PEOPLE ON GREEN SPACE

The New Face of Assisted Living

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“Assisted living” is a term you hear quite often when talking about aging and senior lifestyles. It might come as a surprise to you that this concept is fairly new, having begun in the 1970’s.  Prior to that time there weren’t many options for aging seniors, and any available option tended to be cold and impersonal.

Not so today. Through the years, not only have seniors become more knowledgeable, aware and discerning, but progressive communities have adapted to offer a variety of sophisticated options that make assisted living viable and attractive. Each day, more than 10,000 turn 65-years-old. And the 21st Century face of assisted living is being redefined to be an appealing, life-giving community with many wonderful options.

‘NICE ENOUGH’ IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

Most assisted living communities today offer amenities and social activity options. Many are luring families in with ‘nice’ landscaping, ‘helpful’ staff and ‘decent’ food. Yet, even though the options have changed and the image is upgraded – the current assisted living model is letting us down. Owned by major corporations and driven by the bottom line, they cannot provide the level of care, compassion and conditions where aging residents thrive and find joy.

That is why we built Camellia Place. We are locally owned by engaged and committed healthcare leaders who set out to change the perception and break old paradigms. We are elevating expectations of assisted living and memory care and providing a quality of life that brings peace of mind. Camellia Place is the first community of its kind. Nestled in eight beautifully landscaped acres, this neighborhood is composed of six single story homes with only 16 residents in each, eliminating even the hint of institutional care.

PERSON CENTERED CARE.

“Adding Life To Years” is not just a phrase. It is an honest, person-centered approach to care that is deliberate and transformational. Through open communication—as well as leveraging individual strengths and choices—we enrich hearts, engage minds and increase “social capital.” This translates into happy residents who feel their personal best and look forward to each new day.

We are a community committed to delivering uncompromising, person-centered care. Our follow-thru: we have the highest staff-to-resident ratio and on-site physician and physical therapist offices. By following a model of care that’s both efficient and proactive, we’re able to anticipate the needs of our individual residents, ensuring continuous safety, dignity and comfort.

ATTENTION TO DETAIL.

At Camellia Place, you will find a level of attention to detail only found in five-star hotels. Our attention to detail begins with safety and training, and continues through architectural design, gardens, fabrics, décor and surroundings to stimulate, not stagnate, the senses. We’ve achieved an environment that your family will be happy to visit, and you’ll be proud to call home.

We are just over one year old and have already been nationally recognized as the 2017 Senior Living Center of the Year by SeniorLiving.com, and locally, we garnered the 2017 Reader’s Choice Award from TownLaker Magazine in Woodstock.

CARE THAT IS NOT CORPORATE.

Our years of experience in the healthcare industry and our genuine passion for people have shaped our mission of healthcare and caregiving. We are an active and deliberate partner with the community, both now and in the future. Also, because we are locally owned, our owners are present, accessible, dedicated and actively engaged.

SEE ASSISTED LIVING DIFFERENTLY.

At Camellia Place, our chef prepares family-style meals which are served in each house. Our beautifully manicured green space, walking paths and abundant activities create opportunities where everyone can thrive. And we offer an active social atmosphere where the residents are happy and can develop new relationships.

For many of today’s seniors who might benefit from help with various daily activities —such as dispensing medications, traveling to appointments, meal preparation, and household chores, the move to assisted living community isn’t primarily about medical necessity.

It’s about a choice of lifestyle. It is a quality of life decision.

