GEORGETOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — The Alzheimer’s Association says 5.7 million people in the U.S. are living with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, and that number is expected to explode in the coming years, as the search for a cure continues.
"They still have God-given gifts and they can still do so much," said Christina Matzke, COO of Sunset Retirement Communities.
Matzke can tell you about families looking for answers when their loved one is diagnosed with dementia.
"A lot of times when people get that diagnosis of dementia they feel like everything is downhill from there and we don't believe that," said Matzke.
Matzke and her staff knew they needed to make a change for the increasing number of families looking for care for their loved ones.
That’s why Sunset Retirement Communities has transformed part of its retirement community in Jenison into Waterford Place Memory Care.
Waterford is one of only 22 places in the country that focuses on bolstering memory with SAIDO Learning, according to Sunset Retirement Communities director of clinical services, Melinda Haight.
Created in Japan, the technique is now being used in the states.
"The prefrontal cortex focuses on thinking, memory recall, decision-making. These are the things we start to see decline with dementia," explained Haight.
Incoming residents are evaluated and their progress is tracked.