If you know someone with memory loss, you know how challenging it can be to ensure their environment is safe while still being comfortable and familiar to them. Making the necessary changes to keep them at home can be both difficult and costly.
These factors, along with the risk of their loved one wandering away from home, lead many to consider a secure memory care community, as they are often planned by memory care facility designers who keep the needs of those with memory loss in the forefront of their minds.
If you’re searching for senior living for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, are caring for a family member with memory loss, or are trying to lead your clients in the right direction regarding person-centered care for their loved ones, a deep dive into a research-based dementia care environment may help.
Memory Care Community Design at Bridges® Communities
At Bridges® by EPOCH, seniors with memory loss benefit from a specially designed environment that supports their needs while providing comfort, familiarity, safety and security. Get an inside look at what you can expect when visiting any one of our communities.
Household Atmosphere
First, take all the negative perceptions of a memory care facility and throw them out the window, because upon walking into any Bridges® by EPOCH community, you won’t need them anymore.
Here, residents enjoy a warm, welcoming environment where they have opportunities to engage, are treated like family, and most of all, feel at home. Our inviting atmosphere makes it easier for those with memory loss to participate in community life while reducing confusion, enhancing confidence, and supporting independence. This is done through:
- Peaceful spaces that are easy to navigate
- Natural light from large windows
- Soft, yet contrasting, color schemes
- High ceilings and specialized lighting
- Privacy panels to limit distractions
- Plain and seamless carpets
- Directional cues to support navigation
Suite Features
Resident suites have been created to fit memory care residents’ needs and preferences while supporting them in their journey through memory loss. Some of the many features you can expect include:
- Suites that open into living areas instead of long hallways
- Motion sensor lighting in the bathrooms to help residents find their way in the evening
- Automatic nightlights in every suite
- A day closet with two outfits to promote independence and confidence
- Safety check buttons
- Individual climate control
- Contrasting colors to help with easy navigation, including accent walls in the bathroom
We also encourage families to bring favorite items from home. Doing so helps to make the transition to their new home smoother and helps our teams get to know our new residents better.
Community Spaces
Our community was made for gathering and enjoying a range of programs. With common areas and a variety of spaces, memory care residents can engage, connect and explore as they please. Some of the community spaces residents enjoy are our:
- Family living room
- Peaceful library
- Dining area with an open, homestyle kitchen
- Full-service salon
- Community room where residents gather for art therapy, entertainment, family visits and iN2L programs
Courtyard
If your loved one has always been the kind of person who has loved the outdoors, whether they spent their time exercising, gardening or simply reading, you’ll be happy to know that won’t stop at our communities.
With built-in considerations for memory care residents, our fully enclosed courtyard allows residents to safely explore their environment while enjoying a number of features, like:
- Walking paths and outdoor fitness classes for additional exercise
- Comfortable patio seating for chatting with team members, playing games or reading a book
- Opportunities to bird-watch or socialize with friends
- Outdoor concerts and events
- Sensory gardens and raised planter boxes for easy gardening and harvesting of fruits, vegetables and herbs for cooking
Safety Features
Among all these features, you’ll find many ways we keep residents safe. Our purposeful design enables us to enhance security and safety for those with memory loss. Some of the ways we do this are through:
- Suite doors that do not self-close
- “Window”-framed artwork that acts as a diversion for residents who wander
- Household artwork specifically for the redirection of residents
- Exit doors that blend in with walls to deter wandering from the households
- Controlled access to the secure courtyard to promote autonomy
All this and more combine to create a safe environment for those with memory loss. And even better – our team can see the entire household, which provides many families, friends and loved ones with peace of mind.
Experience Our Memory Care Design
If you’d like to learn more about our community features or how we tailor our design to suit the abilities and needs of those with memory loss, visit our website. Or if you’d like to take a tour and see our community for yourself, contact the community nearest you today.
Enhancing Quality of Life
Bridges® by EPOCH memory care communities have been developed from the ground up to anticipate, meet and exceed the needs of our residents and their families. Our team of remarkable people, the exceptional care and services we offer, and the purposeful design of our buildings all combine to create the most rewarding, secure and nurturing lifestyle possible for our residents.
Bridges® communities are in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, in the following towns: Norwalk, CT; Stamford, CT; Trumbull, CT; Andover, MA; Hingham, MA; Lexington, MA; Mashpee, MA; Pembroke, MA; Sudbury, MA; Westford, MA; Westwood, MA; and Nashua, NH.
Bridges® by EPOCH is New England’s largest stand-alone memory care assisted living provider.