ADDING LIFE TO YEARS.  Your loved ones have lived enriched and full lives. Their story doesn’t stop now. The next chapter is a time to cherish family, make new friends, and embrace each day. If you are considering assisted living for yourself or someone you love, you owe it to yourself to see the new ‘face’ of assisted living. We encourage you to visit and take a no-pressure tour. If you have questions, we are eager to help you find the answers.  Click on the link below and receive a free PDF download of your helpful guide to finding the perfect home:

CHOOSING AN ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY

Common Areas in Dementia and Alzheimers Residence

Our Camellia Place Interiors: Stylish, Safe, & Intentional

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Over the past month, we’ve welcomed our residents to their new homes. Six houses, not hallways, rest on the Camellia Place property, and two of our homes officially have residents enjoying our amenities. When we built Camellia Place, we worked closely with our architects, builders, and designers to create an inviting, stylish, and most of all, safe place for our residents to live. Our purposeful design choices have made our homes an ideal place for our seniors to dine, socialize, sleep, and receive care.

Design Features: Smaller residences, like those at Camellia Place, provide a sense of intimacy that sometimes lacks in large buildings with long hallways.  Each of our homes consist of only sixteen bedrooms which are divided by spacious living and dining areas. In addition to considering intimacy for our community, Camellia Place’s homes were designed with short, purposeful hallways. Knowing the dining room is only a short distance from one’s suite makes a difference in the social aspect of our homes.  Seniors can easily participate in activities, meals, and special events knowing they are never far from their bedrooms. Further, a stylish, yet safe handrail guides our residents from place to place and functions both for a design detail, and more importantly, stability. Each suite is a single-bedroom with its own heating and air conditioning for ultimate privacy and comfort. The philosophy behind this design is to encourage residents to live in the public areas of their homes while having private suites for sleeping, hygiene, and privacy for reading or watching television.

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Interior Styles: Our interior designers and owners chose lovely furniture and soothing colors that highlight our homes. Additionally, having upholstery that can withstand cleaning and disinfecting is critical in the maintenance of our homes.  While many fabrics can tolerate that type of cleaning, few have the feel and look of institutional fabrics.  Our owners took extra care to select fabrics and colors with the homes in mind.  Even the height of our cushions was well-planned. The ability of Seniors to be able to safely transfer from sitting to standing supports their basic need to move be ambulatory.  Little features like this make a world of difference in seniors knowing they can come to the porches or dining rooms and be able to stand or transfer without fear.

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Each of our homes also features an open-island kitchen for family-style meals to encourage socialization and friendships. Further, good nutrition and hydration are essential in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  With family-style meals, caregivers can easily monitor the food and liquid intake of our residents. On each of the two, 8 bedroom wings, residents will also find a library or game center complete with card tables and sofas. Porches and patios are available throughout the homes and feature gracious spaces for outdoor enjoyment and living, especially with Georgia’s warm summer nights. Our porches and courtyards have tables, chairs, and conversation groupings.  However, one thing you might notice is that we don’t have any rocking chairs; they focus one’s attention on rocking and not talking. We want to encourage conversations in our homes and equipped each home with furniture for just that.

Safety Priorities: Safety is always on the minds of our staff and caregivers at Camellia Place. We’ve incorporated design features in order to maximize safe-living for all of our residents. Each resident’s room features an integrated closet and restroom allowing for walkers and wheelchairs to enter freely. Further, dressing and bathing with articles of clothing close by aids in the daily routine of good hygiene and helps caregivers in their role of assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLS). Our bathrooms are beautifully appointed with zero threshold showers and sinks for bracing.

One thing we haven’t yet mentioned is our attention to medication management. Medication management is one of the most important aspects of assisted living.  You will not see medication carts in our hallways. Instead, medicine is housed in and dispensed from an in-home apothecary.  It provides for more privacy for residents and better watchful oversight by our staff. Additionally, one of the other things that we pride ourselves on is that our caregivers aren’t responsible for  housekeeping or food service for residents.  This allows caregivers to be extra attentive to our residents.  With more intimate watchful oversight, behaviors can be observed that might indicate changes in wellness.  Making sure residents are hydrated and eating well balanced meals helps prevent unnecessary doctor visits.

