The Legacy Willow Bend is excited to announce innovative renovations that will enhance the lives of residents in memory support. The renovations correspond with programmatic elements to ensure residents are engaged and living the best life possible. The redesign of the common areas will create more opportunities for brain stimulation by incorporating designated locations for drawing, places to pot plants indoors, a central cooking island for the chef to be viewed in action and specific settings for interactive games and music. Memory care experts at the community also hand-picked furniture that caters to the residents’ needs by complimenting the appropriate level of activity in any particular location. Work began last week and will take a month to complete.

“I have spent my entire career of 17 years as a nurse working with individuals who have dementia and Alzheimer’s. I am pleased to say that The Legacy Willow Bend is taking the lead role in this industry to ensure our residents have the most innovative options available,” said Laura Levy, assisted living manager for The Legacy Willow Bend. “We want the residents to use all of their senses to experience life around them. Therefore, everything was taken into account from the murals on the walls to the aromas in the air — like lavender for calming in the evenings and orange for energetic mornings.”

The addition of a jukebox will allow the staff to provide new musical programs. Residents will also be able to choose their preference of music by pressing the buttons of the jukebox. Research shows music can have compelling outcomes for individuals with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. It shifts moods and stimulates positive interactions.

Additionally, an entire wall will be made into a dry-erase white board for residents to draw and use freely, which will encourage brain stimulation.

“My hope is to use the full white board wall to let them solve all kinds of math problems because it keeps their attention as they recall those skills and rules,” said Levy. “I have been researching that concept and found a particular program that originated in Japan called ‘Saido Learning.’ It involves doing math problems and solving basic arithmetic calculations with seniors to keep the dementia from progressing.”

The Legacy Willow Bend is also incorporating aesthetic changes to make day-to-day life easier for the residents. The community is color-coordinating the walls for “wayfinding” — in order to allow for easy navigation and simplified routes around the community. The lighting will be adjusted to reinforce the time of day and can be dimmed for a calming effect or to indicate a change from day to night.

“We already do a lot to make life enjoyable for those who live here in The Legacy Willow Bend’s memory support, but we wanted to take it to the next level,” said Levy. “This is more than simply refurbishing furniture or things that are getting worn from over the years. This work being done is a result of careful consideration to give our seniors even more freedom and confidence to stay active and have an enriching life.”

“We are all very excited to see the finished results of the renovations overall,” said Marilyn Israel, executive director for The Legacy Willow Bend. “A lot of thought and detailed planning has gone into each and every aspect of these refurbishments; now we’re all just ready to see our seniors enjoy them!”

About The Legacy Willow Bend 

The Legacy Willow Bend, Plano’s first and only life care retirement community, is situated on a 28-acre site at Spring Creek Parkway between Preston Road and Ohio Drive. The Legacy Willow Bend offers resort-style services and amenities for active, independent seniors, as well as all levels of health care services on-site. The community features 103 independent living apartment homes, 12 custom independent living villas, 40 assisted living apartment homes, 18 memory support suites, and 60 private skilled healthcare suites.

The Legacy Willow Bend is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit retirement community owned by parent company, The Legacy Senior Communities, Inc. The Legacy Willow Bend, the only Jewish-sponsored life care retirement community in Texas, is open to people of all faiths.  For information, call (972) 468-6208, or visit www.thelegacyWB.org.