New type of dementia care facility to open

May 31-- May 31--ELKHART

A new concept in dementia care will be put into action Monday on the Hubbard Hill campus.

Called the Hubbard Hill Living Wisdom Community, the new facility features four households, each with nine residents and its own staff. The "houses" are designed in Tudor, Arts & Crafts, farmhouse and Colonial architectural style.

The doors to the four facilities open onto a large indoor garden/patio area under a greenhouse-style canopy. The staff calls the area an "atrium."

"It is more than just a project. It's a passion for me personally to raise the bar in the industry," said Hubbard Hill CEO Patrick Pingel.

The concept for having small groups of dementia patients in households, and also being able to have round-the-clock access to an outside environment, began five years ago at Hubbard Hills, according to Pingel. The planning for a facility then began and construction was started last year, by Hubbard Hill's faith-based nonprofit board. Beginning next week people with dementia will begin filling the households.

"This is a journey of studying best practices for seven years. We really got serious five years ago," Pingel said.

The greenhouse-like patio and simulated outdoor area features about 30 different plant species. There are even several orange trees that have been planted and the giant room will easily accommodate their growth.

"This is our unique lens, combined with best practices, combined with the new science and knowledge that exists about dementia itself," Pingle said.

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One aspect of that science is a change from keeping dementia patients in small areas with no access to the outside. The Hubbard staff said that by having doors without locks opening into the atrium, including patio doors in the dining areas, the households feel and function like the home patients are used to.

"We were able to start with a clean slate and go beyond the boundaries of traditional health care," Pingel said of the creation of the facility.

Experts in dementia care and human environments were consulted about the project, according to Pingel.

"With dementia, one of the things that is going on in the industry is we lock everyone up and hide the front doors and say 'you have no access to the outdoors because we keep you safe and that is priority number one.'"

"One of the biggest revolutions in our design is the front door has no lock on it," Pingel said. "Imagine not being able to find the front door. It has nothing to do with dementia. You get frustrated, then angry and then you probably throw something. Actually you are saying 'get me out of here.' Then in dementia we say 'Oh, that is inappropriate behavior, we are going to have to give you medication.' Or, we can let them go out the front door safely."

Hubbard Hill has a range of living areas, from nursing areas to assisted living. Those accept Medicaid and Medicare, according to Pingle. The Living Wisdom Community will be for private-pay patients, who might also have their own long-term care insurance.

He did not reveal the cost of the care, but said the price is competitive with other facilities in the area.

The new facility has also created 45 new jobs at Hubbard, Pingel said.

Roger Schneider can be reached at [email protected] or 574-533-2151, ext. 309. Follow Roger on Facebook and also on Twitter @rschneider_TGN

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