Katy, TX News - New $10 Million Innovative Memory Care Community

Katy, TX News (March 19,2014) – The LaSalle Group, a leader in memory care, just opened its ninth Autumn Leaves community in the Houston areas, dementia and memory impairment. s research and includes new high tech equipment to help keep the residents safe. The community will also offer free programs to the public, including seminars and support groups.

The community also offers respite care and day stays to give caregivers a break. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 340,000 Texans have Alzheimer’s which ranks Texas the third highest in the nation.

“Losing my own mother to Alzheimer’s, I know the challenges families face and the difficult decisions they have to make when caring for their loved ones,” said Amanda Bailey, executive director of Autumn Leaves of Cinco Ranch and co-founder of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Katy. “Since I’ve walked in their shoes, my goal is to make things easier on them and give them peace of mind. We truly are memory care experts, and we are passionate about what we do every day.”

Autumn Leaves of Cinco Ranch has nursing 7 days a week, including a registered nurse. The entire staff is rigorously trained in the Alzheimer’s Association’s CARES program. That training helps them understand behavioral, communicative and cognitive changes residents will experience as Alzheimer’s progresses. Staff will also focus on life enrichment programs that use touch, laughter, music and dance to engage residents’ senses and personality.

“We often see the improvements in the quality of life with our residents when they come to Autumn Leaves because of our programs like activities seven days a week,” said Bailey. “It’s hard on caregivers to provide so much stimulation in a home environment.”

This is the first community in Houston to have a new feature called the state-of-the-art Vigil System. It is a motion sensor program in each resident’s private room that allows for safer independent living. If needed, the system will page a care staff member for help – without buzzing alarms that would disturb others – and the information gathered by the system assists the care staff in knowing if modifications need to be made to improve the resident’s comfort level.

In addition, the community includes an interior design model based on the latest scientific research. From the type and color of the light, to the number of windows, to the type of artwork, carpet, paint, and furniture, everything was chosen with the intention of providing the best environment for residents living with Alzheimer’s and dementia. The community’s boutique size gives residents access to the entire building and three outdoor courtyards. It also has two aquariums in the private dining rooms, which research shows will create a calming effect and increase appetites, and a culinary manager, assisted by a nutritionist and dietician, to freshly prepare meals each day.

“We are excited to help even more families in Houston,” said Jason Glover, regional director of development in Texas for The LaSalle Group, which designs, develops and builds Autumn Leaves communities. “This particular community is located in the heart of the Cinco Ranch/Katy community, next to LaCenterra Shopping Center and just down the road from Cinco Ranch High School. The community is very accessible to Cinco Ranch proper and the overall Katy area. We look forward to serving our residents and their families in the premier memory care community in Cinco Ranch.”

Autumn Leaves of Cinco Ranch is conveniently located in the heart of Cinco Ranch off Westheimer Parkway and less than 5 miles from SH 99/Grand Parkway. The community is near two hospitals, Memorial Hermann Hospital Katy and Methodist Hospital West Houston, and is close to the Katy Mills Mall and LaCenterra Shopping Center. This is the ninth community to open since fall 2010 in the Houston area.

Autumn Leaves of Cinco Ranch recently opened in February. The community is currently conducting tours and taking deposits. A grand opening event is planned for Thursday, April 3 at 4 p.m. For more information or to set up an interview, contact Amy Jones at ajones@fortegroupinc.com, ext. 30 or call Mady Edgar at 214-890-7912 ext. 43 or email medgar@fortegroupinc.com