Springhill Opens New $1.7 Million Memory Support Neighborhood


	Springhill News
June 8, 2010	Patricia Leuschen, Director of Marketing (814) 860-7042

Springhill Opens New $1.7 Million Memory Support Neighborhood
Retirement Community Completes First Phase of Woodlands Memory Support Neighborhood
ERIE, PA –Families with loved ones who have memory challenges will breathe a sigh of relief on June 11, when Springhill retirement community opens the doors to the Woodlands Memory Support Neighborhood. A presentation by Springhill Executive Director Jim Schneider and Ed Thomas, CEO of Asbury Communities, the management company for Springhill, will begin at 11:00 a.m. with tours of the new neighborhood to follow. Phase I, approximately 80 percent of the project, is complete, with $1.2 million spent to renovate existing space and create The Woodlands at the community’s ForestView Health Center. An additional 2,000 square feet of space, including a family activity room, quiet room, conference room, staff lounge and new entryway, are slated for Phase II of the project at an approximate cost of $500,000. The total $1.7 million to complete the project was raised in only one year through a capital campaign directed toward Springhill residents and families that was also supported by Springhill staff, Board members, friends of Springhill and a generous funds-matching program provided by General Electric. “The long-term goal for our community has always been to provide a full range of services for seniors,” explains Mr. Schneider. “With the opening of the Woodlands, we can now supply specialized services to people with memory loss brought on by Alzheimer’s and other conditions. This effort encompasses three elements: a safe environment and family-friendly atmosphere, specialized programming that takes an individualized approach to each resident, and finally, the nurturing and care provided by skilled staff. ” The Woodlands has been made into a secure, yet comfortable, environment that feels like home but with defined parameters so that residents can move around freely but also remain safe. The Woodlands has 20 beds and has been designed intentionally on a smaller scale so that staff can provide more one-on-one support. This new neighborhood boasts an enclosed patio with flowers, an herb garden, fountain and pergola—all secured. Other highlights include a living room with a fireplace, family style kitchen where family members and staff can sit down together with residents for a meal, a family activity room, quiet room, conference room, and small lounge. The specialized program, the second element, taps into past interests and hobbies that residents love, and encourages their family and friends to participate. Residents are also engaged in purposeful day-to-day tasks. “The residents gain a feeling of success and they feel connected to life,” says Sharon Cacchione, administrator of the ForestView Health Center at Springhill, who additionally oversees the daily operations of the Woodlands. “Helping our residents live life to the fullest, at whatever stage of life they are in, is one of our commitments. This commitment is also evident in the abundance of activities that we offer, as well as our wellness program in which active residents from the entire Springhill community are involved.”
Springhill is a Life Care retirement community located in Erie, Penn., that is part of Asbury Communities, Inc., which provides management and support services for a system of continuing care retirement communities for older adults. Asbury Communities is ranked by American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) and Ziegler Capital Markets Group’s AZ 100 as the 14th largest not-for-profit multi-site senior living organization in the country.