Finding
HOPE and SOLACE within dementia
Sensory worship service gives meaning to those with memory loss by SCOTT NOBLE
PHOTOS BY JEFF PLACZEK
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s the worshippers begin to gather for the weekly service, the Rev. Alex Treitler prepares the Communion table and arranges the handheld chimes. Those gathered sit quietly in anticipation as Treitler walks around the room and greets each person individually. Once the greetings are complete, the worship service begins with the song “Amazing Grace.” The small group sings confidently. The words are ensconced in their memories, and there is no need for hymnals or for words on a screen—even as the song moves into a second verse. Some worshippers even sing harmony,
giving the popular hymn a full and abundant sound. The song over, the group sits calmly, relaxed, waiting for the next element in the service. While this scene is similar to other worship services held each week around the globe, the nine people who attended this specially designed sensory worship service have something else in common with each other. Each of them has dementia. They are residents of Emerald Crest by Augustana Care in Burnsville.
Understanding dementia
Theresa Klein was hired by Emerald Crest in 2000. As the cognitive clinical specialist, she was tasked with creating programs for residents with middle- to late-stage dementia. “Dementia is kind of an umbrella term,” she said. “It’s a condition that encompasses a lot of symptoms. People mostly think of memory loss as the one. Usually that is the first sign for some of the diseases that cause dementia. That’s the first thing people notice. But by the time they actually notice that, it’s possible that dementia has been going on maybe a year or two before that.” When people—or their families—decide it’s time to enter a facility like Emerald Crest, the dementia has already affected their ability to perform basic functions. They may not remember to shower, eat, take their medicine or any of a host of other daily tasks that run the gamut from minor to critical. The typical resident at Emerald Crest by Augustana, according to Klein, is a woman in her mid 80s who is still able to walk, talk and participate in her own care. She just needs reminders.
Playing the hand chimes is a significant aspect of Emerald Crest’s sensory worship service.
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REFRESHED | May 2014