SAIDO Learning brings hope to those with dementia

On April 19, high school students from Calvin Christian School, Minneapolis, joined Covenant Village of Golden Valley (CVGV), a continuing care retirement community, to mark the 3rd anniversary of offering SAIDO Learning® as an option for residents with cognitive impairment. SAIDO Learning is a drug-free cognitive therapy shown to improve the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. These students celebrated with the community since they are part of the intergenerational service-learning project, the first of its kind used by a licensed SAIDO Learning organization in the United States.

SAIDO — Japanese for “again” — has been practiced in Japan for more than a decade and was introduced in the United States in 2013. Covenant Village of Golden Valley, one of 15 Covenant Retirement Communities, is the only location in Minnesota to offer SAIDO Learning.

For 30-minutes a day, five days a week, trained “supporters” lead participants, called “learners,” in simple math, reading aloud, number matching, and guided reminiscing with a focus on success and positive praise. The exercises are clinically designed to stimulate the prefrontal cortex of the brain, and have been shown to improve the quality of life of participants, and slow the decline in functioning.

Mary Beth Snyder is the chief SAIDO supporter and resident life concierge at Colonial Acres Health Center at Covenant Village of Golden Valley. She explained while there is no cure for Alzheimer’s or dementia, SAIDO offers hope for a better quality of life. “Over time, people with the disease continue to decline, but with SAIDO we have seen residents either maintain or improve in small, but meaningful ways.”

Snyder describes participants who are more engaging with staff or family members, are smiling more, or are more attentive or focused on simple tasks.

One day a week throughout the school year, Calvin Christian School’s high school students visit Colonial Acres to lead SAIDO Learning sessions with residents.

To participate, students received training on all aspects of SAIDO Learning, including the founding principles, education on the pre-frontal cortex of the brain and how it relates to the program, and how to use positive reinforcement.

“The residents and the students have formed a bond, and both say they have benefited from this unique partnering experience,” explained Snyder. “They have a better understanding of how dementia affects people; they recognize there is a person behind the disease, one who laughs, has memories, and stories to share. It’s been a wonderful partnership filled with life lessons for all who participated.”

Student volunteer Sophia Schmidt commented, “This experience has really helped me understand how to interact with people who have dementia.” Student Annika Dykstra, agreed. “We learned how to talk with, and help, people with dementia. I learned that dementia doesn’t change who a person is, it just makes it harder for them to live and function.”

Student Connor Distad said, “Working as a volunteer at Colonial Acres has really helped me to see that I can make a positive difference in other people’s lives and it gives me a sense of fulfillment.”

Developing this sense of service is a priority at Calvin Christian Academy, according to principal, Wendell Schaap. Through the partnership with Covenant Village of Golden Valley, he said, “We are teaching the students the value of service.”

During the celebration, Covenant Village of Golden Valley recognized SAIDO Supporters, who include staff, students, family members and residents, for participating in and supporting the SAIDO Learning program.

To commemorate the occasion, Schaap and his students gifted one of his beautiful barn wood sculptures to the community. As he presented the sculpture, Schaap shared his passion for reclaiming barn wood from aging and broken-down barns in the Midwest and fashioning the wood into beautiful pieces of art.

Local pianist, 93-year-old Marilyn Deichert provided the entertainment.

Both organizations plan to continue the partnership at the start of the next school year.