Montessori Concepts vs. Person-Centered Care: At a Glance
Core Philosophy and Origin
Montessori Concepts
From Dr. Maria Montessori’s educational philosophy promotes dignity, independence, purpose, and engagement through activities and roles; provides tools to do this.
Person-Centered Care (PCC)
From Tom Kitwood’s social psychology of dementia; honors personhood, individuality, and autonomy
Personal Impact
Montessori Concepts
Promotes competence, purpose, and self-worth through roles, successes, and accomplishments
Person-Centered Care (PCC)
Focuses on comfort and well-being by reducing stress and preserving identity
View of Individual
Montessori Concepts
Sees the person as capable, respected, and able to contribute meaningfully
Person-Centered Care (PCC)
Sees the person as valuable and worthy of respect, regardless of ability
Goals of Care
Montessori Concepts
Promotes independence, quality of life, engagement, and a sense of purpose
Person-Centered Care (PCC)
Promotes quality of life, comfort, and the maintenance of identity
Outcomes
Montessori Concepts
Greater independence; improved mood and emotional well-being; deeper engagement in activities; enhanced sense of accomplishment; increased social interaction; higher staff and family satisfaction
Person-Centered Care (PCC)
Improved overall quality of life; better communication and relationships; more flexible care; support for autonomy and choice; reduced feelings of isolation
Role of Family
Montessori Concepts
Active care partners and collaborators: help observe, and create meaningful roles/activities; help design personalized materials; participate in shared activities
Person-Centered Care (PCC)
Supporters: involved in care planning; offer emotional support; active in decision-making, and advocacy
Nature/ Outdoors
Montessori Concepts
Nature is a part of daily life for everyone; provides sensory stimulation and a connection with the environment
Person-Centered Care (PCC)
Offered as a calming, therapeutic experience for those who enjoy it
Memory
Montessori Concepts
Uses the environment, familiar hands-on activities, visual cues, and repetition to engage procedural memory and help individuals build/maintain their abilities
Person-Centered Care (PCC)
Uses emotional and relational memory, validation, and reminiscence to maintain identity, promote recognition, and provide comfort
Involvement
Montessori Concepts
Encourages ENGAGEMENT
Person-Centered Care (PCC)
Encourages PARTICIPATION; staff-led
Activities
Montessori Concepts
Hands-on, sequenced, and repetitive; provide a sense of purpose; tied to past roles and interests; promotes independence
Person-Centered Care (PCC)
Focus on enjoyment, comfort, and connection; based on current and past interests
Environment
Montessori Concepts
Focus is on promoting independence and engagement; spaces are organized and labeled clearly via visual cues; it is purposeful; activity stations and supplies are accessible to encourage engagement
Person-Centered Care (PCC)
Home-like, safe, and calming; personalized to reduce confusion; focus is on reducing confusion and promoting comfort
Relationships
Montessori Concepts
Encourages collaboration, courtesy, and relationships with peers and others
Person-Centered Care (PCC)
Encourages socialization and positive relationships
Autonomy and Choice
Montessori Concepts
Uses a well-prepared environment, tools, and cues to encourage choice
Person-Centered Care (PCC)
Uses flexibility and emotional support, and honors preferences
Community Involvement
Montessori Concepts
Encourages active roles and contribution to community
Person-Centered Care (PCC)
Focuses on emotional connections and personal comfort
Montessori Concepts | Person-Centered Care(PCC) | |
|---|---|---|
Core Philosophy and Origin | From Dr. Maria Montessori’s educational philosophy promotes dignity, independence, purpose, and engagement through activities and roles; provides tools to do this | From Tom Kitwood’s social psychology of dementia; honors personhood, individuality, and autonomy |
Personal Impact
| Promotes competence, purpose, and self-worth through roles, successes, and accomplishments
| Focuses on comfort and well-being by reducing stress and preserving identity
|
View of Individual
| Sees the person as capable, respected, and able to contribute meaningfully
| Sees the person as valuable and worthy of respect, regardless of ability
|
Goals of Care | Promotes independence, quality of life, engagement, and a sense of purpose
| Promotes quality of life, comfort, and the maintenance of identity
|
Outcomes | Greater independence; improved mood and emotional well-being; deeper engagement in activities; enhanced sense of accomplishment; increased social interaction; higher staff and family satisfaction
| Improved overall quality of life; better communication and relationships; more flexible care; support for autonomy and choice; reduced feelings of isolation
|
Role of Family
| Active care partners and collaborators: help observe, and create meaningful roles/activities; help design personalized materials; participate in shared activities
| Supporters: involved in care planning; offer emotional support; active in decision-making, and advocacy
|
Nature/ Outdoors | Nature is a part of daily life for everyone; provides sensory stimulation and a connection with the environment
| Offered as a calming, therapeutic experience for those who enjoy it
|
Memory | Uses the environment, familiar hands-on activities, visual cues, and repetition to engage procedural memory and help individuals build/maintain their abilities
| Uses emotional and relational memory, validation, and reminiscence to maintain identity, promote recognition, and provide comfort
|
Involvement | Encourages ENGAGEMENT
| Encourages PARTICIPATION; staff-led
|
Activities | Hands-on, sequenced, and repetitive; provide a sense of purpose; tied to past roles and interests; promotes independence
| Focus on enjoyment, comfort, and connection; based on current and past interests
|
Environment | Focus is on promoting independence and engagement; spaces are organized and labeled clearly via visual cues; it is purposeful; activity stations and supplies are accessible to encourage engagement
| Home-like, safe, and calming; personalized to reduce confusion; focus is on reducing confusion and promoting comfort
|
Relationships | Encourages collaboration, courtesy, and relationships with peers and others
| Encourages socialization and positive relationships
|
Autonomy and Choice | Uses a well-prepared environment, tools, and cues to encourage choice | Uses flexibility and emotional support, and honors preferences
|
Community Involvement
| Encourages active roles and contribution to community
| Focuses on emotional connections and personal comfort
|
Montessori dementia care and person-centered care differ in several ways:
Montessori Concepts and Person-Centered Care: Differences
Core Philosophy and Origin
Montessori dementia care, based on the educational philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori, emphasizes dignity, autonomy, independence, purposeful activity, and engagement. It offers structured environments and tools. In contrast, Person-Centered Care (PCC), based on Tom Kitwood’s social psychology model, focuses on honoring personhood, individuality, and autonomy through emotional connections, activities, and care.
