Among the many challenges that accompany living with Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia, food is at the top of the list. Motor skill decline can impact the ability to hold silverware, chewing and swallowing become more difficult, and forgetting to eat can cause nutritional deficiency. At Providence Living at Maitland, we understand the challenges that mealtime and eating can present to those with memory impairment. Because of this, we offer an exceptional dining program catered to the needs of men and women with memory impairment.

In addition to preparing meals that taste good and satisfy dietary requirements, we pay special attention to our ingredients to ensure they promote brain health. Not all food is created equal, and what our residents ingest can impede or promote their physical and emotional wellbeing, and affect disease progression. We focus on foods that enhance cognitive function, like those found on the MIND diet.

The MIND diet stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurogenerative Delay. It is designed to prevent dementia and loss of brain function as we age. This is a combination of the Mediterranean Diet and the DASH, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Generally, the guidelines of this diet encourage the consumption of specific foods: vegetables, berries, nuts, olive oil, whole grains, fish, beans, poultry, and a moderate amount of wine. Additionally, it recommends limiting or avoiding butter, cheese, red meat, fried foods, and sweets due to the amount of unhealthy fat they contain.

Scientists believe this diet reduces oxidative stress and inflammation, two components found to be a threat to brain function and health. By reducing both with a diet like MIND, symptoms of Alzheimer’s and dementia may be reduced or slowed and improved quality of life.

At Providence Living at Maitland, we are respectful of our residents’ dietary wants and needs. While we encourage foods and recipes that promote cognitive function, we ultimately will provide the foods ideal for each individual. We want our residents to be satiated, nourished, and happy!

 To learn more about the culinary program at Providence Living at Maitland, or schedule an in-person tour of our community and kitchens, contact our community at 407.863.4020. To learn more about the MIND diet and begin making recipes today, we suggest The Brain Health Cookbook by Julie Andrews.

Providence Living at Maitland is an assisted living memory support community located in Central Florida, just minutes from downtown Orlando and Winter Park.

Providence Living at Maitland is proud to partner with Taylors Pharmacy as our in-house provider of medical supplies and pharmacy needs. Our memory care assisted living community offers 24-hour nursing care. This partnership facilitates the health needs of our residents with ease and efficiency. Serving our resident’s day-to-day needs, Taylors Pharmacy will be our resource for all things medical. This includes wound care and needle disposal, as well as filling  generic and brand name drugs prescriptions. This will be done through traditional and specially compounded medicines.

Pharmacy Needs for Memory Care in Winter Park and Maitland

Taylors Pharmacy has a 70-year history and is located in Winter Park, Florida, just minutes from Providence Living at Maitland. Rooted in quality products and impeccable customer service, their pharmacy has a well-known reputation for being problem solvers. One of their niche markets is nursing homes and assisted living communities. The partnership with Taylors Pharmacy will be a promising relationship for years to come.

“After meeting with Allen Deaver, the owner of Taylors Pharmacy,” says Michele Allison, LPN and Wellness Director of Providence Living at Maitland, “I instantly knew their services were a perfect match for our community. Outside of their incredibly supportive and professional pharmacy services, their history in the community further supports our commitment to being locally owned and managed at many levels of service for our residents.”

The health and wellness of our residents are a top priority at Providence Living at Maitland. Working with professionals who can deliver customized medical solutions for memory care needs, quickly and accurately, is crucial to our residents’ quality of life. We look forward to Taylors Pharmacy union with our family and grateful to be able to offer this level of care to our residents and their families.

For more information about the pharmacological and wellness efforts at Providence Living at Maitland, contact our community today.  

Providence Living at Maitland is an assisted living memory support community located in Central Florida, just minutes from downtown Orlando and Winter Park

Providence Living at Maitland is an assisted living memory support community located in Central Florida, just minutes from downtown Orlando and Winter Park.

The programming at Providence Living at Maitland, I’m Still Me, is tailored to meet each resident’s individual needs and meets them where they are at in their personal journey. We achieve this by integrating technology with our integrative wellness program. It focuses on physical, emotional, and nutritional well-being. Complementing our signature life-centered approach to memory care, we have integrated a person-centered technology, called iN2L. 

