New at Shore: A More Personal Approach to Caring for Patients with Dementia

For patients living with Alzheimer's or dementia, a hospital stay can feel disorienting. Unfamiliar surroundings, new faces, and changes in routine can quickly lead to confusion or anxiety. For families, that often comes with an added worry: how will their loved one manage this experience away from the familiarity of home?

At Shore, we know that caring for patients with dementia takes more than clinical expertise. It requires understanding the person behind the diagnosis - what brings them comfort, what matters to them, and what helps them feel safe.

To support that approach, Shore has introduced the Alzheimer's/Dementia Patient Support Profile, a new tool designed to help care teams provide more personal, informed, and compassionate care.

"The idea originated at Shore's annual meeting with nursing and assisted living facility representatives this past February," said Christine Bracey, Administrative Director of Care Management. "I shared a similar resource from the Alzheimer's Society in London, UK, but wanted to create something tailored to the hospital setting, focused on truly person-centered care."

Completed by a family member or caregiver (and sometimes the patient), the profile captures meaningful details that help tell a fuller story of who the patient is. This includes preferred name, important relationships, life history, cultural or spiritual beliefs, and even the people or pets who are significant in their life.

It also helps care teams understand daily routines and preferences - such as sleep and meal patterns, activities they enjoy, and what may cause stress or confusion. Equally important, it highlights what helps the patient feel calm and grounded, whether that's a quiet environment, music, or familiar items from home.

Practical care needs are included as well, such as communication style, mobility support, dietary considerations, medication challenges, and advance care planning preferences - helping ensure care aligns with each patient's wishes.

"The goal was to create a tool that can follow the patient across care settings," Bracey explained. "Ideally, it can be completed in a nursing home, assisted living facility or from home and then shared with the hospital and other post-acute care settings so care is continuous and consistent."

While each detail may seem small on its own, together they create a more complete picture of the person being cared for. For patients experiencing dementia, that understanding can make a hospital stay feel less overwhelming and more familiar.

Families play an essential role in this process. By sharing what they know, they help guide care in a way that is more personal, respectful, and connected. The profile also allows that information to be shared across the care team, supporting a more consistent experience throughout the patient's stay.

"So far, we've introduced it to several teams," Bracey said. "Social work, emergency department leadership, and palliative care have all reviewed it, and we've received very positive feedback. We also shared it with our Alzheimer's support group - our members are very grateful for this new tool."

Once completed, the profile is placed in the patient's chart so it can be easily referenced throughout their care.

"The intention is to make the hospital stay more pleasant and less stressful, not only for the patient, but for their family as well," Bracey added.

At Shore, this work reflects a broader commitment to seeing every patient as a person first. The Alzheimer's/Dementia Patient Support Profile is one more way we are working to ensure patients feel seen, understood, and supported - especially during some of their most vulnerable moments.

If you have a loved one living with dementia and would like to complete their profile, you can download and print the form here. For more information, please contact our Social Work department at 609-653-3628.