Balfour Communities Provides Dementia Training to Louisville First Responders to Enhance Crisis Care

Balfour Cherrywood Village Memory Care, a Kisco Collection community, recently conducted a dementia training series for the Louisville Fire and EMS Department in collaboration with Balfour Louisville and Balfour Longmont. The training was specifically designed to enhance first responders' ability to effectively engage with individuals living with dementia during crisis situations. Elizabeth Chase, a Louisville firefighter-paramedic, noted that the staff's deep compassion for residents made the training engaging, providing simple yet incredibly helpful tips for interacting with dementia patients to deliver optimal care.

The comprehensive training included a presentation that guided first responders on appropriate approaches, communication techniques, and assistance methods for individuals with dementia. The session was highly conversational, hands-on, and practical, covering various real-life scenarios and proven methods. Participants also experienced the Virtual Dementia Tour (VDT), an immersive, scientifically developed method that simulates the sensory and cognitive changes associated with dementia, available at https://www.virtualdementiatour.com. Shawn Stark, chief of EMS, expressed gratitude to Balfour for teaching strategies that improve interactions with people with dementia, noting that crews gained better understanding and empathy for this unique patient population through the engaging and interactive training.

The partnership between Balfour communities and the Louisville Fire and EMS department represents a unique and valuable offering that distinguishes these communities. Balfour Communities are committed to strengthening this partnership and plan to host additional dementia training sessions in the future. Brenda Gurung, national director of memory care services at Kisco Senior Living, described the training as an honor and an investment in relationships that support vulnerable adults in communities, sharing insights and meaningful conversations about better supporting individuals on their dementia journey.

Kisco's trademarked Heirloom Memory Care program, detailed at https://www.kiscoseniorliving.com/heirloom-memory-care, is grounded in human-centered research, empathy, and connection. In addition to training first responders, all associates at Balfour Communities are required to complete the Virtual Dementia Tour training to deepen their understanding of residents. This program plays a vital role in enhancing care, engagement, and services by fostering empathy and equipping staff with tools to better support residents and families, incorporating Montessori-Based Dementia Programming® principles found at https://www.montessoridementia.org.