Baptist Retirement Center’s New ‘Memory Care Centers’ Almost Complete

Baptist Retirement Community is nearing the completion of its two new memory care assisted living homes, making the community the only one in the Concho Valley area to offer a continuum of care and lifestyle housing. The $5.7 million expansion will be completed in July 2015.

Courtesy Baptist Retirement Center

“We feel privileged to be able to make more services available to seniors in San Angelo and the surrounding area,” said Quinda Feil-Duncan, executive director for Baptist Retirement Community. “Our team’s goal has always been to provide lifestyle housing and individualized care to residents as they age within our community. The small home model has been so successful with our innovative Green House® homes, we decided that this concise concept would be the best approach for our new memory care assisted living homes as well. This model allows us to create an inviting, close-knit and tranquil environment that is tailored to the needs of each resident.”

Residents in the memory care assisted living homes will have the freedom to make their own choices in regard to their dining experience, lifestyle habits and activities. The schedules are non-regimented, so residents can continue living their lives the way they want. Team members have gone through specialized training that empowers them to meet residents’ individualized needs in creative ways that are in the best interest of the residents.

“Each house is more than 11,000 square feet and features a neutral color palette which will include lots of wood and stone. There is a courtyard with native plants and greenery to give it a West Texas feel,” said Craig Kinney, LEED architect and partner of Kinney Franke Architects. “One of the houses will have a spa room where residents can be indulged and enjoy a quiet time while getting nail, hair and spa treatments. The other house will feature a wellness room with exercise equipment to encourage a healthy lifestyle and space for de-stressing in a calm environment. Both houses will feature open spaces with expansive windows overlooking the courtyard and a covered patio. We wanted to introduce as much natural light as possible, as it helps cue residents to the times of the day and makes the space more alive.”

“When planning the expansion project and what it would entail, we knew we wanted to offer memory care assisted living, as we did not have a housing option crafted specifically for residents with those needs,” said Feil-Duncan. “We are seeing increasing needs for memory care on our campus and in the surrounding community. We have a bright future ahead filled with opportunities to truly make a difference in the lives of seniors.”