Memory Support: (Continued)
“The results we witnessed were inspiring. We
saw individuals living active and rewarding lives,
enjoying moments of clarity and purpose. We
knew we needed to bring these standards to our
community, and we needed to do it as soon as
possible,” he said. “But to do this, we needed the
backing of our community that such a sizeable
investment was warranted.”
Unique to CCRCs, and important to Peconic
Landing, is involving members as active
participants when advocating for expanded care
services. As members of a cooperative, their
support was key, Syron explained.
“We have long-term relationships with our
members, as they join us independently before
they are in need of care,” said Syron. “It’s
motivating to know we have the opportunity to
change lives for the better; we just have to show
them how.”
What happened next was a cultural shift within
the community itself, spearheaded by leadership,
to educate members on the future of memory
support and the quality of care they deserved.
The Paradigm Shift
With financing the costs of bricks and mortar in
flux, community leadership focused on a more
attainable goal for the present: Changing the way
the community talked about and perceived its
members living with dementia.
“The very first thing we did was create a
philosophy which emphasized living instead of
the care. It is a focus on the person and their
abilities, as opposed to the diagnosis and their
deficits,” said Jennifer Ackroyd, assisted living
administrator at Peconic Landing. Ackroyd
helped open the community’s memory support
center, training providers and helping to design
person-centered programming to help members
successfully transition to their new home.
(Continued)
“It’s motivating to know we have the opportunity to change lives for the
better; we just have to show them (members) how.”
— Robert J. Syron, president and CEO, Peconic Landing
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Adviser a publication of LeadingAge New York | Spring 2017