Certified Dementia Practitioners at Southington Care Center

SOUTHINGTON - Two Southington Care Center staffers were recently designated as Certified Dementia Practitioners by the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners. Ashley Maratea, CDP, director of therapeutic recreation, and Karen King, RN, CDP, staff development coordinator, pursued the training to better relate to and care for residents with dementia and their families.

Southington Care Center, located at 45 Meriden Ave., offers skilled nursing and inpatient/outpatient rehabilitation services.

The goal of the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners is to develop and encourage comprehensive standards of excellence in direct-care skills, education and sensitivity in the area of dementia care. Certification indicates that the individual has extensive experience and has pursued continuing education, staying current with trends, regulations and new developments related to dementia.

Maratea, who began working at Southington Care Center in November 2018, organizes the ongoing activities programs that are designed to meet the interests and the physical, mental and psycho-social well-being of each resident. She also participates in the planning for the services and needs of residents and families as well as develops and implements recreational care plans and assessments.

“Ever since I have been working in healthcare as a recreational therapist, it has been my passion to work with residents who have some type of dementia. Receiving this certification helps me better understand what they need on a daily basis as well as helps the staff understand residents with dementia,” Maratea said. The certification also keeps professionals up to date on the methods and tools on best practices for dementia care which Southington Care Center follows.

King, who has been on staff for three years, had worked in the past with brain-injured patients and at an assisted living community which had memory care. She represents Southington Care Center on the Hartford HealthCare Senior Services Dementia Committee and is also a trainer for the Habilitation program through the Alzheimer’s Association.

King said she decided to obtain the Certified Dementia Practitioners credentials because of the value it has to resident care. “My mission is for residents to have a positive emotional experience every day. I enjoy connecting with them where they are in their “memory journey” and help them feel happy and safe,” she explained.

To learn more about Southington Care Center, a not for profit member of Hartford HealthCare Senior Services, visit http://southingtoncare.org.