A new unit for Alzheimer’s patients at a local personal care home is expected to offer a bright environment designed with those with memory loss issues in mind.

The Seasons Memory Center at Willow Pond Assisted Living opened in March, but an open house event Thursday brought visitors to tour the facility.

Eight residents living in the Seasons Center enjoyed supper in a cozy dining room while visitors were guided through the self-contained unit, which can house up to 11 residents. Staff worked in the kitchen area of the dining room, which is open so they can see and interact with residents, creating an “at home” environment, said Jenny Lynn Anderson, the executive director of Willow Pond.

As she took visitors around the unit, Anderson pointed out an octagonal sitting area that is built with the appearance of an outdoor cabana inside the unit’s larger common area. It contains several plush chairs, with a large flat-screen television as the focal point. An open ceiling, along with walls of glass windows, allows for a nonrestrictive atmosphere as well as for staff to be able to keep sight of residents, she said.

Eleven suites are decorated inside and out with personal touches that make residents feel at home. Items such as family photos and artwork by grandchildren are displayed outside each room in glass cases, and the suites are decorated to each resident’s taste, with personal items to bring their “home” with them, she said.

The center is self-contained, and keypads allow staff and family members to exit easily while keeping residents with memory challenges from wandering, Anderson said.

“For Alzheimer’s patients, they need to be in a self-contained unit for their families to feel safe and confident about care and not worry about them wandering,” she said.

Residents are able to go outside and enjoy a pleasant garden area, with gazebos, swings and benches. The design of the unit eliminates “dead ends,” and residents who enjoy walking can make rounds throughout the unit without being stopped by a blocked path, said co-owner Andy Burns, who along with seven others created Willow Pond.

Having had a grandfather who had Alzheimer’s disease, Burns is familiar with challenges and needs of patients with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. He pointed out the “plunder room,” a small area filled with opportunities to browse, meander and reminisce.

The room holds a box of buttons for residents to explore, as well as a bureau with clothes, old hats, costume jewelry and more, so the residents can dress up. There are containers of fishing tackle for the men to sort, and a cradle with two baby dolls that one resident tucks in each night, he said.

Burns’ experience with his grandparents’ ordeal with the disease helped prompt his involvement in Willow Pond. When his loved ones were faced with life in a nursing home, “I said to myself, please, there has to be something better than that,” he said.

The Seasons Center is filled with subtle entertainments and touches geared towards the Alzheimer’s patient. Anderson said there are activities designed for those with memory challenges, and the entire unit contains bits and pieces of life that would be familiar to people of the residents’ ages.

Alcoves are decorated with primitive agricultural tools and a cotton plant. Art pieces add a bit of whimsy, and a coffee table holds an antique pipe collection that Burns said attracts attention from many male residents.

Faye Webb visited with her mother, a resident, during the open house event. She said she was pleased with the Seasons Center. Her mother has lived at Willow Pond for four years, but moving into the self-contained unit has made a difference, she said.

“Thank goodness they finally have a unit for Alzheimer’s patients,” Webb said.

The center, she said, is more convenient and secure, and has become a comforting home for her mother, who always looks forward to her return after outings.

When her mother first began showing signs of the disease, Webb worried about her and was constantly concerned for her safety and well-being. She is now at peace knowing her mother is secure and happy living at the Willow Pond center.

Dealing with dementia is difficult, she said. “When they leave home, you know that part of your life is over, and home is no longer home,” Webb said.

But her mother now feels at home in her suite, and enjoys having a friend who lives in the center as well.

“It’s a relief to know she is here, being taken care of and happy,” Webb said.

The Seasons Memory Center provides an answer to an existing need, said co-owner Carlton Wiggins.

“Our objective was to build a more comprehensive community for seniors,” he said.

“This was a fun project,” Burns added, “and this is a happy place to be.”

Holli Deal Bragg may be reached at (912) 489-9414.