An innovative assisted-living program is providing a new form of Alzheimer’s care.
AegisLiving created Life’s Neighborhood, which offers replications of 1940s homes to encourage interaction with the residents in a setting they may remember as comfortable.
There are also "Life Skills" stations, which employ stimulation as a form of relaxation, allowing the community to reduce the use of medication for the patients.
"Everyone at Aegis has special training in dementia and age sensitivity, understanding it is best to live in the resident’s moment," said Dwayne Clark, chairman and CEO of AegisLiving.
Founded in 1997, the company operates 34 communities in Washington, California and Nevada.
The program is being highlighted for National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month (NADAM).
NADAM was launched 25 years ago by President Ronald Reagan as a campaign against the disease in the month of November.
Reagan suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and told the public about it in 1994. He passed away in 2004.
An estimated 5.2 million people in the U.S. are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease. By 2030, it’s estimated the number of individuals age 65 and older with the disease will reach 7.7 million.
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