Memory Care- Diamond Willow Assisted Living

1. Diamond Willow Advanced Assisted Living A Lodge feel for those with higher care needs Diamond Willow Assisted Living encourages the “decorations” of home in each apartment site. With fewer people under one roof, our assisted living feels like home. We honor personal routines for daily schedules and provide industry-leading staffing ratios. 

2. Welcome to Full Circle Senior Living Proudly providing care in 10 Diamond Willow communities & Keystone Bluffs, Duluth. Our model was built for my grandma Hazel in 2004. Suddenly she was bed bound with shingles, and end state heart failure and required 1-2 staff for all her direct care needs. Suddenly, she needed 1:1 cares at times to feed her, and to assure she was safe as she no longer had self-preservation skills. As a family, we provided the resources and/or hired outside caregivers to come to her apartment at Keystone Bluffs Assisted Living I started as a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator in 1991, and ultimately was blessed with assisting in designing something for my grandma and all those seniors who followed since 2004. As a past nursing assistant who often cared for 7-15 people on a shift in my group, I can see the value of a smaller setting with fewer seniors for each aide to care for. This generation has given so much to all of us, and now we are able to make their last days as great as we can. Natalie Zeleznikar, CEO

3. BUILDING LAYOUTS at Diamond Willow Our building layout features a 1,000 square foot great room in the center of the home. We have secured wander guard bracelets for seniors with memory loss or Alzheimer’s disease to wear if desired for a monthly add on fee. Our buildings have a complete sprinkler system throughout the building. We also have central air through the great room and corridor. Residents, due to age and health condition, are generally cold so we did not put direct venting in the resident rooms for this reason. Even in the summer months, I will see residents wrapped in blankets and sweaters. Our goal is to keep the humidity down in the homes, and make it as comfortable as possible for seniors

4. WHEN HIGHER CARE IS NEEDED There are times when a senior may become a physical threat to themselves or others without notice. If we notice patterns we will update family members and physicians ahead of time. However, there are isolated cases where those with diseases of the mind, may become violent or put others at risk. At Diamond Willow, we have fewer residents for our aides to care for in each setup. As a prior nursing assistant, I recognize the value of having 5-7 people to care for in my setup versus 10-15 which exists in many setups. Our staffing ratios with aides, allows more 1:1 time and personalized cares.

5. ACTIVITIES at Diamond Willow Assisted Living At Diamond Willow Assisted Living we care for those who would generally otherwise be in a nursing home. Most of our seniors are frail and therefore our activities are adjusted for their endurance and interest level. Sometimes seniors feel like participating in activities of small groups, large groups or 1:1’s. Every day is different. We have started an activity table top time after meals, where aides can put items on a large dining room table for the ambulatory residents to be distracted with and entertained. There are various activity items for this activity. In addition, we enjoy outdoor walks, TV shows, movies and popcorn. We reminisce of the past often and try to pick a theme to reminisce about daily.

6. PAYOR SOURCES The monthly care package is generally less than a traditional nursing home or 24 hour in home care. Our care model will cost more than traditional assisted living by design. We are designed with a higher staffing ratio and fewer seniors under a roof in order to assure quality outcomes for higher care, memory, medical or physical care needs. For those on medical assistance, Elderly waivers, they have a shared companion room with a rate set by the State for room and board (called GRH- Group Residential Housing). Then each month our support service office bills the State for the care needs of your loved one based on the caseworker assessment. It is critical if your loved one is nearing only $5,000 in assets to contact social services in your county for an assessment to enroll in medical assistance.

7. MEMORY CARE/ALZHEIMERS at Diamond Willow At Diamond Willow Advanced Care we blend all residents together. Therefore a certain percent will be alert and oriented with physical/medical needs. There will be a population with great physical abilities and significant cognitive decline also. It has worked well, as our settings are small, and those with memory loss seem to stay higher functioning longer when they are around those who can visit with them etc. Over the years I have cared for many with memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer’s. What I have learned in the approach has to be unique, no one person responds the same way. Therefore, we must be flexible and re-approach, willing to change up the plan for the day. (For example, someone may be scheduled to shower, but they refuse as they are tired or didn’t want to, so we reschedule.) Sometimes a resident is agitated and will only respond to certain caregivers.

8. Diamond Willow Advanced Assisted Living Full Circle Senior Living Corporate OfficeAssisted Living With Memory,Medical and Physical Care1411 London Road Duluth, Minnesota 558051-877-247-1205