Review: Clare Bridge Crossing at Clare Bridge Highlands Ranch: Dementia and Alzheimers Care, Denver, Colorado

by Jim Holmes

A vital part of my job as a Certified Senior Housing Professional & Senior Real Estate Specialist along the Denver Front Range is staying abreast of the various senior communities in the area that may be helpful to my clients or their family caregivers when the time comes for an older adult to transition - or right size - to a senior community.

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So last week I made it a point to be at the Expansion Open House & Ribbon Cutting for the new Clare Bridge Crossings at Clare Bridge Highlands Ranch, part of the Brookdale Senior Living family of communities. Clare Bridge Crossings is Brookdale’s newest senior living solution designed for those in the early to mid-stages of Alzheimer’s and related dementias.

Jim Holmes and Britny Otto

I spent some time speaking with Britny Otto, the Executive Director of the community, and discovered that the staff is carefully vetted, selected and trained to manage the challenges associated with dementia. Their approach - called the Clare Bridge Daily Path - provides a gentle structure to each day that targets specific needs of those with Alzheimer's and various types and levels of dementia. It features:

Morning Mental Workout - Daily late morning mental exercises including discussions, brain stimulating games, and reminiscing.

Daily Physical Activity - A variety of exercise opportunities including group exercises, walking programs and dancing.

Daily Life Skills - Individual or group activities that provide a sense of purpose, meaning, and belonging.

Person Centered Life Enrichment Programming - Activities are designed using the resident's own social history information as a foundation.

As I walked about the community, I found that the interior design has been perfectly set to feel like that of a private home and the enclosed walking areas give residents a chance to move around and exercise, while also maintaining a standard of safety.

Clare Bridge of Highlands Ranch Website

The Clare Bridge Dining Program, awarded a top level certification by the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) is a nutritional and dining program designed by a team of specialists to help those with Alzheimer's and dementia. It offers dementia-friendly menus, individualized dining assistance, a supportive environment and consistent seating arrangements.

If you're an older adult or the family caregiver of one ready to rightsize, please feel free to contact me for further insights and advice on senior living options across the Denver Front Range and/or for assistance with other senior real estate services.

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Activities for Seniors with Alzheimers or Dementia in Denver

In my job as a Realtor along the Denver Front Range - one who often specializes in working with senior clients or their caregiver families - I often get the honor of helping seniors with diminished memory. I see the heartache that family members experience as they struggle to deal with a parent who seems to be slowly slipping away.

But those same family members often share with me the ways that they cope and also work to motivate their parents to stay in the present. I thought I'd share with you some of their advice. - Jim

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Utilizing the 5 Senses is one of the best ways to help seniors with dementia or Alzheimers enjoy activities that used to be a fun or important part of their lives.

The smells and activity of cooking or baking can bring back memories and inspire a senior. Offer them (and yourself) the Gift of Taste.

*Try encouraging them to help you bake cookies. They may not remember how, but drop some cookie dough in front of them and a senior citizen in the Denver area may just find themselves excited to spread the dough out and spoon it up. Hands often remember better than the mind.

*Sample different flavors of tea

*Sample holiday treats that can bring back warm memories, like candy canes, jelly beans, pumpkin pie, and the like.

Sound

*Very few things evoke memories like music. It's a powerful thing. Spend some time with your loved one and their favorite music. Again, holidays and special occasions typically stand out, so sing some holiday carols to them, along with Happy Birthday (insert the names of family members), Here Comes Peter Cottontail, etc.

*Grab a CD with some of their favorite music or tunes from the era in which they grew up. You can also take them to as many local concerts and performances as possible, be it a park concert in Aurora, a big show in Denver, or a school concert in Evergreen.

Again, whatever the music, it's a powerful tool that magically enlivens the mind.

Smell

Once again, the proper smells can bring life to the eyes of your Mom or Dad with dementia or Alzheimers. Stimulate their senses with the lavender sachets you know they love, or orange peels slowly simmering in a pot on the stove. As I mentioned before, holiday smells are powerful and bring back memories of their family members and special moments, so burn candles with holiday smells like peppermint, pumpkin pie, or other holiday spices.

These are just a few, simple things that have worked for other family caregivers along the Denver Front Range. If I may assist your family in the sale of a home, or advise or refer you to other senior-focused professionals that may be of help to you, please feel free to contact me at any time.

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