On a balmy afternoon in late May, residents of the Country Cottage neighborhood in Dock Terrace enjoyed two of life’s greatest joys: music and time outside in the fresh air.
Accompanied by certified creative arts therapist Seth Laucks, some residents played xylophones as Seth sang. Others tapped their feet to the music, enjoying the birdsong in the background.
A year ago, this kind of afternoon would have been impossible for these residents – not because they live in Memory Care within the Health Care community at Dock Woods, but because their outdoor space couldn’t accommodate it.
“The previous patio in Country Cottage was very small,” said Annette Echanis, the director of resident engagement for Living Branches. “When the new Country Cottage neighborhood opened in the summer of 2023, the addition of a large, covered outdoor space with access to electricity let us take engagement outside.”
This joyful group music therapy session is just one way that new construction and renovations in Living Branches’ Memory Care neighborhoods will offer new and better opportunities for life enrichment programs. That’s especially important for residents in Memory Care at the Health Care level.
“As dementia progresses, the ability to self-initiate engagement becomes impaired,” Annette explained. “The design of the new Memory Care communities at Dock Woods and Souderton Mennonite Homes allows us to adapt engagement opportunities to meet the needs of residents who require memory support.”
Montessori in Memory Care
All Living Branches communities have access to dedicated life enrichment coordinators who plan programs, activities, and trips based on the interests and needs of their residents.
Activities at the Residential Living level are quite different than what’s offered in Health Care, but the underlying principles are the same: know each resident as an individual, learn their interests and capabilities, and offer appropriate group activities and prepared environments for solo exploration.
This is known as the Montessori method, a philosophy Living Branches adopted in 2018 to great success.
“Programming looks different depending on whether the Memory Care resident is at the Personal Care or Health Care level, but it’s all person-centered,” Annette explains. “For instance, Memory Care residents at the Personal Care level can go outside to the secured patio area, use a watering can, and pick dead flowers off a plant in a raised bed.
“Health Care residents may need additional help to garden, but if we accompany them outside and provide a container of water, they can also enjoy tending the flowers. It’s our job to change the approach and the environment to give residents joyful moments, no matter their level of care.”
Design with Purpose
Many of the design elements that have transformed Country Cottage programming will also be used in Souderton Mennonite Homes’ new Memory Care neighborhood at the Health Care level, set to open in August 2024.
One major improvement is separate rooms with different purposes, allowing residents to be in the right environment at any point of the day.
“Now we have a den and library area where residents can go if they prefer a smaller environment with less stimulation,” Annette says. “There’s also a separate dining room, living room, and activity space, giving residents the chance to be in different spaces throughout the day as various programs occur at once.”
Annette also appreciates the enhanced A/V systems that life enrichment coordinators can use to access music and streaming programs in common areas. Sensory videos and landscapes are popular in Country Cottage, and the larger space lets more residents participate.
But what she’s most excited about – especially for the spring, summer, and early fall months – is the vast improvement to outdoor spaces at both campuses.
“To take the outdoor design one step above the general landscaping in the rest of the community, we worked with a designer who has experience creating outdoor spaces for memory support,” she explains. “From the life enrichment perspective, that’s really exciting.”
And of course, live music for creative arts therapy and other fun programs will be an option at Souderton Mennonite Homes as well, thanks to an outdoor space like the one created for Country Cottage at Dock Woods.
“Souderton Mennonite Homes will have a garden specifically designed to engage Memory Care residents in the Health Care community,” she says. “There will be a larger space with access to electricity, so we can use microphones and speakers during creative arts therapy sessions. Plantings like lavender and lamb’s ear will provide sensory stimulation. We’ll also have water features, a spinning feature, bird houses, and other elements that touch all senses.”
Purpose and Joy – At Every Level
When Annette considers the future of Memory Care at Living Branches, she echoes the need for personalized care. She is excited to see how dedicated memory support communities impact residents and their loved ones in all levels of care.
“I think it’s huge that we’re investing in this,” she says. “If you go to Country Cottage today, you’ll see residents who can still do word searches, play the piano, or look through memory books. When they are given opportunities to function at their highest level, they experience moments of joy throughout the day.”