A new memory care facility is open for business in Oconto Falls, offering assisted living with round-the-clock personalized care for persons struggling with memory loss from strokes, dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
The Cottages at MeadowLands Memory Care “is going to be a great benefit to the community,” admissions coordinator Danielle Daebler said. “The population with Alzheimer’s and dementia is skyrocketing.”
The facility has 16 identical private units, consisting of a combined bedroom and living area, a full bathroom and large closet. Six are already spoken for, with residents to be moved in by the end of this month.
Breakfast is the only meal that will be prepared on-site. Other meals will be prepared in a newly remodeled kitchen at The MeadowLands Assisted Living next door and transported to the new building.
At an open house Friday, a number of area dignitaries and residents stopped in to enjoy tours and refreshments. People drifted from the Man Cave lounge to the Ladies Lounge and were able to see a model unit complete with furnishings.
Several people were attracted to the sensory boards hanging in a short hallway. The boards provide residents with an opportunity to touch various surfaces, such as pebbles and twigs. Cara Peterson, general manager of The Cottages Investment Group, said the sensory boards help to calm the anxiety that Alzheimer’s or dementia patients often feel.
Peterson explained that persons with dementia can be anxious and often pace, or wander back and forth.
“There are things on the wall to touch and feel that help to distract and calm them,” Peterson said. “It’s important to try options like this before using medication.”
Peterson has partnered with two investors to develop and operate the Shawano and Oconto Falls facilities.
“Our goal is to design, build and operate assisted living and memory care facilities,” she said.
Peterson is a graduate of Oconto Falls High School and is happy to be involved in the community.
“It’s really good to be back in Oconto Falls,” she said. “It feels good to follow in my mother’s footsteps.”
Peterson’s mother, Helen Sharpe, began Sharpe Care Nursing Home in Oconto Falls.
Peterson’s daughter, Alex, as memory care director, is the next generation involved in elder care.
“I definitely grew up in the business,” said Alex Peterson, who graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay last December and will be responsible for teaching classes, on topics such as administering medications, infection control and confidentiality, to the staff.
““Elders are people who have knowledge and a history,” she said. “I always learn something from them. They always have something to teach me, rather than me teaching them. They have all that knowledge in there – you just have to find it.”
Activities director Leslie Fisher will work with residents of both facilities. “My thing with the elderly people is music,” Fisher said. “It helps people relive memories and milestones in their lives. The people here are like flowers of every kind. They have so much to offer.”
The new facility employs 12 staff members, but Cara Peterson said the number will increase to 16 by the end of this year. All staff are trained specificially to work with dementia and Alzheimer’s patients.
“It really does take a special person to work with dementia and Alzheimer’s patients,” Daebler said.
Wade Micoley, of Oconto Falls, has connected with former schoolmate Cara Peterson as an investor in the venture.
Micoley emphasized the “hominess” of the facility.
“I think the chapel is a big deal, too,” he said. “It’s a big plus.”
The chapel, located off the central dining area, is furnished with donated pews and a podium for services.
Oconto Falls Mayor Brad Rice attended the open house.
“I think it is a big plus for the community,” he said. “It is good to know there are alternatives for the seniors where they can maintain a sense of independence.”
The Oconto Falls facility opened eight months after The Cottages Investment Group purchased the MeadowLands Assisted Living facility at 751 E. Highland Drive, Oconto Falls. It is the company’s fourth facility.
The group owns and operates two similar facilities in Shawano: The Cottages on Golden Pond, providing assisted living since 2009, and The Cottages Memory Care, built in 2012 and geared specifically toward residents needing specialized care.
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