What is Important in choosing a residence for your loved one in need of Memory care or Advanced care?

There are 2 staff for 6-8 residents at our Huntington Place Memory Care and Advanced Care homes. 

3. Check out the Activity Program:  Is there a calendar with a variety of activities to choose from?  Do some of the activities listed appear to be appropriate for your loved one?  Are there activity staff and/or volunteers to assist staff in coordinating and leading the activities?

At Huntington Place there is an Activity Director and volunteers, who coordinate lead scheduled activities and entertainment.  Activities are scheduled individually at each home, to meet the needs of the majority of the residents at that particular home.

4. Ask who is responsible for cooking meals and cleaning:  Are the meals prepared on-site by the direct care workers?  Is the cleaning done by the direct care workers?  When is the cleaning scheduled to be done?

At our Huntington Place residences, the direct care staff cook breakfast at each home in order to be able to accommodate the variety of times the residents awaken in the morning, and also so that the smells of coffee, bacon and pancakes can permeate the air and trigger reminiscing and feelings of comfort and security. 

Cleaning of common areas is done primarily by the overnight staff when they are not attending to resident needs.  Housekeeping staff is responsible for cleaning resident rooms and entryways.

5. Look for a safe and secure outside area:  Is there a secure outside walking path?  Is the outside area readily accessible to residents who can be outside alone, and yet secure for those residents that need to be supervised at all times? 

At each Huntington Place home there is a locked, fenced in back yard with a walking path, a bench and table and chairs for relaxing.  The door to the back yard is alarmed so that staff know when someone is going out and can supervise if necessary.

6. Ask about safety and security of the residence:  Are exit doors only alarmed to alert staff or is there a security system in place to actually prevent residents from exiting?

At our Huntington Place homes the Code Alert security system is in place.  Residents wear a small transmitter that automatically locks the exits doors, and if a resident pulls on the locked door, an alarm will sound to alert staff.

7. Take note of the environment:  What do you see?  What do you hear?  What do you smell?  What is your overall feeling as you imagine your loved one residing there?

As important as the above areas are to placement of a loved one, nothing comes close to the importance of knowing there are trained, sensitive, knowledgeable and sincere staff taking care of your loved one.

At Huntington Place our staff care for our residents with love and respect.  They are also sensitive to the emotional up’s and down’s experienced by family members as they travel through this difficult time with their loved one.  Each resident is recognized with the attention that tells them they are a special person.