CLIFTON PARK — Illnesses that impact the memory can be the most devastating to both the inflicted and the circle of friends and family that surround them.
Alzheimer’s, unfortunately, is a household name. One which people associate with loved ones slowly losing the memories that helped shape the person before them. Worse, those lost memories could be those that were once shared, and helped bond the relationship between friends, spouse and children.
Thankfully, enough is known about such diseases that there are places in which families can seek help, like Beacon Pointe Memory Care in Clifton Park.
“That’s a big part of what we do,” said Michelle Slater, who is on the community relations and admissions team for Beacon Pointe. “When someone is diagnosed, that is really difficult for their family and the people around them. We offer support for families and caregivers. We have educational programs for training, we provide support on grounds. We have an open-door policy to help support families in any way they may need it.”
Beacon Pointe provides living assistance to residents with memory impairment. The community assists residents with their everyday activities, from providing a full calendar of activities to helping with day-to-day routines. It’s a pet-friendly community, with four-legged and feathered friends on campus to bring joy to everyone. Slater explains, putting together a calendar of events in a community challenged with memory issues is unique.
“A calendar you put together for a traditional care facility will differ from a memory care community,” she said. “We focus on long-term memory. We have to focus in on that they are remembering, which usually deals with the past… as they were as children or young adults. So, some of our activities won’t be relevant to the world today, but to the time that they remember. So we do radio days, where people would sit around the radio and listen to a show. We have a ‘50s diner set up. A lot of different programs.”
Last summer, the community hosted a ‘50s style classic car show, where staff members all dressed up in poodle skirts, iconic to the times. It was a means of welcoming in the surrounding community outside the campus, where staff members at Beacon Pointe like to think they can be of help to everyone, whether or not someone they know is a resident. Beacon Pointe hosts educational programs for the outside community regularly.
For Slater, her association with Beacon Pointe gives her personal fulfillment.
“I was just talking to one of our other employees about how wonderful it is,” said Slater. “When we meet with a family they are usually in the midst of a crisis. To be able to work with them and have their loved ones settle down and feel at peace with the decision that was made to come here. You know you’re doing the right thing.”
For more information on Beacon Pointe, call 371-2200 or visit it’s website at www.beaconpointememorycare.com.