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Facility expanding Alzheimer's unit |
| BL » News » Facility expanding Alzheimer's unit |
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August 3, 2004 |
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This article by Russ Keen was reprinted with permission from the August 3, 2004, edition of the Aberdeen (S.D.) American News.
Beverly Healthcare Center in Mobridge [S.D.] is expanding its Alzheimer's unit to 24 beds, which is 10 more than now. "As our population ages, it is something we are seeing more need for," said nurse Leann Hintz, unit coordinator.
The expansion is occurring within existing space inside the 107-bed facility that's also a nursing home on the northeast side of town. Work began two weeks ago, and the unit is expected to open in late September or early October. An open house will be scheduled, Hintz said.
Besides more room, the project is designed to enhance quality of life, she said. Unit residents will enjoy an outdoor courtyard more than twice the size of the current one, more space for programs and activities, a new sun room and a replica of an old-fashioned front porch. It will resemble the kind of porch many older people probably sat on to chat with neighbors in years gone by, Hintz said.
The unit also will feature family-style dining where residents assist with setting tables and passing dishes around during meals.
Enhancements such as the porch and family dining can improve quality of life for Alzheimer's victims, who often remember much from their pasts but little or nothing from more recent times, Hintz said.
The unit already has several programs in place that keep residents busy, such as helping to fold laundry, she said. Keeping busy is important for those who suffer from the disease, because it counteracts the frustration that often comes with Alzheimer's "of feeling like they have lost something and can't find it," Hintz said.
"How you care for them can make a difference in the disease's progression, and how they respond to the disease," Hintz said. "They can't necessarily talk rationally, but we can read their actions and read their hearts so we can give them good quality of life without squelching their spirits," she said.
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