Person-Directed Content at Providence Living at Maitland

iN2L, It’s Never Too Late, is designed by development specialists and delivers a rich library of more than 4,000 targeted content items. It is structured to drive resident and family engagement through customizable cognitive, emotional, social, physical, and spiritual applications. These include large touch screens, movable systems, or tablets. The iN2L technology aligns perfectly with the integrative care philosophy of Providence Living at Maitland. It also caters to each resident’s level of cognitive function. Our staff guides and assists with content choices to ensure meaningful programs are accessed at any time. Families can participate with their loved ones in the community, or even engage online if the distance is an issue.

Programming to Successfully Engage

iN2L reports their system use in senior communities improves resident mood by 65%. Also, it contributes to a 78% increase in resident participation in social activities. Whether the goal is to reduce anxiety, engage to refocus, entertain to redirect, or stimulating conversations, iN2L is an ideal tool for supporting residents living with dementia. “I am grateful for the opportunity to bring this technology to our community and I’m Still Me programming. I look forward to the positive effect it will bring to our residents,” shares Gary Iversen, Executive Director at Providence Living at Maitland.

For more information on iN2L and our memory care programming, plan a visit to Providence Living at Maitland or visit our website at www.providencemaitland.com.  

Providence Living at Maitland is an assisted living memory support community located in Central Florida, just minutes from downtown Orlando and Winter Park.

At Providence Living at Maitland, our assisted living memory care community proudly offers signature programming called I’m Still Me. Our life-centered approach uses active engagement to honor residents’ past, cherish their future, and bring joy to their present. This affords a meaningful life for those with dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, and other memory challenges.

Our programming is inspired by the social and psychological philosophy of John Zeisel, Alzheimer’s expert and author of “I’m Still Here.” Zeisel believes the comprehensive treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease includes harnessing typical characteristics of the person with the illness, like creativity and emotional intelligence. “Zeisel’s approach,” says Executive Director, Gary Iversen, “is woven into all our resident-centered activities like art, music, and spirituality. We celebrate each resident for the person they continue to be despite living with dementia.” At Providence, we encourage hope and believe each of us can have a positive impact on those living with Alzheimer’s.

I’m Still Me programming includes a wide array of activities and relationship building exercises. By design, it stimulates memory recall, promotes cognition, and encourages engagement, like:

• • Multi-sensory activities such as painting, poetry, and music 

  • Sensory infusion with cooking, aromatherapy, and gardening

  • Intergenerational experiences with children and young people

  • Family and spirituality inclusion in resident events

Our integrative approach results in elevated mood and health. Additionally, it reduces problematic behaviors from Alzheimer’s and dementia, and provides a sense of belonging and joy for each resident.

For more information on our I’m Still Me programming and to reserve a memory care suite for your loved one at Providence Living at Maitland, contact our assisted living community today. We look forward to earning your trust and welcoming you to our family.

Providence Living at Maitland is an assisted living memory support community located in Central Florida, just minutes from downtown Orlando and Winter Park.

As our community construction continues to progress, we removed our sales trailer to make way for our new parking lot and pavers. But, we are STILL OPEN! You can now visit us next door at the Roth Family Jewish Community Center (JCC). We will remain in this location until we open this May.

Talk with one of our expert-trained staff, learn about our community,  peruse our interior finishes and amenities, discuss our unique I’m Still Me programming, and review and select available suites for your loved one! 

We want to give a special thanks to our friends at the JCC Orlando for their amazing hospitality and accommodating us during our time of transition. Their robust community will play an integral part in our programming with intergenerational activities, inter-faith celebrations, and more. We are so grateful for this relationship and we look forward to being neighbors for years to come!

Our temporary address is 851 N Maitland Ave, Maitland, FL 32751. Covid screenings (questionnaire and temperature checks) and photo IDs are required. Please call to make an appointment, or get in touch with us here.

We look forward to you joining the Providence family!

