Montessori: Not Just for Children -- Changing Old Lives, Too

Brown Bag Lunch Online Presentation with Anne Kelly and Ann Lindsay: Montessori is a model of care that supports independence, choice, high self esteem and meaningful engagement. It has a focus on what people are still able to do. It does not matter what age we are; we all need to feel needed and useful. Traditional aged care may create excess disability and can rob people of their independence and dignity. Montessori enables people to be the best they can be by supporting memory loss and independence.

Anne Kelly is the Association Montessori Internationale Head of Montessori for Dementia, Disability and Aging. She is also a registered nurse and a subject matter expert on the application of Montessori principles for aged care, disability, and dementia. Anne also holds qualifications in post-graduate dementia management, assessment and workplace training and dementia care mapping. She has worked extensively in aged and dementia care both residential and community for the past 40 years. Her work has taken her across Australia and the world, providing training, mentoring and consultation to care communities developing Montessori environments.

Ann Lindsay, MD, is president of the Life Plan Humboldt board of directors, a group focused on establishing a non-profit senior life plan community in Humboldt County. She was Humboldt County public health officer from 1993 to 2011. She and her husband, Alan Glaseroff, MD, shared a family practice in Arcata for 28 years and raised their two children here. They were recruited to Stanford University in 2011 to establish a primary care clinic for Stanford employees and dependents and their families who have multiple chronic health conditions. The clinic improved care, lowered costs and achieved top rankings in patient satisfaction with adoption of a new model of team care. The lure of life in Humboldt brought them back north in 2017. Ann is working on Life Plan Humboldt so she will not have to leave Humboldt County again!

The Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) understands, articulates and aids the natural development of human beings throughout their lives, enabling them to contribute positively to society, leading to a more harmonious, peaceful and sustainable world through education. Montessori for Dementia, Disability and Aging supports improving the quality of life for all adults, promoting the principles of dignity, meaningful engagement and independence throughout life.

Life Plan Humboldt is a non-profit formed to build and operate an innovative senior life plan community in Humboldt County.