Masonicare at Newtown and its assisted living facility, Lockwood Lodge, recently underwent multiple renovations to continue to meet the needs of its aging community. Looking to offer the best environment for its patrons, several aesthetic and functional elements were updated throughout both spaces at 139 Toddy Hill Road.

Masonicare Director of Dining Services Craig Dumont said the extensive work started about two years ago with the renovations of the third and second floor. Since then, nearly every area has been remodeled in some way from lighting to flooring and everything in between.

"We did a lot of research for decorating with dementia," said Mr Dumont. "We chose colors that were the most acceptable and positive color palettes for those individuals who may have memory impairment or vision loss. It's not just pretty, it's purposeful."

Throughout Masonicare and Lockwood Lodge, colors were chosen to ease vision and help its aging population better distinguish the placement of walls, doors, and handrails.

Accent walls were intentionally placed for contrast to help when looking down hallways. Even the bathrooms include an accent wall to help patrons identify where utilities, like the toilet, are from a directional perspective.

Overall, cooler tones and earth tones were chosen because Mr Dumont explained that "mauves and yellows do not necessarily work well for people with certain diagnosis."

Blues were chosen for living areas, white was selected for doorways, and red was painted in the dining room to help stimulate hunger.

The Masonicare and Lockwood Lodge team members were also very mindful of the best flooring for certain areas.

"Floors are fluid instead of having lines to decrease the perception of there being a step," said Mr Dumont. Busy patterns were avoided, and many of the living areas have hardwood and tile flooring.

The lights throughout both units received a massive overhaul and were all transferred over to a new, more effective method.

"We replaced all of our lighting with LED lighting," said Mr Dumont. "It's more energy efficient. It's a softer color, so it mutes the tones on the walls and helps with their vision as they go through the hallways."

Even the outdoor lighting by the pond and fountain was worked on so as to illuminate the areas better.

The outdoor areas also had updated mobility and safety features installed to best serve the diverse group of patrons at Masonicare and Lockwood Lodge.

"We built an ADA-accessible ramp to the pond, so more of our residents can enjoy it," Mr Dumont said. "We added a memory garden in the front - which is a secure place where people who may have memory impairment or risk of elopement/travel can enjoy the outside space in a secure and safe way."

Updates In Social Spots

Many of the communal areas, such as the lobbies and dining areas, were done over to give residents and visitors more recreational options and to accommodate their mobility needs.

Resident Service Coordinator Mary C. Salley said, "The furniture that was picked out is for the comfort of the senior population."

Brand-new furnishings were incorporated in the lobby, including chairs and couches designed specifically to be convenient for people sitting down and getting up. The bookshelves in the Masonicare lobby reach lower, so members of the community who are wheelchair bound can reach the books more conveniently.

Even the table shapes and sizes were chosen to best suit board game and puzzle activities, while colorful fish tanks were added in the lobbies for enjoyment purposes and to help brighten the rooms in a welcoming, fun way.

Before renovations, residents at Lockwood Lodge had discussed a desire to have more access to certain amenities in house. As a result, the Lockwood Lodge cafe now gives residents the opportunity to obtain necessities like toothbrushes, toilet paper, and other items if they run out before their scheduled trip to the grocery store.

The hours in the cafe were extended to the weekend, making it open seven days a week, which benefits many families who visit their loved ones on those days.

Private Room Renovations

Masonicare's assisted living facility, Lockwood Lodge, offers a variety of handicapped accessible suites that have recently gone under reconstruction, too.

Looking to achieve a more modern look, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, tile flooring, bar pantries, glass and stainless steel backsplashes, and larger mirrors were brought in the improve the aesthetics.

Mr Dumont said they also "added reading stations and computer stations up in the resident living rooms, so that they could have easier access to media, games, and computers."

Lockwood Lodge not only offers apartment living, but it is starting respite care. It will serve as a place for temporary stay, much like a hotel, where a senior's family member can bring them to be taken care of while families are away.

Service Representative Ginny Carroll explained, "It is also a nice option if someone has been in the hospital or short-term rehab and they are not quite ready to go home. It's a really nice transition."

The respite care offers a safe environment where Lockwood Lodge will provide the meals, housekeeping, and laundry services.

Masonicare Improvements

Over on the Masonicare side of the building, changes have been made to the nursing area, rehabilitation rooms, and dementia units. All the rooms were renovated with new televisions, beds, side rails, furniture, and lighting.

"On the skilled nursing side third floor, we renovated and made a significant amount of our bed space single occupancy for our therapeutic rehab patients. Those are patients who are here for short stays, two weeks to three months depending on what it is," said Mr Dumont. "It gives them a place to come and recover."

The nursing stations have also been redone to help patients feel comfortable in their environment. The stations used to have glass walls dividing nurses from others; now they are open and allow for a more personal interaction.

The design flow throughout both Masonicare and Lockwood Lodge facilities was made to be cohesive and complement each other. The whole process has resulted in a clean, refreshed, safe environment that is able to be maintained.

The changes have also boosted employee moral, as many now choose to spend their lunchtime dining in the newly renovated areas, which allows for more opportunities to interact with the residents.

So far there has been a lot of positive feedback from Masonicare and Lockwood Lodge residents, visitors, and employees, and the team does not plan to stop with these renovations. One of the next projects scheduled for completion is the Lockwood Lodge beauty salon, located next to the cafe.

With an experienced staff who go out of their way to cater to the needs of the people they house and help, Masonicare at Newtown and Lockwood Lodge continue to be a place sought after in the aging community for its purposeful and pleasing design.