In 2009, Leandra applied for the position as an Activity Director for a community in Arcadia, CA. With no experience at all in this field, Leandra was determined to utilize her musical talent and sing her way into this position at her interview and got hired. In 2011, Leandra got promoted to Marketing Director.
In 2012, she relocated to another assisted living community as an Activity Director and began working with people living with Dementia.
When The Kensington in Sierra Madre opened up she was hired as the Connections Life Enrichment Coordinator where she discovered her passion working with family members and teaching them how to cope with their family members living with Dementia. Within 2 years, Leandra was promoted to the position of Memory Care Supervisor.
After a year of becoming a certified Positive Approach to Care (PAC) Independent Coach, Leandra’s passion grew and was ignited to teach and educate people about Dementia. Her goal is to teach people how to shift their perspective towards the person living with Dementia and looking at it from their point of view.
PAC training is special. Most education models teach the WHAT of dementia including mostly facts and information. PAC takes it a step further and teaches the HOW to live in a relationship with a changing brain. PAC philosophy shifts the focus from what a person can’t do to what the person living with dementia can do. The result is a more positive approach to care. This has been very successful at The Kensington.
This summer Leandra will become a mentor for the PAC team to help others become certified coaches.
The Kensington would like to take this opportunity to thank Leandra for her dedication, passion and love for the residents and their families working with Dementia.
Further Reading:
Memory loss is life changing for all involved. At The Kensington, we provide a state-of-the-art memory care program, a higher staff-to-resident ratio than industry standards, and more advanced care services. Our promise is to love and care for your family as we do our own.
For additional resources regarding your loved one’s condition, please read on about our Memory Care, Alzheimer’s Care and Dementia Care.