Indigo Hall refers to its memory care program as “The Journey,” and the reason is, in fact, quite touching.
Kim Bonner, the director of memory care at Indigo Hall, said, “We want to know the resident – who they were before they came here. What was their family like? Where did they work? Where did they grow up? It helps to re-center them when they start to lose their memory. We want to know their journey.”
Indigo Hall, a brand-new assisted living community on James Island, opened its doors to residents during the 2019 holiday season. They tout luxury senior living and resort-style accommodations, but, most importantly, attentive and individualized care. The memory care unit’s special touches prove that every detail was well thought out when caring for the unique needs of an Alzheimer’s or dementia patient.
First and foremost is the Dementia Dialogues course that every staff member, from the office staff to kitchen staff and even housekeeping, is required to take.
“We want everyone to learn about dementia and the situations that might come up doing their daily activities,” she said. “We talk about the symptoms of dementia and how to recognize certain behaviors. For example, housekeeping may find someone’s purse in the trash. After taking this course, they will know why.”
Beyond making sure its staff is equipped and knowledgeable, Indigo Hall also takes the safety and security of its residents quite seriously.
“Our courtyards for the memory care residents are enclosed by the building, and any doors are coded and alarmed,” she explained. “The exits are adorned with appealing wraps, like a bookshelf or beach scene, so that to the residents they do not look like doors that they can open and leave, as wandering is common with dementia patients.”
And, of course, all visitors must check in at the front desk, where they are identified with a badge.
Enrichment activities at Indigo Hall to keep the residents active and engaged have been meticulously thought out as well. Living skills rooms have been set up as multisensory stations to help the residents relate to different environments.
Bonner explained that one of the living skills rooms is set up like a baby nursery.
“There are dolls in there, changing tables and items for a baby. The women really flock to that room,” she said.
She also explained that for men, there’s an office set up with a desk, globe and nautical items that many men can relate to from when they worked in an office setting during their career.
Lastly, they have a 1950s diner set up, with a working jukebox that plays music from that era, a pay phone and other period décor.
“The living skills rooms are there to help the memory care residents recognize things from their past. We have seen that these rooms are quite successful whenever a resident gets agitated or frustrated,” Bonner said.
Indigo Hall also has common areas for the residents to commune and play cards or work on puzzles.
The 157 apartments at Indigo Hall are equipped for assisted living and memory care, and one-third of them are designated memory care.
From the lighting to the amenities, details have not been spared when considering the unique needs of the memory care residents at Indigo Hall.
For more information, visit www.indigohall.com or call 843-406-4747.
By Theresa Stratford
