maintaining dignity and self-esteem by living as normally as possible

 
     
 

Cottage Style Living

Prairie Senior Cottages uses a holistic approach in helping residents and their families cope with the effects of memory loss while maintaining dignity and self-esteem. Our overall philosophy is to help those in our care succeed in daily living, be themselves, and live as normally as possible. This philosophy is reflected not only in the services we offer, but also by our cottage design and the individualized care and acceptance we provide.

Prairie Senior Cottages believes the needs for those with memory loss are best served by an environment that supports:
Specialized care
Communal living
Home-like surroundings
Household activities

Specialized Care
Prairie Senior Cottages believes that those with memory loss best cope with their illness when living in a residence that specializes in their care. Their memory loss makes it difficult to integrate them with conventional nursing home and assisted-living residents. Because all of our residents suffer from some form of memory loss, our staff can tailor social and recreational programs to their special needs and give them individual attention.

Communal Living
For safety and social reasons, all cottages are communal facilities. Although some assisted living facilities offer apartments with private bathrooms and kitchens, Prairie Senior cottages believes unsupervised access to these areas is unsafe for those with memory loss. In addition, we believe sharing a kitchen, dining room, and living room with other residents and the staff has important therapeutic benefits. Regular social interaction also prevents the isolation that so easily occurs with the disease.

Home-Like Surroundings
Prairie Senior Cottages believes that those with memory loss benefit from living in a home-like environment with traditional floor plans and furnishings. This familiar environment feels comfortable, unlike conventional nursing homes whose long halls with identical doors and similar rooms feel confusing, overwhelming and threatening to those with the disease.

Household Activities
Prairie Senior Cottages believes that performing the routine tasks of daily living helps residents preserve their self-esteem and dignity. Residents are encouraged to help with meal preparation and clean-up, housekeeping chores, laundry and grocery shopping. The therapeutic cottage environment permits residents to maintain a nearly-normal lifestyle that includes fun and companionship as well as 24-hour supervision by caregivers who understand their needs.

 

  

"Thank you for the hard work and caring you showed to my husband, to me and to our family the year and a half he was at Prairie Senior Cottages. The husband who used to be would have been so very grateful for the care and kindness you showed. He needs advance care now, but it was very important to us that he was able to be at Prairie Senior Cottages for a year and a half. The environment here is so much more comforting to him and to his family. You do very important work here. I have seen the daily tasks you face, and I know it is often not easy. Your residents cannot usually express it, but please know they are grateful for the work you do – you make a difference! I will never forget the help you provided to us..."
–Mary Ellen Olson