FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Peoria, Ill., March 28, 2017 — A program that has slowed the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias in older adults during research trials in Japan and the United States will be introduced to memory care residents at Lutheran Hillside Village beginning in June. Called SAIDO Learning, this promising cognitive rehabilitation therapy program is a drug-free treatment developed by the Kumon Institute of Education of Japan to address symptoms such as apathy and depression and improve the quality of life and cognitive and physical functioning in older adults.
“SAIDO Learning has been practiced for more than 12 years in more than 1,400 nursing facilities across Japan, showing stunning results in over 18,000 older adults,” said Shelly Heiden, Executive Director of Lutheran Hillside Village. “We are excited to be the first senior living community in Peoria to offer SAIDO Learning and one of only 17 in the United States. The goal of SAIDO Learning is to not only provide care for individuals with dementia, but to actually reverse and slow the progress of the symptoms, thus improving their quality of life and ultimately reducing the cost of their care.”
The SAIDO Learning method involves a trained caregiver engaging two older adults in a series of precise, yet simple, arithmetic, writing and reading exercises. The exercises are performed five times per week and last 30 minutes, in order to stimulate the prefrontal cortex of the brain. The object of the therapy is not to teach the material but to engage the Learner in the accomplishment of repeated successful exercises, progressing to new material at the Learner’s own level and pace. This process fosters confidence and the ability and initiative to advance. Most notably, the result is an improvement in cognitive function. For more information on SAIDO Learning, visit www.saidolearning.com.
Meridian Village, another Lutheran Senior Services community in Glen Carbon, Illinois, recently joined in a national study on the effectiveness of SAIDO Learning being conducted by researchers at the Cleveland Clinic. Meridian Village has offered SAIDO Learning for two years, and the results of the program for participating residents attracted the interest of the Cleveland Clinic researchers.
Lutheran Hillside Village is a continuing care retirement community operated by Lutheran Senior Services in Peoria that offers independent living apartments and patio homes, REACH short stay rehabilitation, assisted living, memory care assisted living and long term care within an environment of compassionate person-centered care.
Lutheran Senior Services is a mission-driven, not-for-profit network that specializes in housing, care, and supportive services for older adults age 62 and above.. With 21 locations in Missouri and Illinois, LSS serves more than 11,000 seniors each year through options that include Senior Living Communities offering all levels of care, Affordable Housing for those with limited incomes, and Home & Community Based Services. LSS builds upon 155+ years of excellence in living out its Christian mission of Older Adults Living Life to the Fullest.