Memory Care America - May 2020

MEMORY CARE OF NEW BRAUNFELS THROWS A PARADE FOR RESIDENTS DURING COVID-19 Memory Care Moments Celebrating Together

MAY 2020

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Our Communities Memory Care of Naples 2626 Goodlette Frank Road Naples, FL 34103 239.403.0826 memorycarenaples.com Memory Care of Little Rock 2501 Aldersgate Road Little Rock, AR 72205 501.260.7407 memorycarelittlerock.com Memory Care of Westover Hills 10910 Town Center Drive San Antonio, TX 78251 210.802.6653 memorycarewestoverhills.com Memory Care of Simpsonville 645 Scuffletown Rd. Simpsonville, SC 29681 864.962.3038 memorycaresimpsonville.com Memory Care of New Braunfels 2022 State HWY 46 W New Braunfels, TX 78132 830.420.5882 memorycarenewbraunfels.com

Moving your loved one into one of our five memory care communities takes incredible strength and trust in professionals to care for your loved one as you would. At Memory Care America, we don’t take this duty lightly, and we deeply care about the residents and families we serve every day.

lined up along the sidewalk. Some residents held up signs, many waved back, and others were just amazed to be able to use the front doors for the first time! (For safety reasons, Memory Care of New Braunfels does not allow residents through the front doors of the facility.) Residents were able to pinpoint specific phrases on the signs that their families created, which crafted another special bond between our residents and their families. And it wasn’t only families of current residents who made this parade special. Memory Care of New Braunfels welcomed and celebrated family members of residents who have passed on. After all, once you’re a member of our Memory Care family, you always have our support!

We know that some of the people who have been the hardest

hit by COVID-19 are the elderly and their families, and dementia and memory loss compound the stress of this pandemic. While our residents may not be able to fully comprehend this pandemic, we know they have felt the loss of your daily in-person visits and our community events. As a result, we’ve been so happy to provide you with regular window visits so you can stay

As Taylor Pettaway of the San Antonio Express-News reported, there was hardly a dry eye at the event. Taylor

Memory Care of New Braunfels' parking lot parade brought lots of smiles to our residents!

writes, “For the families and the staff, the parade was emotional. Because of the hardships of the

connected with your loved one. This interaction is valuable for many of our residents, and we hope it’s offered you some connection to your loved one during this incredibly difficult time. We’re committed to ensuring this continues, and we’re proud to share a story from Memory Care of New Braunfels, where staff took this connection to the next level in April. Together with our families and the New Braunfels Police Department, cars filled with loved ones and supporters drove by Memory Care of New Braunfels to greet our 64 residents, who were

pandemic, to be reunited and see smiling faces — even from afar — brought tears to every staff member ... ‘I was trying to take pictures and could barely see through my viewfinder because of the tears in my eyes,’ [Memory Care of New Braunfels Director of Business Development Kacie] Carroll said. ‘To watch their faces just light up, it was emotional, this was probably one of the most touching events we have ever done.’” Memory Care of New Braunfels also planned a Cinco de Mayo-themed parade to build off the connection fostered at this event.

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Sharing Your Stories

Dolores Molter Continues to Smile

At Memory Care of Naples

D olores Molter always lights up when she sees her son-in-law, Barry Cohen. It’s always been that way, says Dolores’ daughter, Mary Molter Cohen, and little has changed since Dolores’ dementia diagnosis. “She’s very outgoing,” Mary explains. “She’ll tell you she loves people. That’s why she had so many friends!” Dolores was born in 1931 and grew up on a farm with eight siblings in Brooklyn, Iowa. Dolores and her future husband, Joseph Molter, were set up on a date by friends, and the couple shared 47 years of wedded bliss together. They raised nine children on 5 acres in Pine Ridge, Florida, sustaining themselves with a bountiful garden and their Catholic faith. Dolores

“Mom picked it just by feeling the way we felt, but I knew it was the best place for us. We are so grateful for her being there, the peace of mind, the exceptional quality, and the love and the respect that they have,” Mary says. Of

never missed daily mass when she could drive, and her steadfast love of the Lord continues to give her strength. Today, Dolores has 23 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. When Dolores was 88 years old and living with dementia, the Molter family knew it was time to find a new home for her where she could receive the specialty care she needed. As luck would have it, Mary’s sister-in-law, Gina Licastro Molter, had a father who had been living at Memory Care of Naples for seven months. “Gina would often talk about how great the facility was,” Mary recalls.

Memory Care of Naples’ Director of Nursing, Mary says, “Rebecca and her entire staff have blown us away by their attentiveness and care.” Just weeks after moving into Memory Care of Naples in January 2020, Gina’s father passed away. The Molter family was impressed to see members of the Memory Care of Naples staff at the funeral.

