Made for Memories

The highly anticipated renovation to the memory care unit at the Arlington Oakton Place in Naples has been completed and was toured during an intimate ribbon-cutting on Tuesday, April 14.

For the 35 people residing there, these renovations were not just a much-needed update but have become a transformation into a nostalgic neighborhood where at every corner, they have a gentle reminder or a tangible object to touch that stirs a warm memory.

Executive director Christy Skinner noted that though the memory care unit always had heart, care, and compassion, the look did not match.

The Arlington’s new owner, as of 2023, Life Care Services (LCS), recognized this and made its first investment of one million dollars for the renovation. “It was such an honor to be able to focus on this first. Our heart and head were aligning for the greater care and service of our residents,” said Skinner. “We got to pick the aesthetics, we got to pick the intention of the programming, we got to pick the details.” She went on to thank everyone who was involved with not only these selections, but every team member that makes the magic happen each day. What she now sees with her head is aligned with what is felt in her heart.

As the intimate group of community leaders and distinguished guests arrived, they were welcomed by the director of sales and marketing, Christy Christine.

Christine is known for her sincere desire to help families when their loved one is diagnosed with an Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s related dementia. “No one gives you a prescription on how to manage this,” said Christine, who strives for this neighborhood to be that resource for families.

Longtime local volunteers and Arlington residents, Paul and Jean O’Neill, have been volunteering at the memory care neighborhood for years now and consider the residents a part of their family.

Thrilled with the renovations, Jean happily showed off the new activity room, a place used for painting classes, bingo, and other fun things. "They walked in this place and the ones who could talk just looked astonished, 'it is so bright’ and ‘it is so beautiful.’ The ones who could not talk came in and touched - they touched the walls and the chairs. You knew that they were very aware of the difference,” said Jean.

Cheryl Korbel discussed her role at the relaxation spa. A loyal volunteer of nine years at the Arlington and a Wellness Advocate with doTERRA, the world’s largest provider of therapeutic essential oils, she offers aromatherapy hand massages and more to the residents. With each having their own individual time, she says, “They get to talk about their life or they can be quiet and close their eyes. It is personal relaxation time.” Many residents ask when their turn is upon seeing her arrive. “It’s a beautiful connection,” said Korbel. “My heart is always full when I leave here.”

VP and director of operations management for LCS, Erin Donaldson, was among the guests attending the ribbon cutting. Pleased with the new look, she spoke with purpose, “This project was driven by a simple but meaningful goal: to better serve our residents and those in the future,” said Donaldson. “We focused on creating an environment that supports connection and daily moments of joy, while also enhancing areas for care, engagement, dining, and programming. And just as importantly, we wanted a space that supports our team members who provide extraordinary care every day.”

With LCS actively supporting Alzheimer’s research, awareness, and fundraising on a national level, Donaldson said they are working toward and hope to one day find the first survivor of Alzheimer's.

Director of business development Barbara Ann Heegan addressed the gathered crowd prior to the ribbon cutting, “Today, more than six million Americans are living with Alzheimer's, a number that continues to grow, impacting not only those diagnosed, but also their families, caregivers, and entire communities,” Heegan said. “Our enhanced memory care space that you're in today has been thoughtfully designed to provide comfort, dignity, and specialized support for those navigating this journey.”

President and CEO of the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, Kristina Park, said, “Community does not happen by chance. It's built room by room, relationship by relationship, and decision by decision. And for ten years, The Arlington of Naples has been building something extraordinary here in Collier County.”

“This ribbon cutting is more than just a milestone. It's a statement,” said Park. “It reflects the belief that those living with memory care challenges deserve not just care, but excellence. Not just space, but sanctuary. The investment behind these walls reflects what The Arlington has always stood for, that every resident at every stage of life deserves the very best that we can give.”

“This ribbon cutting is opening a door to deeper compassion and expanding possibilities for those that need it most,” Park said.

Guests soon embarked on a tour. Walking past the brightly colored doors to the residents’ suites, one noticed that each room had a shadow box. Director of assisted living and memory care Odile Plancher explained, “We have the family members fill them with whatever they used to collect from their younger years or wedding pictures so that they can recognize their apartment.”

Filled with memories and a touching display of humanity, the shadow boxes made a powerful and emotional statement. Equally as powerful was a special wall with each resident’s picture and life encapsulated into a movie-style poster.

Life stations are thoughtfully placed throughout the neighborhood. Designed to be an interactive environment that recreates familiar settings for the residents, each one was carefully created. These include:

• An Office Station for those former business executives to return to a sense of purpose in life.
• A Socialization and ‘Porch Routine’ Station, with games and puzzles to complete together.
• A Pet Station, offering a sense of calm with realistic animals that can be held and brushed. The dogs and cats even mimic breathing and the birds chirp!
• A station for the women with jewelry and hats to dress up with and a station for the men with a garage style feel and tools to tinker with.
• A Nursery Station, for those with a caregiving or parental background, to reduce anxiety.

Moving on from the stations, the dining rooms are carefully thought out for both high-functioning and low-functioning residents.

The dining plan follows both the MIND and Blue Zone diets. Both focused on food that supports brain health and memory, and those eaten in areas of the world where residents live into their 90s and beyond in good health.

There is a private room available for families to reserve for gatherings, a comfortable TV lounge for extroverts to gather, and a cozy book nook for the introverts.

Christine summarized the neighborhood eloquently. “We meet our residents where they're at. They have strengths and weaknesses, but we really focus on not success or failures. We just celebrate what they can still do and still kind of challenge them a little bit more if we possibly can. But we want them to always feel comfortable, safe, loved, and respected. “

In addition to this sentiment, it was abundantly clear that one’s dignity remains in place through the care given by each member of the team.