We’ve devoted countless hours to think of every detail for our residents. If you’re interested in touring Camellia Place, don’t hesitate to contact us or call 770-296-1513. We’d love to send you more information or take you on a tour.

exercise at memory care woodstock ga

Body Recall: An Exercise Program Like No Other

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At Camellia Place, one of our core philosophies is “adding life to years”. We find an incredible amount of value in our residents becoming a part of our community and having enriching experiences every day. One of the valuable experiences that we are dedicated to is our Body Recall class. Held every Tuesday morning in ten week increments, Body Recall emphasizes strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination. The class is lead by Nathan Brandon, our Director of Marketing and Communications, and our local Body Recall expert. Not only does Nathan teach our classes, but he is Body Recall trained and certified, “I received training as a Body Recall Instructor in January of 1986, during the week of the NASA Space Challenger disaster. We spent Sunday night through the following Saturday attending classes and receiving instruction in how the program should be taught. Then, I received recertification in January of 2013 by attending a week long recertification class,” Nathan explains.

Nathan’s expertise doesn’t end there. In fact, he leads a group that started three years ago at Cherokee County Senior Services. While it started with humble beginnings, now their enrollment has grown to an enrollment of over 100 seniors! He says, “We average 65 to 70 seniors each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for class. Since we outgrew the Senior Center,  we now meet at the Boys & Girls Club gymnasium on Univeter Road. The seniors’ commitment to the class, and to one another, has been an inspiration to me.”

Body Recall at Camellia Place

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A majority of the movements in Body Recall are performed from a chair, so that safety is maintained, but seniors get to experience a little fun, too. In fact, they get great joy out of using the large, colorful parachute in class. While there are many advantages in participating, one of the main benefits is that participants have successful exercise experiences that help them remain independent as long as possible. The class also includes fall recovery training that helps them safely move to the floor from their chair, and then safely return to their seat. Most guests experience the joy of successfully completing an hour of movement leaving them invigorated and refreshed. Even more encouraging? No previous experience is required. Through the use of specific movements and the use of apparatus such as foam balls, elastic bands and wooden sticks, they experience all the benefits of full range of motion and sustained strength.

Body Recall participants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, participants reap more than physical benefits. “The classes also provide meaningful social and physical activities. By the end of ten weeks, seniors have experienced mutual support and encouragement, so that they feel a part of the group,” Nathan shares. He continues, “The Body Recall program fits perfectly with the philosophy of care that exists at Camellia Place. The ability to “add life to years” for our residents is accomplished through the benefits of Body Recall. Currently, we have 17 residents of nearby communities that enjoy Body Recall each Tuesday morning at the Community House.”

For more information about the Camellia Place lifestyle, visit https://camelliaplace.com/lifestyle/.

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The Craftsman and Camellia Place: Bringing Dreams to Life

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Greg Michael grew up in a woodworking family. He worked in the shop of his father and brother, but he wanted to do something different than the family business. Yet, when he and his wife were building their home, they chose to do all of the interior work themselves. And Michael rediscovered his passion for woodworking.

Today, Michael is the pastor for Woodstock Community Church on Rope Mill Road, just down the street from Camellia Place. He also founded Mi-Kin Creations, a name that stands for “Kin Folk.” Michael’s two sons, Gregory and Jonathan, also have ownership in the business and are talented craftsmen in their own right.
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The Library: Our Future is Rooted in Our Past

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Two black walnut trees stood tall for more than 55 years at 294 Rope Mill Road in Woodstock. They were planted by landowner James Queen, a cabinetmaker. They not only gave shade on hot, sunny days and provided relief from a hard day’s work, but Queen also used nuts from the trees in his furniture dyes. While they may no longer be standing, the trees occupy an important place in the story of Camellia Place.
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The Land: Bringing Camellia Place to Life

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Destined to create a special place for and raise expectations in senior living, Founding Partners Lauren Clifton and Denise Swords set out on a lengthy journey to locate the ideal Camellia Place land, a residential neighborhood for assisted living and memory care. It was immediately evident that the homestead of James and Irene Queen on Rope Mill Road in Woodstock was the perfect piece of land to bring the dream of Camellia Place to life.
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