Grand Opening Held For Memory Care Neighborhood At Paddock Springs

Community members attended a grand opening of Trilogy Heath Services’ memory care neighborhood at the Paddock Springs Health Campus, 2695 Shelden St., Warsaw.
Cara Skrypchuk, vice president, Memory Care Center of Excellence, said it took a lot of work to achieve the milestone and took a team to do it. She recognized community leaders and partners for their continued support and the families “who place their trust in us every single day.”
Thursday marked a new chapter for Paddock Springs.
“We’re celebrating the opening of a newly constructed memory care neighborhood with 24 accommodations, allowing us to serve more adults and families here in the Warsaw area,” Skrypchuk said. “What excites us most is that we can make a possible difference for people who would call it home.
“At Trilogy, we believe that growing older or living with dementia shouldn’t mean losing the opportunity to experience joy, connection or a sense of purpose. And that belief has shaped the new approach we’re introducing here today,” she said.
Too often in the discussion around dementia, the conversation is about what a person has lost, can no longer do or can’t remember. “And we focus on them as a diagnosis and not necessarily as a person, but we want to change that. We want to think of a person with dementia as a person and think about what can they still do, what brings them joy, what makes them feel confident and connected. People living with dementia continue to have interests, preferences, lots of abilities and desire to contribute. And the support they receive and we provide should reflect that every single day. That’s the heart of our approach here at Paddock Springs Memory Care,” she said, adding staff members get to know each resident as a person, not just their medical history. That helps staff tailor care and create opportunities for residents to remain engaged in every day life.
Making that possible requires more than intentions. Skrypchuk said Paddock Springs brought together a neuroscience-informed model of support with an environment designed around the needs and abilities of people living with dementia. Examples she gave included lighting and color choices to help residents recognize objects and navigate their surroundings, as well as flexible dining options. Each of those details help make an environment that allows residents to feel more comfortable, confident and capable in engaging in every day life. The approach was developed with input from people with lived experience, she said.
“This approach was developed in alignment with many universities across the Indiana state as well,” she said. “These collaborations reflect our commitment to challenge assumptions and stigmas and continuing finding better ways to support people living with dementia.”
She said the staff members are the ones that bring that philosophy to life.
She said they are excited to bring that approach to Warsaw and what will it mean to residents and their families.
“Because, ultimately, our measure of success will the experiences of the people who live here. The moments of independence that we offer, the relationships that people build and the sense of belonging that comes from being known and valued as an individual,” she said.
Warsaw Common Councilwoman Cindy Dobbins extended gratitude on behalf of the city to Trilogy for bringing the facility to Warsaw.
Dobbins talked about Paddock Springs having a personal connection to her since she has a loved one who has lived there for several years. She gave “a heartfelt thumbs up” for everything Paddocks Springs does for its residents. She also talked about some of the experiences she has had with staff members.
Dobbins talked about how it used to be pretty much a sin to put someone in a healthcare facility as they were deemed as dark and dingy.
“Looking around here, you can certainly tell that’s not the truth here,” she said.
Dobbins talked about other misconceptions, such as the food. She said she feels “we have come so far in health care and I feel so blessed in seeing this facility.”
Scott Wiley, Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce community engagement specialist, said he was able to see the passion staff members had with people as a Paddock Springs Advisory Board member. He called staff members dedicated, who want to provide the best care for residents. Paddock Springs is also dedicated to the community, as well, he said.
Memory care is more than providing a place to live.
“It’s about creating an environment where individuals are treated with dignity, compassion and respect, where families can find comfort and peace of mind and where residents are supported” by staff members helping them with purpose and connection, he said. He added as the Warsaw community grows, the need for memory care will continue to grow and Paddock Springs is helping to meet that need.
Todd Mehaffey, vice president and chief operating officer, said Trilogy Health Services is the fifth largest senior care provider in the country and the second largest in Indiana. Trilogy is recognized as the number one quality provider among large chain providers.
He said what they are accomplishing at Paddock Springs and changing in how they do memory care is a testament to their commitment to growing as an organization and serving in the communities they are in.
Glenn Hall, pastor at Harvest Community Church, said in his capacity as a pastor, he’s been able to work with the staff at Paddock Springs for the last couple years. While the conversations they’ve had may not always have been easy ones, they always centered around the patients and “it was always a good experience.”
He said he has visited many people at Paddock Springs and the residents “get such good care and that’s what it’s all about.”
Hall ended with a prayer.