AMERICUS — From 1-4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9, Magnolia Manor is hosting a drop-in Open House for the newly constructed Mattie H. Marshall Memory Care Center on the 2001 S. Lee St. campus in Americus.
Construction began a little over a year ago. The community spent the past year anticipating the completion of a building that will improve residents’ lives. The time has arrived, and Magnolia Manor is excited to share the changes offered in this new memory care facility.
All resident rooms are now private, with a private bathroom and shower. The rooms are fully furnished, including with a glider rocker and wall-mounted TV. The building has two sunrooms for family visits with residents, lots of skylights for natural lighting, and multiple activity and conversation areas. Each resident room has a large memory box to display photos and mementos. In addition, each room has independent climate control. Indoor and exterior closed-circuit cameras enhance resident safety. There are also state of the art features, such as photo sensor lighting that maintains a consistent lightness level and suppresses sun-downing symptoms.
There’s also a Snoezelen® room. Through the use of movement, colored lights and sound, the Snoezelen® multi-sensory machine helps calm dementia residents and produces results that are nothing short of miraculous.
Move-in is projected to occur before the end of the month.
Any change is difficult, but change for residents with impaired cognition is especially difficult. During the last several months leading up to the move, Administrator Jenice Baker and her staff took special measures to help the residents adjust.
Family members were updated periodically during construction, and as the furniture arrived. According to Baker, “Preparations have been made to have family members present during the move to assist their loved one find their new room.” The day before the residents physically change buildings, two or three outfits and some personal room decorations from their current room will be placed at the new facility to help residents feel at home.
“We tried to arrange it so most residents remain in a location similar to their current room,” stated Baker. “We have already moved some items to their new memory boxes to help residents identify their new room.”
Magnolia Manor staff is excited about the transition. “After many months of preparing, we are ready to move our residents!” explains Baker. The move means positive change for both residents and staff. While residents currently receive a superior level of care, Baker knows the new Mattie H. Marshall Memory Care Center will provide even more opportunities for improvement. “Bottom line: I see our residents being more satisfied. Behaviors that are associated with dementia–related diseases are being addressed through environmental adaptations and alternative means, as opposed to pharmacological measures. Families will feel more comfortable and visit more often [because of] a living environment that is spacious and open. And staff will be better equipped to provide services and care.”
It’s time to begin a new chapter of memory care on the Americus campus.