Brookdale Foundation House recently celebrated the grand opening of its new Alzheimer’s and dementia care wing and Clare Bridge program. The senior living community held an open house where special guest Teepa Snow, a nationally recognized dementia expert, spoke about memory care.
This project represents a more than $4.4 million investment and the creation of 20 new jobs in the city of Federal Way. Recognizing the need for quality memory care, Brookdale Foundation House has expanded its ability to care for those suffering from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The new addition includes 32 memory care apartments, a new kitchen and dining room. Brookdale’s Clare Bridge program was created over 30 years ago and embraces the latest research in dementia care. There were 110,000 people in Washington living with Alzheimer’s and in 2018, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, which estimates this figure will reach 140,000 by 2025. Alzheimer’s disease is the third leading cause of death in the state.Brookdale associates in the Clare Bridge program are trained in the concept of generating daily moments of success and take a person-centered approach to care, focusing on sustaining feelings of belonging and purpose while preserving each resident’s identity and sense of self.
“Creating meaningful, successful days and managing the complex symptoms of dementia can be something that takes years to understand how to do,” Juliet Holt Klinger, Brookdale’s dementia care expert explains. “Dementia care is a very specialized combination of not only clinical and psychosocial care and approaches, but also programmatic and environmental adaptations as well. All of these promote well-being for those living with dementia. This concept, which is more than 30 years in the making, is to provide the best life possible for those living with dementia. In our view, with the right support, there is just about no limit to what our residents can achieve.”
In addition to Alzheimer’s and dementia care, Brookdale Foundation House offers independent and assisted living care in a resort-style community built for comfort. Residents at Foundation House experience the best that senior living has to offer, with walking paths, a billiards room, arts and crafts studio, therapy center, game room, fitness center, a general store, an onsite pub and private dining options.
