GLEN COVE, NY – Community residents and hospital staff members recently gathered at Glen Cove Hospital for a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of The Lillian Rose Program for Alzheimer’s Patients, a unique inpatient hospital program that ensures that patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia and their families receive quality care and specialized services in a nurturing setting.

The event recognized the efforts of Denise Silverberg, a community resident and advocate for Alzheimer’s patients and their families, the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center (JCC) in East Hills, which provides services for seniors and programs for people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and the hospital’s nurses and other staff members, in establishing The Lillian Rose Program for Alzheimer’s Patients.

The program is named in honor of Ms. Silverberg’s mother who lived with dementia for 11 years. Ms. Silverberg, a resident of Roslyn, has been an active committee member of the North Shore-LIJ Health System’s Foundation’s Partners Council for Women’s Health for nearly 20 years, which raises funds for women’s program and facilities. She is also a member of Sid Jacobson JCC’s Board of Directors and founder of its Friendship Circle Luncheon.

The idea for an Alzheimer’s patient program at Glen Cove started about five years ago. Since Ms. Silverberg’s mother participated in programs at the Sid Jacobson JCC and also had been hospitalized several times, she wanted to help make the transition easier for her mother and other patients with dementia between the facilities and area nursing homes. Ms. Silverberg first met with Dennis Connors, executive director of Glen Cove Hospital, who embraced the idea. Connie Wasserman, LCSW, associate executive director of the Sid Jacobson JCC, lent her expertise to the project, with input by nurses and hospital staff members.

Last year, Glen Cove Hospital was recognized by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America as having the largest number of qualified staff in the nation specially trained in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia care. According to Elaine Evangelou Soto, RN, nurse manager of the Geriatric Unit, which now includes The Lillian Rose Program, the number of nurses and patient care associates who received training, is at “59 and counting,” she said. “The hospital has made an ongoing commitment to educating staff members so we are able to provide the most appropriate and sensitive care to patients with dementia.”

Ms. Evangelou Soto said that most elderly patients admitted to the hospital have a secondary diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and a hospital stay can be confusing and frightening. “Caring for patients with Alzheimer’s requires a special skill set in understanding the disease and its symptoms, so caregivers can better interact with patients and provide the appropriate treatment,” she said.

To create a more soothing atmosphere on the Geriatric Unit, the hospital carpeted the floors, painted patient rooms in pastel colors and used softer lighting. A non-intrusive security alarm system was installed so patients could walk the hallways comfortably. If patients near the end of a hallway, staff members are alerted by a signal. Other tactics used to help calm and engage patients, include televisions with DVDs that are brought to patients’ rooms so they can watch classic movies or listen to familiar, soothing music.

“I’m extremely proud of the staff at Glen Cove Hospital and The Lillian Rose Program for Alzheimer’s Patients,” said Mr. Connors. “Hopefully, other hospitals will follow suit to develop specialized programs for patients with dementia because the program truly makes a difference.”

Contact: Betty Olt
(516) 465-2645
bolt@nshs.edu