The following articles are information resources available to our Best Friends Community. You can find more articles through our HPP Resource Center.
Intergenerational Activities: Using the Best Friends Approach with Children
With the Best Friends™ approach, activities are more than just what’s on the calendar. Using Best Friends, almost everything can become an extended, interesting opportunity for engagement. A simple handshake can lead to a discussion about fingernail polish, gloves, work done by hand, “lifelines,” rings on fingers, promise rings, weddings, and more. A teapot can...
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In Memoriam: Virginia Bell (1922-2023)
Virginia Marsh Bell, M.S.W. (Lexington, KY / 1922–2023) It is with gratitude and pride that we recognize the long and productive life of a great friend and colleague, Virginia Bell, who recently left us—but not without leaving an enduring mark on the world, both through the innumerable lives she touched directly and in the reverberations...
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Starting with the Person: The Life Story and Human Rights
By Virginia Bell and David Troxel [caption id="attachment_6749" align="alignright" width="252"] Rebecca Riley[/caption] The Best Friends™ approach has been shaped by real people—people with dementia we have been privileged to meet and work with over the years. One of our earliest and most important “teachers” was a college friend of Virginia Bell. Rebecca Riley was a...
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“You Have to Be a Rebel Sometimes”
On a hot summer morning in Baltimore in 2014, Virginia Bell, then 92, led a training on her groundbreaking approach to dementia care—one that stresses human dignity, gives the caregiver ideas for success, and inspires more hopeful, life-affirming attitudes. Standing in front of a packed class of attentive caregivers from all over the country, she...
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How Friendship Works in the Context of Dementia Care
If you are new to the field of dementia care, it might be confusing to think that an in-home client, day center participant, or resident can be a friend. Maybe you’ve been taught to address someone as Mrs. Smith instead of Anne. Maybe you are worried about boundaries. Why is it so important to think...
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Celebrating 100 Years with Virginia Bell
June 30, 2022 marks the 100th birthday of Virginia Bell, one of the most influential thought leaders in the field of dementia care over the last four decades, who continues to this day to improve the lives of people with dementia and their caregivers. HPP sat down with the legendary author, speaker, and advocate to...
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30 Dementia Care Activities During COVID-19
Dementia Care in the Time of COVID-19: 30 Activities That Can Be Done in 30 Seconds or Less Every interaction can create a moment of connection. This coronavirus-sensitive list offers just a few ideas for maintaining critical socialization and engagement in this time of crisis. Greet the person by his or her first name -...
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Dementia Care at a Distance
The COVID-19 crisis is taking a heavy toll on all of us, particularly family and professional care partners. Visitors are prohibited in most residential care communities; this is necessary but certainly can be distressing to families and persons with dementia. Even when we are together, we are told to stay six feet apart. The very...
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Getting the Life Story into Daily Use
This post originally appeared on www.bestfriendsapproach.com. View it here. When we make friends, our stories come out slowly. As we get to know one another, we learn each other’s favorite foods and songs, pastimes and passions. But person’s with dementia, especially those who live in memory care, may not be able to recall or share...
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Best Friends™ Approach Free Downloadable Materials
What is the Best Friends™ Approach? These 13 handouts are free for you to download and will introduce you to the Best Friends™ approach, a highly successful model for dementia care that puts the person first. Adopted world-wide, this easy-to-implement approach is built on the essential elements of friendship—respect, empathy, support, trust, and humor. Use...
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The Top 5 Reasons to Become a Best Friends Master Trainer
The Best Friends™ approach to dementia care is among the most well-known and highly regarded humanistic approaches to providing care for people with dementia. The Best Friends™ Master Trainer Certification program is designed to produce a qualified on-site staff member who can provide ongoing training, coaching, support, inspiration, and programming advice for every level of...
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Getting Started with the Life Story
Respect, trust, humor, support—these are all things we share with our friends. We know our friend’s occupations, marital status, general interests, favorite foods, type of car, hobbies, and other details. We know their family history and traditions, likes and dislikes, even some of their secrets! We also know their strengths and weaknesses and understand their...
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