By the year 2030, there will be 8.9 million people over 85. With the population aging at a faster rate than ever before, the need for particular healthcare services must also increase. That’s were Garden Terrace Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence comes in to meet the needs of the population.
Garry Burraston, with Garden Terrace guests on Studio 5
As the population ages, the need for health care services increases. People are living longer. We can thank advances in technology and medicine for this trend, but we also know that people are taking better care of themselves. People are staying active and at Garden Terrace, they want to help promote healthy living.
As we get older, suffering an injury or illness that limits our independence to some level is to be expected. But Garden Terrace has found that with the advancements in physical, occupational and speech therapies, people can experience a full or nearly full recovery and reclaim their independence.
The people at Garden Terrace now offer short-term therapy programs specific to each patient to maximize their potential. A patient stays at the facility for a short time … say six to 12 weeks. They then work with the therapy department regularly, sometimes multiple times per day, to achieve their goals and then return home safely.
Depending on the injury or illness, there could be multiple things needing improvement. Garden Terrace can work with all of them during the same stay.
These same patients can then utilize their therapy services after they get home to continue improving through our outpatient therapy program. It’s the same group of therapists, same location, same equipment they’ve already come to know, so no time is wasted reevaluating or developing a program. They simply continue the process already begun.
Garden Terrace is not only working with Alzheimer’s and dementia patients, but short-term rehabilitation patients with any diagnosis. After a patient’s hospital recovery from a fall, for example, they need to go somewhere to get fully functional. Usually it can’t be done from home, because as they recover, they will need help dressing or meal preparation and so on. A short-term rehab facility is where that patient would go for a couple weeks, get therapy, but also get the other help they need while recovering.
If someone is looking for this service, here’s what you should keep in mind when looking.
First, schedule a tour of different facilities you’re interested in. First-hand experience will help you make an informed decision. Upon entering the building, observe the grounds, lobby and smell
Ask to meet staff from different departments, such as nursing, dietary, housekeeping and social services.
Do they have the therapists, including physical, occupational and speech therapists on staff to meet your therapy demands?
Do they have special equipment and programs to meet your therapy needs?
Do they offer both private and semi-private rooms?
Do they have an exciting activities calendar with a wide variety of things to participate in?
Walk through the building and see how the nursing staff interacts with you and patients currently staying there. Are they friendly and helpful?
Are residents out and about or are they staying in their rooms?
Check with ministers and other organizations that are regularly in the facility.
For more information about Garden Terrace Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence, check out the website at www.lcca.com .
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