Personal Impact
Montessori care promotes a sense of purpose and self-worth by enabling individuals to take on roles, complete tasks, and experience success. In contrast, PCC prioritizes emotional comfort and well-being to reduce stress and preserve the individual’s identity through empathetic care.
View of the Individual
Montessori views individuals with dementia as capable and deserving of respect, with the ability to contribute meaningfully when provided with the proper support. PCC emphasizes the inherent worth of each person, regardless of cognitive ability.
Goals of Care
The goal of Montessori dementia care is to enhance independence, engagement, and quality of life through structured, meaningful activities. PCC also aims to improve quality of life, but emphasizes comfort, emotional support, and maintaining a sense of self through personalized interactions.
Role of Family
In Montessori dementia care, family members are actively involved as care partners and collaborators with staff. They help observe and offer meaningful activities, as well as design personalized materials. In person-centered care (PCC), family members are primarily supporters who engage in care planning, provide emotional support, and participate in decision-making and advocacy on behalf of their family members.
Nature/Outdoors
In Montessori environments, nature is integrated into daily life, both indoors and outdoors, to provide sensory stimulation and foster a connection with the environment. In PCC it is an optional therapeutic experience for those who enjoy it.
Memory
Montessori dementia care focuses on engaging procedural memory through repetition, cues, and hands-on tasks to support and enhance retained abilities, even as other types of memory decline. In contrast, PCC emphasizes emotional and relational aspects for validation, reminiscence, and maintaining identity.
Involvement
Montessori dementia care promotes ENGAGEMENT, a higher level of participation in activities, tasks, and roles. PCC promotes participation. In addition, Montessori dementia care encourages self-initiated activities, whereas most PCC activities are led by staff and volunteers.
Activities
In Montessori dementia care, activities are purposeful, hands-on, and sequential. They are aligned with the interests and roles of individuals and promote independence. In contrast, PCC activities primarily focus on enjoyment, comfort, and fostering social connections.
Environment
The environment in Montessori dementia care is “prepared” to encourage independence, with easily accessible activity supplies to promote engagement. In PCC, the environment is designed to be safe, calming, and homelike to reduce confusion and enhance comfort.
Relationships
In Montessori care, individuals with dementia are encouraged to collaborate with others, practice courtesy, engage with peers, and develop positive RELATIONSHIPS, including friendships. In contrast, PCC focuses on encouraging individuals to socialize and cultivate positive interpersonal connections.
Autonomy and Choice
In Montessori dementia care, prepared environments, tools, and visual cues are used to promote choices, and personal preferences are honored. PCC, on the other hand, relies on flexibility and emotional support to encourage choices and honors personal preferences.
Community Involvement
Montessori dementia care encourages active contributions and meaningful roles within the community. In contrast, PCC emphasizes emotional connections and personal comfort within the community.
Why Choose Montessori Dementia Care
Montessori dementia care offers a framework for compassionate dementia care that emphasizes dignity, purpose, and engagement. It also promotes well-being, including fulfillment, happiness, and a meaningful life.
When Montessori concepts and person-centered care strategies are applied together, they support Dr. Martin Seligman’s PERMA model, which outlines five essential elements of emotional well-being, including Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment.
Positive emotions, such as joy, gratitude, and pride, are fostered through interactions with peers, family, and staff, as well as engagement in purposeful tasks and opportunities to contribute to the community.
In addition, engagement goes beyond participation, it’s about being in the moment and intensely focusing or immersing oneself in activities that resonate with them. Montessori environments encourage uninterrupted focus on tasks and activities, allowing individuals to focus on their meaningful work. This promotes fulfillment while reducing anxiety and depression and promoting self-actualization.
You can easily distinguish a Montessori environment from person-centered care by observing the level of intensity and amount of time spent on activities, tasks, and interactions with others. It is far greater in Montessori environments.
Positive relationships are nurtured through collaborative activities and shared experiences. In Montessori-based dementia care, individuals are encouraged to connect with peers, family, and staff at a higher level. This promotes trust and a sense of belonging.
Meaning is found in roles and routines that reflect personal history and interests. Engaging in activities that have meaning provides a sense of value and purpose.
Accomplishment is supported through repetition, visual cues, staff support, and familiar tasks that build mastery, confidence, and self-esteem. Acknowledgement of these accomplishments by others reinforces these accomplishments.
In addition, Montessori dementia care has been shown to reduce behavioral symptoms and decrease the use of sedatives and psychotropic medications. It also enhances satisfaction among families and staff, promotes holistic health, and increases social interaction.
