Tuscon, Arizona Retirement Living

A Wonderful Active Lifestyle

Many of our residents take full advantage of our daily calendar of activities. Our days begin with some form of exercise, whether it’s wheelchair tai chi or a walk in the park along the dry river bed. Nearly every day, we have arts and crafts – we have a wonderful volunteer who leads beading, a favorite among residents. In fact, on occasion, residents have made jewelry to sell during craft fairs, with the monies raised going to the local Alzheimer’s Association chapter.

Our community also has movie nights frequently and weekly ice cream socials in our Coca Cola café, which looks just like a café out of the 1950s, with black and white checked floors, a juke box and popcorn maker. Residents also love to “do their own thing,” whether that’s playing cards, bingo or bridge, putting together puzzles or getting together a billiard tournament in our third-floor pool room. We also bring in outside entertainment at least once a week. In addition, volunteers come into our community to lead church services and bible readings during the week. And we provide transportation for those of our residents who wish to go to their local church.

Family events are also very popular at Emeritus at Catalina Foothills. In fact, every few months, we plan a major event, from our Fourth of July barbeque to a Prime Rib dinner and Big Band “dancing” night!

Partnering with the Local Neighborhood Community

Every month, Emeritus at Catalina Foothills facilitates an Alzheimer’s support group, led by one of our memory impairment experts. This group is open to anyone in the Tucson area who wishes to learn more about Alzheimer’s and other memory impairments – or who needs support in caring for a loved one.

We also participate in the local Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s and raise funds throughout the year for this wonderful national event. From yard sales and craft fairs to book drives and silent auctions, all of the money we raise at Emeritus at Catalina Foothills goes to support the Alzheimer’s Association.

In addition, we are closely affiliated with the Senior Alliance. This is an outside group of professionals – real estate agents, insurance providers, bankers and health-care providers – who come to our community and make themselves available should a resident have questions or need their services. And we have a wonderful volunteer from a local medical equipment supply company who donates his services every few months to repair wheelchairs and other equipment for residents.

Fine Dining

For the convenience of our residents, we offer two seatings for each meal – an early and late breakfast, lunch and dinner. At lunch and dinner, we offer two entrée choices and an “always available” menu, ensuring that residents can find something they enjoy. We have a terrific Dining Services Director who has enhanced our dining program to ensure that meals are both delicious and nutritionally balanced. Snacks, including freshly baked cookies and fruit, are also available. In addition, we occasionally take residents out for lunch or dinner.

In our Memory Care Neighborhood, residents are served three meals and three major snacks every day. This helps ensure that they get the nutrition they need, especially in light of their short attention span. We also offer many finger foods, so that they can eat and walk at the same time. And as much as possible, we offer residents choice. For example, we prepare plates with each choice of entrée, wrapped in clear plastic, then take them around to show residents what we’ve prepared for that meal. They can actually see the meals and decide what looks good to them, helping give them a sense of control over mealtime.
And for all residents, we can cut food up as necessary, as well as handle mechanical soft diets, low-sodium diets and dietetic diets.

Learn more about other Alzheimer's, memory care and assisted living communities in Arizona that are part of the Emeritus Senior Living family and read about all of out senior care services.