ABOUT ARBOR PLACE

Assisted living was developed to provide an alternative to nursing homes. Dementia specific facilities were initially based on a social model, meaning that there were certain features needed to care for persons with cognitive impairment such as keeping residents from wandering or to assist with activities of daily living. It was not widely recognized that these persons were becoming more medically fragile and struggling with emotional or behavioral issues.

As their disease progressed, a higher level of care was necessary. Arbor Place was created to address the care void. We work with medical and psychiatric consultants to collaborate with our interested, experienced nursing and care teams. From the outset, the level and type of staff was paramount. It was necessary to provide constant and consistent nursing presence only dedicated to Arbor Place. Our nursing team does not float between multiple units as in larger facilities or multiple homes at different locations. Also addressed is the necessity to have outstanding staff, interested in respectful care. Our staff, some of whom have been part of Arbor Place for almost two decades, bond with our residents and treat each as a member of their own family. We do not ask our families to provide additional aides when their loved ones need more attention. Our staff is able to provide the assistance needed. In fact, we have found that the addition of private duty aides is a negative in that they do not have the knowledge of the specific resident they might be assigned to, and they are not seen as part of the permanent staff which forms their own connectedness to our residents and to each other.

We recognize with disease progression individuals are not able to ask in a traditional manner for assistance when necessary, so we have incorporated multiple cues for our team to anticipate and respond while honoring individual space. One of those tools is the use of closed-circuit TV.

At Arbor Place we help each person embrace what they are able to enjoy in the moment. Our residents are personally engaged with music, art, activities and connection. It is being in the moment that has meaning, and it is our mission to make these moments count.

~Walter H. Fanburg, MD