pretty good about herself,” Audrea said. “I was able to affirm her, even without understanding everything she was saying.”
Empathy, people skills, patience and the ability to think on their feet are qualities Audrea counts as important for anyone working in memory care. Having a sense of humor also helps.
“I like to joke around with the residents,” she said. “It helps people feel normal and still feel respected and valuable.”
At the end of the day, Audrea considers her role a calling, rather than just a job.
“My greatest honor is to see God use me as an encouragement and even as a lifeline at times for the residents and for their families,” she said.
Thank you to all of our Lantern Program Directors for the many ways you bring joy, meaning and light to our memory care residents!
