 The facility is currently under the watchful eye of Regional
Administrator Cathy Sparks. Sparks said her role at Copper Creek is
to get the facility running smoothly with residents taking
occupancy. She said once she is satisfied that all is going well, a
new administrator will be hired for the Lincoln facility, and she
will move on to another project. She added, though, not to expect
that to happen any time very soon. She is dedicated to making sure
that the Copper Creek facility and staff offer the best possible
quality of life for those who have been entrusted to their care.
Coming into the parking lot and making one's way to the front door,
guests are greeted with a stone and water feature, a long canopy
walkway with lovely landscaping. A double set of sliding glass doors
protect the interior from the elements and lead to a small foyer.
The building is divided into two segments, each identical to the
other. For the open house, guests were invited tour one of the
halves.
Throughout the building, one can’t help but notice the outstanding
pieces of artwork, from the water feature in the front entry, to
metallic chip trees on a lovely water landscape, to a display of cut
wood and another of common household gadgets, Sparks says that the
art has a specific purpose for the residents.
She said that each piece of art in the building is designed to be
touched. She explained that the sensory experiences are calming and
therapeutic to those who suffer memory loss.
Beyond the foyer and down a long wide hallway guests viewed the
community dinning area, which has doors that led to an outside patio
area. On Saturday, Copper Creek was serving a variety of foods, and
guests were taking advantage of the opportunity to sit inside or
outside and enjoy a good meal.
Looking ahead, one could see a multitude of colors as each apartment
has its own cottage-style façade with a mock window and window box
filled with flowers. Sparks explained that the building is set up
with a spacious staff area, an activity area, and a “living room” in
the center. The cottages line the exterior walls all around this
portion of the building. Sparks pointed out that the facility is not
a “home” it is a “neighborhood,” where residents will feel
comfortable and have some things that are uniquely their own. She
said the facility in total has 30 apartments, 15 in each section.
Each apartment has its unique façade. Inside the apartment, she said
residents would be able to bring their own furnishings and favorite
things. They will also be allowed to decorate their apartments as
they wish. Again, this is important she said, that they have some
sense of home while they are living at Copper Creek.
The apartments will come with refrigerators, but no cooking
equipment. Sparks explained that when caring for those with memory
loss, there are things that are very important, such as loving,
caring staff, giving residents a sense of community, and keeping
them safe from harm without restricting them too much.
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In the apartments, she noted there would be no
cooking appliances, not even microwaves. She also pointed out
that residents will be able to open their windows for fresh air
whenever they wish, but the windows are secured so that they may
not be opened wide enough for someone to get in or out. Asked if
residents would have to wear some type of tracking device, she
said absolutely not. What Copper Creek offers instead is a
motion sensor system that helps staff know where residents are
at any given time, without offering such a restriction as a
tracking device.
Often we hear of people who are suffering from dementia or
Alzheimer’s diseases wandering away from home and getting lost
and/or hurt. Sparks said Copper Creek’s goal is to offer a safe
environment. With the motion sensors, staff will know, through a
multiple stage warning system, if a resident is approaching an
exit or in some other situation that could indicate they are ill
or in need of assistance.
She said each apartment has a call system, so if a resident is
inside and needs assistance, he or she will have easy access to
staff.
In addition to the apartments, Copper Creek offers a large
private dining area where family may come and share a meal alone
with a resident. There is also a large activity area. Sparks
pointed out that the table in the activity area is taller than
normal. She said that often, those who suffer memory loss are
more anxious, and not prone to sitting for longer periods of
time. She said though chairs are offered, the table will allow
residents to participate in activities such as arts or even
cooking projects while standing and moving about.
The living room area offers comfortable sofas and chairs with a
large screen television, and a fully stocked fish tank. Sparks
pointed out the popcorn machine in the corner and said that
residents and their guests would be able to enjoy popcorn and a
movie any time of the day.
 In addition, there is a salon for haircuts and styles, and a
staff laundry room. Asked if staff would do all the laundry,
Sparks said yes they would, but if a resident wanted to help
with folding items out of the dryer that would be permitted.
Asked about the staffing, Sparks said there would be a
registered nurse in the building daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and
on-call from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. She also explained that the number
of staff on duty daily would depend on the number of residents.
In general, she said that the staff to resident ratio is much
higher in a memory care facility than other assisted living
facilities. As the population of the residents grows, staff will
be added to make certain that there are plenty of loving, caring
professionals on hand to look out for the residents.
On Wednesday, July 13th there will be a Lincoln/Logan County
Chamber of Commerce ribbon cut for the new business in town. The
ribbon cut will take place at 11:30 a.m. The building will also
be open for self-tours from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The
community is invited to attend.
[Nila Smith]
Note: For the
tour, one apartment was furnished for guests to see. Sparks
noted that the furniture had been loaned to Copper Creek for the
open house by Jakes Furniture in Lincoln. She said she
particularly wanted to thank them for their generosity. |
