Orchard Grove Health Campus

We had the wonderful opportunity to film at the Orchard Grove Health Campus in Romeo, Michigan, owned by Trilogy Health Services.

The Legacy Director, Steve Smith, explained in an in-depth interview, "Assisted living that specializes in dementia care has come a long way in the last ten and twenty years. Much of this is because we understand the journey our residents are on much more today. We carefully focus on where they are now in the moment, not where we think they should be."

During our day of filming, we met so many of the residents. One in particular was Don Daveluy and his son, Ben. Don has Frontotemporal Dementia and, only in the last few months, has become a resident. He is a proud Korean War veteran and father of six, not to mention quite a few grandchildren and great children. His son Ben regularly visits and reminisces about old times. Sometimes he even gives Don a shave. "Myself and my sisters spend as much time as we can with dad. We know this home is the best place for him right now because they are deeply caring. This is comforting to our family."

While there, we filmed a wide array of activities which allow the residents to fully embrace their lives that they are familiar with today. We also captured a visit from Debra Eggleston and her dog Grace. This interaction with Grace and the residents clearly showed us the value of how man's best friend can bring smiles to a dementia patient.

Later in the day, Dr. Harpel Jande, M.D., shared with us why he enjoys seeing the patients that are facing memory issues. "I know they have a difficult time expressing what medical issues might be concerning them at this stage in their life, and I know how important what I do as a doctor is to them and their families. I am honored to be here for them."

You can sense the care from all of the staff at every level. Shelby, a young lady who is all hands on with the residents, said, "I love what I do. I know they need me and I gain so much from the time I spend with them. Besides, if not me then who will do this work?" After watching Shelby with the residents, we are glad she and the rest of the team chose this career path. We're thrilled to be able to feature the work and insight Steve and his team shared with us.

To learn more about Orchard Grove Health Campus in Romeo, Michigan, go to http://trilogyhs.com/browse-locations/item/orchard-grove-health-campus

To learn more about how you can support this very important film, please go to: http://ontodaysfrontlines.com/alzheimers/