Peconic Landing has been honored for opening Harbor South, an auxiliary center focused on memory support for its members.
Harbor South is the East End’s first memory care neighborhood. It has been recognized among the nation’s leading providers of person-centered memory care by Dementia Care Specialists and the Crisis Prevention Institute.
The continuing care retirement community is the first provider in New York to receive CPI’s Distinguished Provider Award, recognizing its commitment to providing standards-driven, person-centered care for those living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The award was presented to the community in an afternoon ceremony on September 18.
The opening page of The Harbor South Case Study paints a picture of the rich life that its residents live:
“Walk into the neighborhood at any moment and you will find residents gathered around the dining room table, reading in the living room, or tending to the garden. Personal photographs or cards from loved ones can be found on almost every surface. Handmade art projects are displayed throughout. And you’re also likely to experience the smell of freshly baked goods coming from the kitchen. It is a place free of judgment, of stigma, of sadness. It is a place that is full of life.”
To receive the award, the leadership and staff of Harbor South engaged in a five-month preparation and assessment period, followed by a two-day audit of life in the neighborhood to review the organization’s approaches when working with members with dementia.
“The Harbor South team is amazingly dedicated. They understand the importance of educating all of their staff, and they work hard to fine tune those skills until they are mastered,” said Sharon Jackson, Senior Consultant with CPI’s Dementia Care Specialists. “They are organized and efficient and ensure they are communicating with each other, their members and the members’ families. They do this because this is what they love.”
The Crisis Prevention Institute is an international training organization committed to best practices and safe behavior management methods to enrich the lives of the individuals they serve, according to its website. Its dementia care sector, Dementia Care Specialists, offers innovative resources and training opportunities specific to providing safe and purposeful dementia care.
“Dementia changes the way you live and the way you perceive things. As providers, we must get into their world and communicate with them in a way that they can understand – and each individual’s world may be different,” said Jennifer Ackroyd, Peconic Landing’s assisted living administrator. “How you approach and communicate with each individual is key in helping them find purpose and engaging them to live each day to the best of their ability.”
Peconic Landing’s 12,000 square foot, $9 million memory support neighborhood opened in May 2016, offering private accommodations and community spaces for 16 individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
“It is amazing to see the transformations that are taking place,” said Gregory Garrett, EVP/administrator of health services for Peconic Landing. “Our members are more alert, engaged and making the most of life with their neighbors. This approach is changing the lives of those living with dementia, and we see it every day.”
