How a new State College facility is creating ‘elevated senior living’ for residents
Harmony at State College opened its doors to residents last month, and the senior personal care community is thriving in its new Ferguson Township home.
“It’s like elevated senior living,” said Harmony Director of Sales Marketing Emily Boone.
State College’s newest senior living community has 112 apartments with a special section of 38 apartments, living spaces and a dining room called Harmony Square designated for memory care patients. The other 78 apartments are designated for personal care — residents who may need help with day-to-day physical activities, medication management or are preparing for their skills or health to decline.
Each apartment is private, but couples who move in together are able to share a space.
Secure memory care “is greatly in need in Centre County,” said Boone. Harmony is one of three personal care homes in the area that provides a memory care component for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
In Harmony Square, staff utilizes robotic cats and dogs to soothe or calm residents who may be anxious or agitated, she said. A review of studies on the efficacy of robo-pets found a statistically significant decrease in dementia patients’ behavioral and psychological symptoms, especially agitation and depression, after pet robot intervention treatment.
“It’s really important to us to not only provide great personal care but also have really fantastic programming in memory care,” said Boone.
Another special station in memory care provides “lifestyle stations” tailored to each resident’s wants and needs. Some residents used to be caretakers or homemakers, said Boone, so one station is set up with a toy kitchen and baby dolls. Lifestyle stations are meant to calm residents and remind them of what they loved to do, she said.
In addition to lifestyle stations and common areas, Harmony Square includes a dining room, outdoor activity area and kitchen.
Maureen Dunkle, Harmony Square director and registered nurse, said it’s the “best place I’ve ever worked.” Staff to patient ratio is about 1:2, she said, with three aides typically tasked to help seven residents. Harmony Square also employs a licensed practical nurse and a floater who monitors the entire complex.
Staff uses the “best friends” approach in both personal and memory care, a practice where employees integrate into the lives of residents by eating with them, doing activities with them and getting to know their personal tastes and backgrounds.
“Every single person that’s here loves their job, loves the residents and puts that before anything,” said Boone.
Residents across Harmony at State College can enjoy activities every day of the week, she said, from floral arrangement and painting classes to walking and bowling.
Life Enrichment Director Amelia Tyler meets with every resident when they move in to ask what kind of activities they enjoy so she can tailor programming to meet everyone’s needs.
“The residents are happy and they’re doing the activities they want to do,” Boone said.
Residents of Harmony also have access to a movie theater, a fitness center, a Genesis therapy gym, large dining room, kitchen, barber shop and beauty salon. Harmony provides three meals a day to residents and transportation to shopping and appointments. Harmony’s in-house medical director visits with residents 2-3 times per week.
Studio, one bedroom and two bedroom apartments are available in both Harmony Square and personal care. Each apartment is equipped with a kitchenette including microwave, stove top and refrigerator, which “does help (residents) to feel that they still have that sense of independence,” said Boone.
Apartments can be customized to suit residents’ needs, but all include a bathroom, bedroom and sitting area in addition to kitchenette.
“You can still promote that sense of autonomy, by having some of those things available to them” and then having team members there to assist as needed, said Boone.
Harmony at State College is accepting residents in both personal and memory care. For more information, call 308-0420 or visit www.harmonyseniorservices.com.
Harmony will celebrate its grand opening ceremony Oct. 3 from 4-7 p.m. at 121 Havershire Boulevard, State College, with an official ribbon cutting at 4:30 p.m. The Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County will assist with the festivities, said Boone, which include music, food and other activities.
“Being able to help get (residents) transitioned and acclimated and back to their friends and family — it’s been really special,” Boone said.
This story was originally published September 27, 2019 at 10:39 AM.
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