Local facilities offer memory care options for families

Memory care is addressed in Tecumseh by two residential care facilities, Tecumseh Place and Cambrian Senior Living. The specialty of senior care requires working in different ways with residents and their families from a traditional assisted living facility.Tecumseh Place offers two 20-bed facilities managed by owner/operators Ginny and Jim Ingle. “We’ve been here for about 20 years, so we have a good perspective on how to manage memory care,” Ginny Ingle said. “We say, memory care, because there are different causes for memory loss. The symptoms are often very similar.”Cambrian Assisted Living is owned and operated by Denise and Gareth Zebley, and their memory care facility is expected to open after August 14. “We are constantly striving to stay ahead of the community’s needs,” said Denise Zebley. “We wanted our facility to be set up so people can age in place and not be forced to move to different locations for their care.”Both facilities focus on daily care that includes meals, personal hygiene, administration of medications, housekeeping, laundry, enrichment, and socialization opportunities. “The programming is designed for people to feel accomplished every day, not just that they have made it through another day,” Zebley said.“We are here to fill in for the loss of ability with activities of daily living,” said Ingle.The turnover of residents varies from month to month according to Ingle and Zebley. In the assisted living residence at Cambrian, Zebley estimates the average stay for a resident is a three and a half years.The numbers vary a little when it comes to patients with dementia. “It’s really hard to predict,” Ingle said. “Sometimes symptoms develop quickly in just a few months, and other times patients can live seven to 10 years.”Currently there are no apartments available of the 58 apartments in Cambrian’s assisted living facility, and the Cambrian Memory Care facility opens next month with 40 percent of the 26 apartments occupied.Like with most areas of medical care today, there are differences in the ways families approach specialty care for their loved ones than the way the focus was in the past. “The biggest change in the industry is people used to come to us earlier,” said Ingle. “Families today are better educated in how to care for their loved ones at home for a longer time.”“Caregivers can become burnt out,” Zebley said about why families decide to finally get outside help. “Stress can negatively impact relationships with the family member in need.”“We tell families that sometimes their loved ones will be healthier in a facility,” said Ingle. “First you need to take care of yourself so you can effectively take care of your loved one.”Both Tecumseh facilities offer a secured living environment for residents who have a tendency to wander, as well as offering different stimuli to improve quality of life.People with memory issues often like to spend a lot of time walking around, so Cambrian incorporated continuous walking areas throughout the facility. “Inside and out, there is no beginning or end,” Zebley said.Families are a welcome part of care at both Tecumseh Place and Cambrian. “We place a focus on building a relationship with families,” said Ingle. “Most of our residents have family members who play an active role in their care.”“What we want to do is create meaningful moments,” Zebley said.Although dealing with a loved one’s memory issues can be stressful, area residents do not have to travel to a big city to find specialized care and a nurturing environment. Cambrian and Tecumseh Place are ready to help families in need.