Joliet, Illinois Alzheimer's and Memory Care

Assisted Living Services Services

As part of Emeritus, we use a new computerized system called We Care. First, our nurse conducts an in-depth assessment of the resident’s health requirements, as well as their daily routines, their likes and dislikes and any other relevant information. Every detail, from what time the resident likes to go to bed to the personal care products they like to use, is entered into the We Care system. From that, we create a specific care plan customized for each resident, which we review with the resident and family members.

It works amazingly well! For example, we recently had a new resident who every morning, likes to have a glass of milk on the right side of her breakfast plate, and a yogurt to her left. While that may seem inconsequential, the resident was totally delighted to see everything set up just the way she wanted. For new residents just joining our community, we know how difficult the transition can be and are especially mindful to make sure everything is much like they had at home.

Whatever service is required, our philosophy is the same – we are here to meet our residents’ needs, but we always try to encourage them to do as much for themselves as possible. This helps them maintain their independence, which in turn fosters dignity and helps them preserve their health and functionality. Residents are always involved with all decisions about their care; we are simply here to provide a supportive environment, along with a nursing staff available seven days a week, to provide the appropriate care as required.

Alzheimer's and Memory Care Services

As an Emeritus community, we follow the Join Their Journey program. Join Their Journey provides an entirely new and innovative perspective on how to approach and interact with our memory care residents. The philosophy behind the program is simple: We join our residents wherever they are in the moment. The worst thing we could do is to try to bring them into our reality; it agitates, disrupts and confuses them more. For example, if a resident is talking about getting the bus to go to work, we will sit in the living room of their cottage and wait with them. Within 20 minutes, they have typically moved onto something else. If a caregiver reminded a resident that her husband had passed away every time she asked for him, she would be immediately returned to living the trauma of his death. In short, because of their memory impairments, their reality is whatever they are reminiscing about at that moment.

We also strive to help bring back lost memories. For example, with the help of family members, we create a memory box with photos and memorabilia from their past and have it outside of their apartment door. It helps us get to know residents better – and helps remind the resident where they came from, what they did for a living, along with many other details about the past that most of us would take for granted. We have also created “life stations” and lap baskets placed throughout the community. They may have items related to sewing, fishing or tools, giving residents the chance to reconnect with fond memories from the past. We also take residents on scenic drives, to picnics at nearby Lake Hemet and for cook-outs on the beach in Southern California, about an hour from our community. Here at Emeritus at Joliet Courtyard, our goal is to do everything we can to make our memory care residents as enjoyable and stress-free as possible.

See more of our Illinois Alzheimer's and memory care communities and learn more about all of the elder care services offered from the Emeritus communities.