Rittenhouse in Portage is proud to announce the opening of their Memory Care Wing. On Thursday, February 23rd, an open house was held to show off the facilities, meet the staff, and enjoy some yummy creations from the on site chefs.
Betsy Cuellar, Director of Sales and Marketing, gave PortageLife the grand tour. First, Betsy showed us the suites, she explained they are much smaller than the other residence suites as large spaces often frustrate memory care patients. She added that because of this, they have even added smaller living rooms in common areas. Ms. Cuellar also explained that dementia and Alzheimer patients are not in their rooms for much more than sleeping and bathing. Rittenhouse provides activities all day long for the patients. "Keeping the patients in motion, and engaged in activities significantly helps stimulate the mind and reduce further memory loss," Betsy shared.
The halls are filled with items for the patients to fidget with, as they are "always busy, seldom sit still." These items include, tools, jewelry baubles, crafts, baby dolls and more. As many of these type of patients are consistently in motion and love to walk, Rittenhouse provides a secure, private courtyard with two entrances to their wing so patients can walk laps and enjoy the outdoors. When spring hits, outdoor furniture will be added for the patients and their families.
Meals are prepared fresh each day by on site chefs. The meals meet the dietary restrictions and requirements of the patients. Meals are included in the monthly fees at Rittenhouse, In fact, Rittenhouse is a all inclusive facility. The only thing not included is the price of medication.
Ms. Cuellar explained, though Rittenhouse is a private pay facility, they do provide benefits for those with long term care policies, veterans, and others. For those without any type of benefits, the all inclusive pricing would be similar to what one might pay for rent, transportation, utilities, meals, cable, etc. Again, these things are all included in the monthly fees.
In regards to safety of the memory care patients, the newest technology has been implemented. Patients wear watches that connect to the nurses station as to their whereabouts and activities or inactivity as they, unlike the assisted care patients might forget to push a button on an emergency necklace if there is a problem. Also, if a patient gets close to a door that connects to the main facility or outdoor exits, the doors will automatically lock and notify the nursing staff.
I asked Betsy about memory care patients with a spouse that might not be able to live on their own either. She explained that there are two options for them. There are a few "couple" suites in the memory care wing for those who have a spouse with severe dementia or Alzheimer's. The other option, is to live in the main building in a larger suite with the addition of a kitchenette and living room for added space. This would be for less severe patients. They could live with their spouse, then spend a good portion of the day in therapy and activities in the memory care wing.