New Memory Care Community Is Big on Beauty.
Nature produces therapeutic effects in those with dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Town & Country CEO Dirk DeWolfe tells an inspiring story about how one dementia patient made a huge impact on its new $25 million Grace Gardens Memory Care community, opening summer 2021.
“It was the ’80s, and I was working in a dreary, institutional facility. We had a farmer there with Alzheimer’s who was extremely combative. Nothing calmed him. To give the staff a break one day, I took him for a walk outside, and everything about him changed. It was therapeutic. As long as he was walking, he was happy.”
Fast forward 35 years later, and DeWolfe will tell you that experience contributed to the unique design of Grace Gardens, where residents have access to one of the largest outdoor spaces in Orange County. The courtyard features walking paths, trees, flowers, edible plantings, raised gardens and a potting shed for horticultural therapy.
Encircling the courtyard, are four memory care neighborhoods. Using peerbased, stage-informed care principles, each household hosts its own programming attuned to the cognitive abilities and medical needs of its residents. “I think my farmer friend would approve of what we’ve done here at Grace Gardens.”
“It was therapeutic. As long as he was walking, he was happy.”
—Dirk DeWolfe, CEO of Town & Country Senior Living
• Brand-new, $25 million memory community with top-tier design and features
• Located on Town & Country campus, which has a fivestar rating by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Four neighborhoods, each attuned to a specific peerbased, stage-informed cohort
• Private and semi-private rooms
• High-tech touch screens and intuitive wayfinding
• Onsite Bistro, perfect for
family gatherings
• A nonprofit, faith-based community, open to everyone
• 24×7 nursing staff and concierge doctor’s office
• Medical appointment transportation
• 3,000 sq. ft. outdoor courtyard, the largest in Orange County
• Chef-crafted meals in a family-style setting
• Art, music, pet, exercise and horticultural therapies