Canyon Valley Memory Care Thanksgiving Brunch
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Residents, family members, guests and staff gathered for a Thanksgiving Brunch prepared by our remarkable Chef David McGheee. It was unbelievable!
The buffet line seemed to go on forever. It started with a variety of salads, cheese and crackers, then to the herbed stuffing, dauphinois potatoes, cranberry and apple wild rice pilaf then some fresh vegetables. There was a whole roasted salmon, applewood smoked bacon or maple infused sausage links.
Cook Sharon was ready to carve some roasted turkey or thinly sliced New York Strip. If one had any room left on your plate Chef David was ready to make you an omelet of your choice.
Once you thought you had seen it all you noticed the dessert table. The table didn’t require decorating because one’s eye went to the flowing Belgian chocolate fountain surrounded by assorted fresh fruit. Turnovers filled with cream, homemade pumpkin pie and cream puffs rounded out the beautiful display. Executive Director, Teresa commended, “It was a meal fit for a king or queen.”
Canyon Valley Memory Care sponsored and participated in the Tucson Walk To End Alzheimer's. Leading up to the walk event itself, Canyon Valley Memory Care, located in Green Valley, Arizona, raised $250 by selling home-made hand crafted pizzas, created by its in-house culinary team lead by Chef David. "Today's walk was a lot of fun and a great team builder," stated Teresa Merritt, Executive Director of Canyon Valley Memory Care.
"We handed out 200 of our scarves which were a big hit, along with 300 bottles of water," stated June Sulffridge, Regional Vice President of Frontier Management, the management company for Canyon Valley. "We had a great team of 15 whom all arrived in our Canyon Valley bus. I am proud to have been a part of this fun, important and meaningful event." concluded Sulffridge.
Canyon Valley Donates Security Cameras for Natalie's House
October 25, 2011
Canyon Valley Memory Care has made a donation of security cameras to APECA's new eight-bed home called "Natalie's House.' The facility will offer a safe haven for teens recovering from sexual trauma due to exploitation and abuse.
"Because of your generosity, residents at Natalie’s House will be able to rest securely knowing that their safety is being safeguarded" wrote Janet Olson, APECA Executive Director. "Your gift will be helping to make a difference in the lives of young girls who have endured some of life’s harshest experiences."
APECA (Arizonans for the Protection of Exploited Children and Adults) mobilizes people and resources in the fight against sexual exploitation and abuse.
Canyon Valley Memory Care a New Option for Dementia Patients
March 23, 2011
By Karen Walenga, Green Valley News
When it comes to care for a loved one with dementia, Green Valley now has a new option that caters to those specific health needs. Canyon Valley Memory Care Residence, at Camino del Sol and Camino Encanto, offers individualized care in a residential setting for those with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Residents receive customized care designed to help them maintain their independence and dignity as long as possible, executive director Kent Prescott said. “Knowing their loved ones are well cared for, family members can enjoy more fulfilling times with them, marketing director Jean Bass said.
Canyon Valley, doing business as Green Valley Memory Associates, is affiliated with Frontier Management LLC of Durham, Ore. Frontier manages about 50 senior housing and services throughout the United States. It focuses on retirement and assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and nursing homes, as well as home health. The company chose to expand into Green Valley when it saw a need here for more memory-care beds, Bass said.
Nearly 6 million Americans are afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease, and the vast majority of them are 62 or older, accounting for about one in eight senior citizens, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Canyon Valley broke ground in January 2010 and celebrated its grand opening this month with a crowd of nearly 600.“We’ve had an awesome reception” from the community, Prescott said. And Bass points out that the center’s surrounding residential neighbors say it is a wonderful addition to the area.
Tailoring to needs
Canyon Valley is state-licensed memory care community. The 29,000-square-foot center can accommodate 54 residents in its three neighborhoods.
Each neighborhood has 17 to 20 apartments. Room options include private, a private room that shares a bathroom with one other room, or a shared room for two.
Canyon Valley will supply bedroom furniture if needed, but staff encourage family members to bring the resident’s own bed, dresser, photos and mementos so the room feels like their own.
In addition, Canyon Valley has a respite room, where a dementia patient still living at home can stay temporarily while a family caregiver is gone for a weekend, a week or longer.
Canyon Valley provides housekeeping with all linens and personal laundering. Plus, a small family laundry area is available for those who prefer to wash their loved ones’ clothes themselves. The neighborhoods each have living, dining and recreation areas, which offer “a more home-like environment” for the residents, Bass explains.
These areas are bright and open, with skylights, cheerful color schemes, a fireplace and big-screen TV. Residents gather there for daily activities, including card games, music and three meal a day, and get to know their neighbors and caregivers, she says.
Homemade meals cooked on-site are receiving great reviews and are served restaurant-style in the dining areas. Each of the recreation areas open to enclosed courtyards where residents can be outdoors and even take part in gardening.
Cost ranges from $3,500 to $5,500 per month depending on services. There is no buy-in cost. The community is home to the second location of Joseph’s Salon del Sol, which offers beauty shop and barbershop services.
In addition, a spa room provides residents with a relaxing, individual whirlpool bath.
Canyon Valley is a secured community, and family members have round-the-clock access. Canyon Valley has 25 full- and part-time employees, including caregivers, medical technicians, and kitchen, maintenance, housekeeping and activities staff, as well as a registered nurse, a care coordinator and marketing and business office employees. That number is expected to reach 45 to 50 when the community reaches capacity.
Volunteers from Green Valley already have stepped up to help with activities for the residents, and Canyon Valley welcomes others who might be interested in playing the piano, hosting sing-alongs, playing cards or board games, reading aloud, leading exercises, or sitting and talking with the residents.
“One-on-one contact is so good for them, physically and mentally,” Bass said.
Canyon Valley will meet with area residents and their family members, assess the individual’s needs, and upon move-in design an individual care plan that covers assistance with daily living, from bathing and dressing to activities and medical management. Two area doctors will visit patients at Canyon Valley, and transportation for residents to other medical offices also is provided.
Canyon Valley Grand Opening Event
March 5, 2011
Click here to view photo gallery of grand opening
Canyon Valley Memory Care hosted its Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday, March 5th. The outdoor event was held in front of the community on a beautiful sunny day in Green Valley, AZ. Over 500 people attended the celebration and toured Green Valley’s newest memory care community. To kick off the special event, the Green Valley/Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce held a dignitary ribbon cutting ceremony. Special guests included Jim Ekberg, Steve Seabold, Connie Lowther, Tom Wade, Jim DiGiacomo and Bob Childs.
Throughout the day, live entertainment was provided by the Spur of the Moment Band while Canyon Valley’s own dietary team prepared special appetizer samplings, desserts and beverages. A live radio feed was broadcasted from Canyon Valley’s front doorstep throughout the entire day and highlighted the unique programs and services being offered at Canyon Valley Memory Care.
During the event, Matthew Dunham, Frontier’s Chief Operating Officer, took a moment to recognize a vital program and service leader in Green Valley area. "We asked Shirley Pavlovich, Board president of the Green Valley/Sahuarita Food Bank, to be our honored guest at our Grand Opening Event. Their Food Bank program provides countless services and resources to the residents of Green Valley and Sahuarita. Therefore, as a new member of the community, we would like to present a $500 donation to her organization and thank them for all that they do.”
“With the outpouring of support we have received from the residents and businesses of Green Valley, we are truly excited to become part of this wonderful community and we look forward to providing needed residential care services to individuals impacted by Alzheimer’s and other related forms of dementia,” expressed Matthew Dunham.