STYLE Media and Design

The dining area at MeadowView

MeadowView opened their doors on January 9, 2009. As they steadily welcome new tenants, the Greeley facility is gathering the finishing touches for their top-rate residence. Beyond the handsome decor, ice cream parlors, and theater rooms, MeadowView’s true beauty is in its commitment to enhancing residents’ quality of life during their retirement years. “Our goal was to create a real neighborhood feel at MeadowView,” according to founder, Dr. Michael Pietrzak, “We want our residents to be part of the community. We are hoping over time they can even have a neighbor over for dinner.” Dr. Pietrzak has drawn high praise for similar senior communities in Iowa.

MeadowView is situated on 5.3 acres with long views toward the mountains. The building is 68,000 square feet with one wing dedicated to senior assisted living, and the other for the memory care wing. “Our philosophy is to make every moment a great moment, allowing residents to grow older with dignity and grace,” says Michelle Silva, marketing coordinator.

Assisted Living

Halls are color coordinated to help with memory loss.

The assisted living portion of MeadowView includes 51 apartments, ranging from studios, one bedroom and two bedrooms. The bright, airy apartments have kitchenettes with small refrigerators, microwaves, and sinks; only the two bedroom units have ranges. Pets are welcome at MeadowView, and apartments with outside access for easy care are available.

While units are comfortably appointed, the goal is to lure seniors outside to enjoy the company of their neighbors. The assisted living wing is “designed to get people to come out and spend time together and create friendships. I think we have done an exceptional job of that,” says co-owner Fred Fuller.

The majority of residents’ meals take place in the Grand Lodge dining room. Residents get three chef-prepared meals a day. “Everyone has told us how much they love our food,” according to Silva. A two hour window at breakfast, lunch, and dinner allow residents to eat at their leisure. They are able to order from prepared menus and are served at their table. The New York-trained chef, Jon Samson, makes everything from scratch, controlling the amount of saturated fats, salt, and cholesterol that enter their diets and takes special menu requests. “I try to provide our residents with three or four star meals every day.”

Themed rooms help residents with memory.

Between meals, snacks are available in the kitchen, game rooms, or the community kitchen. The community kitchen is a full-size kitchen available to residents who want to get together to bake a holiday meal, or can be reserved by visiting family members who want to cook with their loved one.

MeadowView’s layout is designed to encourage socializing. In addition to the community kitchen, outside of approximately every seven apartments is a gathering place with comfortable seating and snacks available so residents can get together to play cards, talk, and watch televisions. Upstairs is a rooftop deck for ice cream socials and light happy hours.

Seniors can also compete in Nintendo Wii tournaments in the downstairs gameroom, which allows for larger gatherings. A 24-hour internet café is available and a few doors down is the large exercise room with television, weights, exercise machines, and cork floor for low impact comfort. Craft rooms are sprinkled throughout the facility. Finally, a theater room with giant television and popcorn machine allow seniors to gather for a movie night. A beauty salon and spa room also gives residents the opportunity for extra pampering. The spa features a walk-in jetted tub.

Situated on five acres, seniors have plenty of opportunity to stay fit and active, either walking the grounds or the neighborhood beyond. Just a few blocks away, seniors can access shopping and dining for those days they want a change of pace. Assisted living residents have a wealth of planned activities available to them throughout the day at MeadowView along with weekly outings arranged to take residents off campus for shopping and other activities.

Assisted living apartments range from $2,950 to $4,495 a month. The rent includes three meals a day, utilities, two loads of laundry a week, housekeeping, daily bed making, and a 24-hour emergency response system. Healthcare assistance plans are available for an additional cost, which include help bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, help with medications, and mobility assistance. Guests can eat a gourmet meal with a resident for a very reasonable $6 a meal.

Memory Care Village

MeadowView’s Memory Care Village offers true innovation for seniors with special cognitive needs and is where Dr. Pietrzak’s real passion lies. “Our concept is a protected environment that is open and engaging, and provides a set of experiences that are satisfying on a daily basis.” The memory care wing opens in May this year. Already, MeadowView has a waiting list.

Murals are painted in hopes to help residents recall memories from their childhood.

“Most assisted living facilities often lock down the unit for people with cognitive issues. The problem: there is less engagement. If no one is doing anything with these individuals, their behaviors worsen. Then, they are placed on sedatives and pharmaceuticals, making dementia worse.” At MeadowView, the philosophy is just the opposite. Planned activities for memory care residents keep them active. Though the wing is secure, huge windows let in plenty of light and a view of the world beyond the walls. Outside, a memory garden, with raised flower beds, is available to residents who can get outside for a stroll or get their hands dirty and help plant some flowers. The large security fence offers privacy and safety, with pockets of visibility that allows them to feel part of the neighborhood.

MeadowView’s memory care utilizes groundbreaking methods to help Alzheimer’s and dementia patients live a full, colorful life. Wayfinding is the core methodology used to assist these residents. “Our practices are centered around stimulating the senses to help trigger memory,” according to Fuller. Inside their facility, hallways are extra wide. “This feels more open, not closed or locked in,” says Silva.

Hallways are color coded and referred to as neighborhoods. Each residence is marked by its own color. A memory care patient can be told they live on “green lane at the blue door.” Outside each of the 20 apartments is a memory board that staff fills with family pictures, mementos, and other objects to help activate memory and recognition.

Inside the apartments, there is a bedroom and bath. The baths feature frameless showers with the dark tiles on white, making it easier for residents to utilize and decrease tripping accidents. All units are equipped with emergency pull cords.

MeadowView provides ice cream, malts, and rootbeer floats for its residents at anytime.

Common areas feature sense-stimulating details, such as bright colors and changing textures. A wall of brick, another of barn siding, and picturesque country scenes painted on the walls stimulate memories of childhood. “We really wanted to make our facility reflective of the region and give residents the feel of where they grew up,” explains Pietrzak, “These memories of nostalgia are our strongest memories, and iconic feels from the past create a pleasant, comfortable environment. The dining area even features a mock ice cream parlor, complete with malts and rootbeer floats available anytime for residents.

Private living rooms are available for visits with family members. A beauty salon and spa offer similar services as the assisted living wing. The chapel has a nostalgic prairie chapel feel and craft rooms are available for daily activities. Another key provision for residents are the Snoezelen rooms, a Dutch word meaning “to doze.” These rooms, scattered throughout the wing, are available when residents become agitated, tense or frustrated, as can happen from time to time with memory loss. Residents can make use of the rooms to sit quietly, talk with staff, or listen to music, giving them time to calm down and re-group.

The bright, airy apartments have kitchenettes with small refrigerators, microwaves, and sinks.

The engaged lifestyle promoted at MeadowView has enabled some residents to stay off medications, such as anti-depressants, and actually encourage memory. In other facilities, Dr. Pietrzak has even seen some regain memories to the point that they are able to return home for a time. Not a cure, says Dr. Pietrzak, but residents enjoy an enhanced living while at MeadowView. “This is very important to us. Someone without a memory can only focus on now. We want to make now as good as possible,” concludes Dr. Pietrzak.

Memory care residences start at $4,800 a month. Services include health monitoring, meals, pet and music therapy, utilities, laundry and housekeeping, and barber and beauty salon services. Additional healthcare assistance is available, including nightly or two-hour safety checks.

MeadowView has future phases planned for the remainder of their five acres. As need grows, the memory care portion will add on ten more units. Twenty-four senior condominiums are also included in future phases as the economic climate allows for expansion, says Fuller. +