News

Villa to Continue Offering Award-winning Dementia Care

HESSTON—Schowalter Villa, a Bluestem community, has been accredited as a Comfort Matters® provider since 2016 and will continue to provide the innovative care after recently undergoing a reaccreditation process. Comfort Matters® is an evidence-based program that improves the quality of care and quality of life for persons with dementia.

“It is vital that Schowalter Villa integrate best practices in caring for persons diagnosed with dementia,” said Treva Greaser, executive director of Schowalter Villa. “Being accredited as a Comfort Matters® provider demonstrates our commitment to embed care practices into our organization that provide the best quality of care and quality of life for persons with dementia.”

Comfort Matters® was developed at Beatitudes Campus in Phoenix through more than a decade of research around person-directed health care practices and the latest science on supporting people who live with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Practices include reducing the use of antipsychotic medication in those with difficulty thinking.

“Before we began this program, 20 percent of residents living with dementia at Schowalter Villa were using antipsychotic medication. Fifteen months after Comfort Matters® training and implementation, our antipsychotic medication use was at 6 percent. We have continued to hold antipsychotic medication use percentages significantly below state and national averages,” said Greaser.

The reaccreditation included an intense review of Schowalter Villa’s practices, pertinent medical records, verification of staff competencies and adoption of Comfort Matters® policies and procedures as it pertains to the care given to residents in North Meadows, the dementia care neighborhood at Schowalter Villa.

To learn more about Schowalter Villa’s innovative dementia care, visit svilla.org.