Carlyle House helps dementia patients

Memory Care building added to campus.

Contact this contributing writer at PamDillon@woh.rr.com.

Mary Malone started noticing little things about her husband Claude’s memory about 11 years ago. He would forget someone’s name, or the time of day, or if he was supposed to be somewhere.

“It got to a point where he was beginning to have problems entering figures into the checkbook. He had been very astute about numbers and was meticulous about balancing our accounts,” said Mary, who lives in Oakwood.

It wasn’t a big problem until Claude had to go into the hospital with a severe urinary tract infection in 2010. He was in the hospital for nearly a month.

“In the case of dementia patients; setbacks like that can accelerate the dementia,” said Mary.

Finally in February of 2015 it got to a point where it was a safety issue, and she obtained a room for him at Carlyle House Assisted Living in Kettering.

“It’s a private facility; a family-like atmosphere with nice furnishings and good food,” said Mary. “I’m there at least twice a day. The families of residents are constantly there visiting their loved ones. This gives it a feeling of home.”

The place that has a “feeling of home” was celebrated recently during a ribbon cutting of the Renaissance Building. It is also called the Memory Care building and boasts 30 suites. Mary had Claude transferred from the Carlyle House into the Memory Care building this past June.

Kettering mayor Don Patterson and members of the City Council attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Joining them was the Nelson family, who own and operate the two-building, 81-suite campus off of Far Hills Avenue.

“We are very proud of the addition of the Renaissance Building to our campus,” said executive director Bryan Nelson. “The market demand for a true residential environment is very strong as it is our experience that small and intimate is far preferable when dealing with the memory care issues of our residents.”

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, this year there are more than 5 million Americans living with this disease. It is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. More than 15 million caregivers supplied over 18 billion hours of unpaid care in 2015 alone.

Businesses like Carlyle House Assisted Living try to ease the burden on dementia patients’ loved ones. The new 30-suite Renaissance Building is certainly designed on a residential model, with a bistro-style dining room much like a residential setting in one’s own home.

“We also took advantage of the existing 10,000 square-foot Arboretum that is a fully enclosed and secure courtyard, along with a newly constructed exterior walking path at the rear of the complex,” said Nelson. “Our belief is that the residential model extends to the outside, as well as the interior of our buildings. We are truly trying to create a special place for our seniors here at the Carlyle House.”

The Carlyle House is located directly located between the new fire station and the recently remodeled library on Far Hills. It is both convenient and centrally located.

The newly renovated Town and Country shopping center, together with the recent grouping of these three buildings, has given Kettering an impressive destination address for shoppers and visitors alike.

“I feel as if this area of Kettering has benefited greatly from the investments that have been focused on infrastructure improvements,” said partner Greg Nelson. “It’s an exciting time for Kettering.”

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