Memory Care
Memory disorders are a complex condition requiring around-the-clock care. Saint Luke’s Bishop Spencer Place is now home to a dedicated community for residents with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and other memory conditions.
Community highlights
- Specialized care: Led by a board-certified physician specializing in memory and cognitive neurology from the nationally recognized Saint Luke’s Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute.
- Holistic approach: A carefully tailored care plan that emphasizes the physical, intellectual, and spiritual health of residents with memory disorders.
- Innovative technology: Designed with the latest technology to increase resident engagement, reduce stress, and foster well-being.
- Distinguished living: Thoughtfully designed living spaces infused with first-class amenities and services as part of the Bishop Spencer Place community.
Schedule a tour: 816-595-5878
Therapeutic activities platform
At the heart of our memory care community is an activities platform customized for each resident and their unique condition. These activities are based on residents’ hobbies and interests and designed to enhance cognitive function, foster social interaction, and contribute to overall well-being. Other aspects of the platform encompass occupational tasks like grocery shopping and gardening to increase communication skills and self-esteem.
The platform is built around holistic wellness and offers more than 10 therapeutic activities, including:
- Physical: Walking, chair yoga, and dancing
- Social: Movie nights, ice cream socials, cooking classes, and book clubs
- Creative: Art therapy, scrapbooking, and painting
- Memory: Maze games, word search puzzles, and matching games
- Sensory: Guessing games, fidgets, and sensory bins
Frequently Asked Questions About Memory Care
Memory care refers to specialized residential care designed for people living with memory conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Saint Luke’s Bishop Spencer Place memory care is designed to support residents and their families by offering:
- Enhanced security
- Physicians and staff specially trained to work with residents with memory impairments
- Thoughtfully designed spaces, such as calming sensory rooms
- Specialized activities and personalized care
A memory care area located within a larger retirement community, such as Bishop Spencer Place, that has all levels of care is ideal because the move into memory care is less stressful for the resident. The main differences between assisted living and memory care include:
Safety: Increased safety is important for individuals experiencing memory loss. Memory care areas have locked entrances and exits, keypad entries, obscured exits, and other safety features.
Staff training: Staff are specially trained, and the memory care area has a higher caregiver-to-resident ratio. Staff’s focus is to limit wandering and distress, while encouraging engagement and independence where possible.
Amenities: Memory care features the same amenities as assisted living in most cases, but unique layouts and designs help orient residents. Memory care contains design elements to minimize confusion and calming therapies to mitigate agitation.
Activities and therapies: Memory care offers a focus on structured sensory stimulation and cultivated engagement to minimize the symptoms and challenges of memory loss, both in individual and group settings.
To be eligible for memory care, a person must have a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. The primary consideration for whether a person is ready for memory care is their safety. A few questions to consider:
- Is it unsafe for them to live on their own?
- Are they wandering or can’t be left alone? Are they getting lost?
- Are they struggling with personal care, including showering and toileting?
- Are they struggling to manage daily chores, such as cooking, cleaning, and paying bills?
The strain on caregivers should also be taken under consideration. Is the mental or physical health of caregivers being affected? A move to memory care allows adult children, spouses, and loved ones to move out of the caregiving role and back into their normal relationship.
To learn more about our community or reserve a spot, call 816-595-5878.
