Cascade Plaza opens Memory Care community for people living with Alzheimer's and other dementia

Redmond's Cascade Plaza retirement community at 7950 Willows Rd. NE has opened a Memory Care community to co-exist with its Independent Living and Assisted Living facilities.

The intent is to provide a home-like atmosphere for people living with Alzheimer's and other dementia. The space combines important safety features with attractive amenities such as dining and gathering spaces and a secure outdoor courtyard.

The Memory Care community includes 14 units, each of which is like a studio apartment with its own small kitchenette area and private, wheelchair-accessible bathroom. A larger spa area is also available to residents who need more help with personal care.

"Care providers will work 12-hour shifts so residents will see the same people when they wake up in the morning and before they go to bed in the evening," said Cascade Plaza marketing director Danielle Sekins. "All Memory Care programming is based on residents' needs and assessment for these residents is really in-depth," she added.

Sekins said Cascade Plaza staff will review a new resident's life history with their family. People with Alzheimer's or other dementia often have better recall of incidents which took place long ago and more difficulty with short-term memory.

A family room with craft areas features a discrete nursing station in the back, to make it more like a home and less like an institutional setting.

The Memory Care unit's dining area will sometimes feature supervised cooking and baking activities and equipment will have automatic shut-off features, according to Sekins.

Exercise activities will also be tailored to each resident's health needs.

Care givers from Cascade Plaza trained for about five months to make the move into the new Memory Care community, Sekins said.

A grand opening event for the Memory Care wing of Cascade Plaza is planned for later this summer, but tours can be arranged now, by contacting Danielle Sekins at (425) 885-4157 or danielles@cascadevista.com. For more information about Cascade Plaza, visit www.cascadeplaza.com.

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