Daniela Vegas-Fox is a seasoned professional specializing in Life Enrichment and Memory Care within the senior living industry. Her commitment to elevating the quality of life for older adults and curating meaningful experiences that contribute to overall well-being sets her apart in the industry. Her almost a decade of experience in the industry in conjunction with her dedication to serving the senior population serves as a testament to her successful track record. Vegas-Fox’s passion for staying abreast of the latest advancements in senior care, including memory care practices, dementia support, and innovative therapies ensures residents' physical, social, cognitive, and emotional needs are comprehensively addressed.
Currently, she serves as Area Vice President of Life Enrichment and Memory Care at Trilogy Health Services.
Please share with our readers your current roles and responsibilities.
Being the Area Vice President for Life Enrichment and Memory Care at Trilogy Health Services, I oversee a dedicated support team that sets us apart from other companies in the industry. Unlike most organizations, we prioritize our life enrichment and activity departments, as well as our memory care services. So at Trilogy, we take immense pride in our commitment to providing exceptional life enrichment and member care services. We have a well-established support team, with my position overseeing this robust team–a distinguishing feature from many other companies. Our primary focus in life enrichment and memory care services is to ensure that our seniors experience a continuum of the lifestyle they enjoyed before transitioning to our community.
Our primary focus in life enrichment and memory care services is to ensure that our seniors experience a continuum of the lifestyle they enjoyed before transitioning to our community
We understand most of the time residents, due to life circumstances, may not have initially chosen senior living. As a result, we strive to create an environment where they continue to feel the life they had. A lot of our residents often find themselves in our care following the loss of a loved one or a challenging medical diagnosis that hinders independent living, which affects them emotionally. This can often lead them to lose the purpose of their life. And our goal is to assist them in rediscovering their sense of purpose.
Can you share some of the challenges you notice in the industry?
We recognize that, for a resident, finding purpose means finding a sense of meaning, direction, and contribution in their life and the surrounding environment. Understanding the profound impact of purpose on mental, emotional, and social well-being, we aim to foster intrinsic motivation for adopting healthy behaviors. This is what we do at Trilogy. A successful sense of purpose is related to improved health outcomes, leading to fewer chronic conditions, reduced disability, and lower mortality rates. Numerous studies affirm that maintaining a sense of purpose contributes to overall longer-lasting health. A recent article from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine highlights that over one-third of adults aged 45 and above report feeling lonely, with nearly one-fourth of those aged 65 and over experiencing isolation. Loneliness isn't solely about being physically isolated; a person can be surrounded by family and friends yet still feel lonely. The emotional experience of loneliness is what significantly influences an individual, contributing to factors like chronic illness, a 50 percent increased risk of dementia, a 29 percent increased risk of heart disease, a 32 percent increased risk of stroke and a potential for premature death. Understanding these dynamics is essential for providing holistic care to our residents.
What are some of the initiatives that can be employed to overcome these challenges?
I believe that understanding the individuals we care for is paramount, and from Trilogy's standpoint, we prioritize this from the moment of admission. We undertake a comprehensive life story questionnaire, provided to family members, to gather insights into every aspect of the person entering our community. Details range from their morning routine, whether they enjoy a cup of coffee before rising—a potential mood indicator—to their fears and topics that may cause distress. We also explore coping strategies for challenging days. From a senior living perspective, this personalized approach allows us to truly know the person joining our campus. Life's dynamics shift with events like the loss of a spouse, retirement, or health challenges, all of which can lead to emotional impacts and feelings of loneliness. So caregivers play a vital role in recognizing these shifts and identifying activities that bring meaning and purpose to the individual's life. The key is to identify what activities bring joy and a sense of accomplishment to each.
What are some of the technological advancements that aid seniors?
There's a wealth of technology available for seniors living these days. Being a caregiver and also on behalf of the company, it's crucial to navigate through the options and determine what brings real value to both individuals and the organization. Amid the multitude of choices, we found that the most successful technologies are the ones that connect residents and their families. Video calls have proven to be a meaningful way for families to stay connected, particularly during times when visiting in person becomes challenging, like the upcoming winter months. We facilitate these scheduled video calls for residents, to ensure they can still maintain a strong connection. We also leverage software to track residents' engagement and participation. This helps us understand which residents are actively involved and those who may need additional support or tailored activities. It serves as a valuable tool to identify changes in conditions, prompting us to intervene and provide better, more personalized care.
What is your piece of advice to your fellow peers?
From an activities and dementia standpoint, I believe it's time to revolutionize the industry and redefine our approach to engaging residents. There seems to be a prevailing notion that activities are merely about fun and games. But it's essential to understand that our responsibility to residents moves beyond mere entertainment. We need to focus on how to provide purpose, engagement, and a meaningful lifestyle for our residents. At Trilogy, we're actively changing the culture within our life enrichment and memory care departments to offer more than just enjoyment. I often tell my life enrichment directors to evaluate their calendars with a critical question: If you live here, would this calendar inspire you to get out of bed in the morning? If the answer is no, it's a signal that adjustments are needed because this is precisely what our residents encounter every day. Their decision to rise and engage is influenced by the activities we provide. While our dining services and clinical staff are excellent, residents are here not just to receive care but to continue living. It's our mission to facilitate a fulfilling and purpose-driven life for each individual under our care.
