BY KIM HILSENBECK
The memory care unit at Orchard Park Memory Care and Assisted Living in Kyle smelled like a grandmother’s kitchen, the scent of oatmeal raisin cookies wafting through the air. Stephen Catoe, memory care director, baked them up earlier in the morning. It’s just one of the little touches he and other care partners do to make the facility comfortable and homey. “Smells are memories,” he said. The Assisted Living (AL) section of the facility opened in October; it currently houses 20 residents. The memory care unit has seven residents and opened in February. In addition to common areas with nicely appointed furniture and décor, the facility has a beauty shop, gym, life stations, outdoor patios, fireplaces, memory boxes outside residents’ doors and art on the walls. Catoe’s official title is Moments in Time Coordinator. He explained the program of the same name he rolled out recently. “It’s based on honoring the paths of life; you take everyday things and make them extraordinary,” he said. “Meals are known as dining experiences.” The dining room table linens create a sense of elegance. “We have something called ‘Stroll to Dine.’ Unless they absolutely must be in a wheelchair, we ask residents to walk to dinner,” Catoe said. Care partners also transfer residents to a dining room chair. “It’s a matter of dignity,” Catoe said. “They sit up straighter, they participate in the meal more.” With his more than 15 years of experience, what he likes about Orchard Park is that memory care was not an afterthought. “It’s as important, as big, as beautiful as the assisted living side,” he said. One criteria for being in the memory care unit is if it’s unsafe for that resident to live alone, for example, if they tend to wander outside and are unable to ask for help. Executive Director Jenny Castillo said residents on the assisted living side need more physical assistance, where memory care residents require cognitive assistance. Catoe said the other facilities where he has worked concentrate on providing care. “Most places can meet physiological needs, but [here we] really have the goal of helping each person be the best they can be that day. We do that through finding out their abilities – we do a biography on each person.” He pointed across the room. “You’ll notice that beautiful painting over on the wall,” he said. “One of my residents did that abstract. It’s like something from a gallery.” After working in the field for so long, Catoe said a big lesson was everyone is different. “One thing I was told in this business was if you know one person with Alzheimer’s, you know one person with Alzheimer’s.” He smiled. “Everyone has their own journey,” he said. What else makes this facility different? “We teach Validation Theory, created by a social worker named Naomi Feil,” he said. “It’s widely accepted in Europe. It’s gaining popularity here. I’m a certified validation worker.” He explained the training philosophy. “Feil identifies ‘Phases of Resolution.’ You’ll have mal-oriented people – not really disillusioned, but they’re in that awareness that something is wrong. Then the majority of residents are time confused. As you lose your memories, you lose them chronologically going backward so you may be at any age or any time.” Some residents are essentially reliving their younger years.
