By Khalida Sarwari
“Hugs instead of drugs” is the motto around the memory support unit at The Terraces of Los Gatos. And not just hugs, but smiles, music and ice cream cones.
One of the Terraces’ newest units, The Grove houses residents who have Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Unlike traditional memory care facilities, this unit, which opened in August 2013, looks and feels just like a home, or at least a home away from home. There’s a kitchen and recreation room in the center, a dining room to one side where most of the activities take place, hallways lined with bedrooms, a patio and garden in the back and a salon and spa for haircuts and nail trimmings on the other side. There are no walls separating the common areas.
“It was built like a home,” said Natalie Meeks, the unit’s activities coordinator. “We wanted it to be more like a home environment.”
Most striking are the large glass cases on the wall next to each of the residents’ bedroom. They’re called “memory boxes” and filled with photos and memorabilia dear to each resident. One contains a marriage certificate and another contains a miniature garden gnome smiling and clasping a bouquet of flowers.
“It’s home,” said Dwight Kintner, 89. “I sleep good.”
Kintner, an Ohio native, was transferred from the Terraces’ independent living unit about four months ago after spending 10 years there. He was a Methodist minister who took care of his wife until she died. These days, he spends much of his time playing chess, watching TV, gardening and conversing with friends, although he admits, “I can’t remember their names.”
Then there’s Tom Hinkelman, also 89, who hails from Williamsport, Pa. Hinkelman is one of the newer residents who also came over from independent living, where he lived with his wife until she died. Dementia doesn’t stop the former semiconductor engineer from enjoying sing-alongs, exercise classes and outings. Their most recent trip was to the 49ers museum at Levi’s Stadium.
Meeks said The Grove’s 17 residents are a diverse group of people from all over the country and the world, some coming from as far as Japan and Germany and ranging in age from 81 to 94. Half of them came from either assisted or independent living, said Meeks. Some know why they’re there, but most don’t.
Getting to know them and their past is crucial to understanding “anywhere from their favorite color to what agitates them to what makes them happy,” said Steve Cheregosha, The Grove’s director.
According to Meeks, The Grove is centered around the Best Friends Approach to dementia care, a program that focuses on building relationships with residents based on individual life stories and experiences.
Recreation therapy is one of The Grove’s biggest offerings. The unit’s monthly calendar is based on five domains of wellness–physical, cognitive, social, emotional and spiritual–through the use of recreation therapy. This has involved music and animal-assisted therapy, weekly outings, community integration, building relationships with other communities, brain fitness, ceramics class, family dinners, world travel, Wii, sing-alongs, arts and crafts, jewelry making, birthday celebrations, musical entertainment, exercise class, a walking group, gardening, board games, vespers, community service and a newspaper committee.
Recently, The Grove held a multicultural event and participated in the Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS. In the past, the unit has held a Halloween party, a whipped cream pie throwing contest and a Christmas tree decorating activity.
Meeks said it’s important for people to know that those with dementia are still full of life, fun to be around and able to learn new things and form new relationships.
“They are people who still have feelings, wants, desires and needs,” she said. “They are still the same people within, but you have to be patient and find different ways to bring that person out.”
One resident was instrumental in advancing the U.S. past the Soviet Union in the Space Race in 1969. Hinkelman served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
“Don’t label the person by their disease,” Meeks advised.
Cheregosha’s long-term goal is to start a benefit walk at the Terraces to raise money for a trip to Disneyland.
“I’d like to take every one of my residents to Disneyland,” he said. “It’s a great experience … to be able to take our residents to Disneyland and just have them be kids again.”
In the meantime, the Alzheimer’s Association will hold its annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Oct. 11 in San Jose. For more information, visit act.alz.org.
