Page 44 - BusinessWest April 28, 2021

Peace of Mind
Kimball Farms Promotes Dignity, Life Enrichment in Memory Care
By Mark Morris
etween now and 2030, 10,000 Americans each day, on average, will reach age 65. That type of growth affects all the indus-
tries that serve the senior population — and, not surprisingly, senior living is one industry paying close attention to this trend.
Kimball Farms Life Care provides indepen- dent and assisted living as well as dedicated memory-care services. In 2020, the Lenox facil- ity received more inquiries about its residential offering than in any year prior. Heidi Cornwell, marketing and sales director for Kimball Farms, said potential residents are doing more online research to educate themselves about senior community living.
“Many people are ‘shopping around’ earlier because they saw their own parents ill-prepared for this part of their life journey,” Cornwell said. She also noted that, as people live longer, they are moving into senior at a later age.
As a continuing-care retirement community (CCRC), Kimball Farms offers increasing levels of care for those who need it. Residents can easily move from independent living to assisted living, giving the individual and their families greater peace of mind.
For residents who develop dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, Kimball Farms offers mem- ory-care services through its Life Enrichment
Program (LEP). Cornwell explained that the program is centered around a philosophy know as habilitation, which increasingly emphasizes a person’s remaining skills instead of the skills they have lost.
For example, if a sandwich is placed in front of a person with dementia, they may not be
able to process what to do with it. “However,
if someone sits across from them with a sand- wich, picks it up, and takes a bite, that is the only queuing they need to understand what to do,” Cornwell said, adding that they can then enjoy their lunch without any further assistance.
Singing is another good example of empha- sizing a remaining skill. “The individual may not sing along to a song by themselves, but if an activities person or nurse sings with them, they can sing with pride and remember every word.”
The LEP puts its focus on maximizing qual- ity of life for each resident. Regular routines and programs built around the interests of the indi- vidual keep them busy all day and into the eve- ning. As a result, the residents thrive, Cornwell said, noting that the stimulation helps residents with dementia maintain the abilities they still have for as long as possible.
“We place no expectations on them, but encourage them to be the best person they can be,” she said. “We celebrate the good days,
After a snowfall, activity aides made a snowman and brought it inside for residents to decorate.
44 APRIL 28, 2021
BUSINESS OF AGING
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