The Terrace hosts open house for those affected by Alzheimer's June 30

The Terrace at Mountain Creek is introducing the community to its newly dedicated mid-level memory wing for Alzheimer's patients, the "Discovery Gardens," with an open house event June 30 from 5 to 7 p.m.

"[The event] clears up a lot of questions, confusion and misgivings about what Alzheimer's really is," said Mike Usher, community relations manager for The Terrace.

The formal portion of the event will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a presentation by Brenda Hixon-Rye, executive director at The Terrace, on Alzheimer's in general as well as resources available in the community. Amy French with the Chattanooga chapter of the National Alzheimer's Association, which is partnering with The Terrace in hosting the event, will follow with further educational information.

Family members and caregivers can gain further empathy by signing up to participate in a "virtual dimensia tour" provided by Marran Samples from Aid and Assist at Home.

"The purpose is to walk in the shoes of someone with Alzheimer's and better understand what it's like to be that person and for just a moment experience their world," she said.

The tour involves a modification of the participants' tactile and sensory ablilities, making it harder for them to see, feel and walk as they perform a series of tasks. They then remove the handicaps and discuss the effects of their experience.

"It's a powerful experience, especially for someone who has been a caregiver for a family member, which can be a very frustrating experience that tries your tension," said Samples. "They see there's a reason for all they do, and it's kind of a humbling experience."

The tours are conducted with two participants at a time and take approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Discovery Gardens will focus on activities engaging residents in a natural outdoor environment as well as "validation therapy."

"It helps reduce stress, increase dignity and increase happiness," Usher said of the two-pronged approach. "Discovery Gardens focuses on creating new pathways for an improved quality of life. Validation therapy is a concept we want to focus on with residents in the mid-level memory area."

Performed by trained staff, validation therapy helps residents resolve unfinished issues and express emotions by treating each person as an individual, he said.

The already-existing wing at The Terrace will be dedicated to focusing on residents with Alzheimer's who need more care than the general population, but are not considered a wander risk, according to Usher. Of The Terrace's 62 apartments, he said 13 are dedicated to high-level Alzheimer's patients placed on lock-down to ensure their safety. The new wing will provide 17 apartments focused on providing quality memory care.

The Terrace at Mountain Creek is at 1005 Mountain Creek Road and can be reached at 874-0200.

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