Get personal with Providence One Partners leadership as we discuss the “why” behind Providence Living at Maitland. We want families considering our community to understand that locally-owned and managed means our executive staff is involved in the community, that senior care is meant to be hands-on. Hear our personal stories with dementia and discover how intimately we understand memory care. Click the image below to play the video!

Your brain health is important for the overall health of your body. The brain allows you to think, feel, breath and function as you should day in and day out. But unfortunately, as you age, your brain ages, too. In order to keep your brain in peak working condition, there are lifestyle changes you can make.

One of the most important changes has to do with your nutrition. Following a proper diet and eating healthy foods can help keep your brain sharp.

Long-Chain Omega 3 Fatty Acids

EPA and DHA are two fatty acids that are essential for brain health and function. Unfortunately, our bodies can’t produce these fatty acids on their own, which means we have to get them from food sources. DHA and EPA have been shown to reduce inflammation and lower the risk of a number of chronic diseases. Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in: salmon, tuna, eggs and flax.  

Studies show that substituting salmon for meat a couple times per week can slow mental degeneration. Salmon – and other cold-water fishes like tuna, sardines, and halibut – contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids like docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). “DHA is the most abundant fatty acid in the brain. It makes sense that if you have higher levels of DHA in the blood, then the brain will operate more efficiently,” said Andrea Giancoli, registered dietitian and past Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson. Low levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood have been linked to smaller brain volume and worse mental function performance.

Prebiotic Fiber

There are many health benefits to a high fiber diet. Fiber has been known to play a part in gut health, and research has recently shown a correlation between gut health and brain health. A diet that is high in prebiotic fiber allows good bacteria to grow in the digestive system. Prebiotic fiber serves as food for probiotics, and is found in whole grains, bananas, oatmeal, asparagus and legumes.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin that has recently been identified to have anti-aging benefits. This vitamin can help to improve cognitive function and verbal memory. Recently, studies have shown that vitamin K may help to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Kale, mustard greens, spinach, broccoli, brussels sprouts and prunes all have high levels of vitamin K.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are known as brain protecting nutrients. There are two different kinds of antioxidants: flavonoids and non-flavonoids. Flavonoids are mainly found in plants, while non-flavonoids are found in minerals, plant pigments and vitamins. As a general rule of thumb, the brighter the color, the more disease-fighting antioxidants there are in the food. Antioxidants are found in cinnamon, cocoa, berries, tomatoes and dark chocolate.

Dr. Steven Pratt, author of Superfoods Rx: Fourteen Foods Proven to Change Your Life, calls them “brainberries.” He said animal studies have shown that blueberries help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effects of dementia. Blueberries are also one of the only proven things to improve the loss of motor function as we age. A study by Tufts University and the USDA found that a diet rich in blueberries improved short term memory loss and reversed some loss of balance and coordination in aging rats.

Magnesium

While magnesium plays an important role in keeping your body functioning as a whole, it also is beneficial to brain health. Recent studies have shown the potential for magnesium to prevent and treat a variety of neurological disorders, including depression and Alzheimer’s. Dark chocolate, avocados, tofu and legumes are some examples of foods that are rich in magnesium.

At Providence Living at Maitland, we strive to provide our residents with a variety of healthy dietary options and nutrient-rich food to help maintain a healthy lifestyle. Our staff is available to answer any questions our residents may have. Contact us today to learn more about our multi-sensory approach to our memory care and assisted living culinary plans.

Now you can discover what life is like at Providence Living at Maitland by watching our virtual tour. Discover Mom’s Kitchen, our tranquil welcome center, resident suites, and more! Check it all out below!

As the construction of our community remains full steam ahead, we continue our commitment to educating and informing our future residents and their families about life with memory challenges. Are you curious as to how Providence Living at Maitland can support your loved one? Get involved with one of our many events – we can’t wait to meet you!

Navigating the Memory Care Maze Webinar
February 11, 2021
3pm, Zoom meeting
Join our panel of experts as we discuss how to navigate the maze that comes with assisted living and memory care decisions. 
Contact us to sign up!