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Assisted living center opens up
Telegraph - 9/26/2016
Sept. 24--NASHUA -- Bridges by EPOCH, an assisted living community for senior citizens with memory impairment, celebrated the opening of its Nashua facility Thursday, even though it has already been providing services to more than a dozen people.
The facility provides care for its residents, programs for families, and it adds to the available options for residents seeking care for aging relatives.
Executive Director Amanda Jillson hopes to reach out to the community, becoming another support for families dealing with memory care problems.
"One of our biggest challenges is educating the community about what we are and what we can do for people," she said.
Jillson hopes to be a center for services to more people than just the residents of the home. She said Bridges will offer education sessions and caregiver support groups.
The Nashua facility, at 575 Amherst St., opened last month, and it now has about 15 residents, said CEO Joanna Cormac Burt.
The company operates four similar facilities in Massachusetts, and one in Connecticut, she said, adding that Nashua offered the company an opportunity to fill a need in the community.
"When we looked at the demographics, it was clear there was a need," Cormac Burt said.
There were as many as 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease in 2013, and it was one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Though there is no cure for the disease or other dementias, company officials say Bridges is able to provide care to people with memory impairments in a way that helps the residents keep their independence. Each resident gets a studio-type apartment with a private bath. There's a common kitchen area stocked with food, and there are outdoor gardens with raised flower beds to allow the residents to spend safe time outdoors.
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