In light of COVID-19, Mary and her family are having more phone calls to connect, and they now

visit in-person through the window. Despite the changes, Mary says she could tell her mom was safe and happy — her smile said it all. “It really is remarkable,” Mary says. “We just say all the time how fortunate we are that that’s where she is. There’s nobody who would have done it better.” Your family’s stories are why we are so passionate about the work we do. If you know someone who could benefit from our services, don’t keep our work a secret! Referrals are the best compliments you can give us. Direct them to our communities at MemoryCareAmerica.com or find us on Facebook.

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Celebrating Spring

Enjoying ice cream in the sunshine at Memory Care of Simpsonville!

T here are few joys quite as special to our Memory Care teams than the smiling faces of our residents! This spring, our residents were smiling a lot thanks to various activities and yummy treats. The Easter and spring celebrations kicked off with colorful floral arrangements at Memory Care of Naples , and residents welcomed May at Memory Care of Westover Hills with flower wreaths. At Memory Care of New Braunfels , residents and families connected with a singalong while social distancing, and residents at Memory Care of Little Rock played everyone’s favorite game: bingo! With Crafts, Singalongs, and Treats!

Resident-created flower wreaths welcome the month of May at Memory Care of Westover Hills!

An outdoor singalong at Memory Care of New Braunfels while social distancing!

Bingo is a favorite activity at Memory Care of Little Rock!

Last but certainly not least, Memory Care of Simpsonville residents enjoyed ice cream treats in the sunshine.

Don’t keep our work a secret! Referrals are the best compliments you can give us. Direct those who could benefit from our services to MemoryCareAmerica.com or find us on Facebook.

Celebrating Easter with colorful flower arrangements at Memory Care of Naples!

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At Memory Care America, we are so proud of our staff at Memory Care of New Braunfels — and at all of our communities — for organizing such special events. Our families and team members put their hearts into everything we do, and if the smiles, laughter, and tears are any indication, these types of activities have a profound impact on your loved ones. We can’t wait to share more stories of our communities pulling together during this pandemic (there are a few at the top of this page!), but none of this would be possible without the families we serve. Thank you for your trust and commitment to your loved one’s care.

Stay safe and be well.

BUTTERFLY FLOWERS JEDI LADYBUG

MAYFLY MEMORIAL MEXICO MOTHERS

OUTDOORS POLLEN SUNSHINE TAURUS

—The Memory Care America Team

P.S. Read Pettaway’s full article at MySanAnotnio.com!

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Inside 1 Celebrating and Connecting at a Safe Distance 2 The Molter Family Smiles Through Adversity at Memory Care of Naples 3 Our Communities Welcome Spring! 3 Word Search 4 Minimalist Living for Seniors

Memory Care Wellness

THE BENEFITS OF MINIMALISM

A Perfect Lifestyle for Seniors

As we get older, we tend to hang on to mementos that brought some type of meaning to our lives, even after time has diminished their value. Though we may be emotionally attached, this clutter can eventually overwhelm us, especially as seniors. If you find yourself drowning in items you no longer need or want, consider a minimalist lifestyle to free up your space — and your mind.

to something bigger. Soon, you’ll find yourself making steady and rewarding progress throughout the rest of your home.

In the process, pay attention to what you want to keep. Carefully select which objects mean the most to you and which ones are still useful. These are the belongings you should surround yourself with. The Benefit of Minimalism Minimalism will help you feel more comfortable in your home and open up other possibilities. You will have more room to invite guests and family over, and you’ll have a sense of space and freedom. Additionally, this lifestyle can also help with your finances. You’ll be less tempted to buy what you don’t need, and you may even rearrange spending priorities or downsize your living space (less rent!). If you surround yourself with meaningful and useful items, you will feel more at peace. Ultimately, minimalism encourages us to free ourselves from the many things that own us as much as we own them. Don’t allow accumulated objects to clutter up your home and life. Take the leap and start living a carefree, minimalist lifestyle.

Minimalism Before taking on a minimalist lifestyle, it’s important to understand what it entails. When someone hears the word “minimalism,” they might think it means getting rid of their possessions one by one, but that’s not entirely true. Instead, minimalist living focuses on having less clutter in our lives but still keeping the things we truly value and enjoy. The idea is to get rid of things we no longer use or need.

Minimalist Living To embark on a minimalist lifestyle, focus more on the present and consider the value your personal belongings have in your life now. Sorting through hundreds of items with thousands of memories is a daunting task, so it is best to start by removing things that might not require emotional or physical strain, like old magazines, broken items, or clutter in the junk drawer. Once you’ve taken this first step, move on

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