POLAND, Ohio – Building a memory care unit requires far more than adding walls, bedrooms and common spaces.
From lighting and color schemes to textures and photos, every detail must be designed around the unique needs of residents living with dementia.
Familiar surroundings can reduce anxiety. Visual cues can help residents find their way. Even the placement of a door or the texture of a wall can influence how someone with memory loss experiences the space.
Those considerations guided the transformation of Shepherd of the Valley’s first floor in Poland, Ohio, into a 21-apartment memory care neighborhood. The work, completed by DeSalvo Construction, is already helping residents lead more stable lives while giving their families greater peace of mind.
“We knew there was a definite need,” says Kelly Stansloski, executive director of Shepherd of the Valley’s Poland campus.
Growing Demand
The renovation comes as communities across the country face a growing demand for dementia care services.
“Since we’ve opened, it’s like Patty is never sitting down,” Stansloski says, referring to Patricia Haman, admissions coordinator for the Poland campus. “It’s unbelievable just how many people are in need for that service.”
Haman says many families arrive looking for answers after struggling to manage a loved one’s dementia at home.
The Poland campus includes 86 independent living homes, assisted living apartments and skilled nursing and rehabilitation services. The new memory care neighborhood adds another level to Shepherd of the Valley’s continuum of care, allowing residents to remain within the organization as their needs change.
Shepherd decided to create the unit after seeing the response from the public at its Liberty campus, where a memory care program has operated for three years. It has been consistently full, Stansloski says, and demand in Mahoning County appears just as strong.
“We underestimated the need,” Stansloski says.
Amanda Toscano, nursing administrator, says the neighborhood is designed for residents who have been diagnosed with dementia but are still able to perform many daily activities.
“They have to be a little bit more functional,” Toscano says. “They have memory issues, maybe they’re getting lost or becoming confused, and that’s why they would come here. They can be in a protected environment.”
Security Is Key
The goal is to provide a secure setting that allows residents to maintain as much independence as possible while receiving support when needed.
Toscano says making sure their loved ones are safe is the biggest concern for patients’ families.
“It would be a great asset for people that are struggling with loved ones in the community that might be exit-seeking,” she says. “They might get out and try to elope from their home or become confused and wander at night.”
The unit features secured entrances and monitored common areas, along with design elements intended to reduce confusion and anxiety.
Family members and visitors must be admitted by staff, while cameras provide visibility throughout the common spaces, and strategically placed murals help discourage residents from attempting to leave secured areas.
Color-coded hallways also serve as visual cues, helping residents navigate the neighborhood. Outside each apartment memory boxes display family photographs and personal items that help residents recognize their rooms and reconnect with important memories.
Delicate Balance
For DeSalvo Construction, the project required balancing modern design standards with the realities of renovating an occupied healthcare facility.
“Working around the existing building and trying to incorporate more modern features into an existing facility sometimes can be a challenge,” says Mark Dodd, project manager for DeSalvo Construction.
Construction crews coordinated closely with Shepherd staff to schedule noisy work and utility interruptions on off hours when possible to avoid disrupting daily operations.
Among the more distinctive features was the enclosure of an existing porch using a specialized roofing system that created a protected gathering space with views of the outdoors. Residents can enjoy changing seasons and natural light while remaining in a secure environment.
Dodd says the design team focused on creating spaces that would help residents stay connected to their surroundings.
“That existing porch was able to be enclosed, and I think that creates a nice place that the residents can hang out and still have a nice view outside,” he says.
The project also included upgrades to building systems behind the scenes, many of which are invisible to residents but essential to supporting the renovated space.
“You’ve got to understand how their existing systems work and how the new systems will be tied into those,” Dodd says. “A lot of it is mechanical work that many people wouldn’t see.”
Dodd says crews averaged 15 to 20 workers per day, with staffing increasing during portions of the project that required major framing work.
The renovation’s impact goes beyond security measures.
Familiar Features
The neighborhood includes sensory rooms and interactive activity spaces designed around familiar environments. One area resembles a laundry room, giving residents an opportunity to fold towels and participate in tasks that feel familiar.
Another area focuses on gardening, while a nursery-themed space evokes memories associated with raising children and spending time with family.
A textured sensory wall encourages touch and exploration as residents move through the neighborhood.
“A lot of times residents don’t remember they’re in Unit 103, but they have a favorite color that relates to them,” Stansloski says. “So they’ll know to follow the yellow.”
Adjustable lighting throughout the unit helps reinforce natural day-and-night patterns, which is important for people living with dementia.
The facility also features interactive projection technology that allows residents to engage with games and sensory experiences designed specifically for memory care. Staff members can bring the equipment directly into resident rooms when needed.
Outside, a secure sensory garden is being completed with walking paths, raised planting beds and seating areas designed to encourage residents to spend time outdoors.
The enclosed space will include edible plants and shaded gathering areas intended to support safety and engagement.
Visible Results
Administrators say the unit is already producing results.
Lashae Jackson, director of nursing for assisted living, says residents are becoming more social and spending more time participating in activities outside their rooms.
“We’ve seen some positive changes,” Jackson says. “They’re more interactive. A lot of people that weren’t speaking are actually speaking to other residents and interacting with family members where they didn’t before.”
One resident who transferred from another facility told caregivers that the specialized environment has helped him become more functional and engaged with family members. According to Jackson, the resident previously spoke very little and rarely interacted with others.
The benefits also extend to family caregivers.
Many arrive exhausted after spending months, and sometimes years, helping a loved one manage daily tasks while balancing jobs and family responsibilities of their own.
To support the program, Shepherd hired additional staff and provided memory care training to employees throughout its assisted living operation.
Staff members receive education in de-escalation techniques, resident redirection and approaches designed to reduce anxiety without relying on medication whenever possible.
Haman encourages families to visit before they reach a crisis point.
“People can just come and ask questions,” she says. “There’s no commitment. They can take a tour, see what’s available in the community and start the process on their own time schedule.”
For DeSalvo Construction, the project represents another chapter in a long-standing relationship with Shepherd of the Valley. The company has partnered with the organization on multiple projects over the years, including work at other campuses.
“We think it’s important work that they’re doing for the community,” Dodd says.
For families, the impact often becomes apparent after a loved one moves into the unit.
“They’re spending time truly visiting with their loved one instead of all the busy stuff,” Stansloski says. “We visually see the family members change too. They’re so tired when they first come, and then they’re able to come here and just be family again.”
Pictured at top: Lashae Jackson, director of nursing for assisted living; Amanda Toscano, nursing administrator; and Kelly Stansloski, executive director of Shepherd of the Valley’s Poland campus.
