The First Of Its Kind:
New Assisted Living Care Facility
is Devoted to Memory Care
36 BC Health, Beauty & Fitness
By Brianna Ruback
n estimated 5.7 million Americans are living
with Alzheimer’s disease, which includes
170,000 New Jersey residents, according to the
A
Alzheimer’s Association. Seeing a need, CareOne, one of
New Jersey’s largest healthcare providers, recently opened
Harmony Village, Bergen County’s only assisted living
memory care center, this past March.
Located in Paramus, the facility – CareOne’s 32nd New
Jersey location – is dedicated to caring for seniors 65 years
or older whom Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and other
memory impairments affect.
Within the center are 124 private one-bedroom, one-bathroom
apartments within six different “neighborhoods.”
These neighborhoods group the residents based on their
level of cognitive deficit – whether it is mild, moderate or
more advanced. Depending on how a resident’s memory
loss advances, the individual can also transition into other
neighborhoods.
Harmony Village’s Executive Director Sindy Vaillencourt,
who leads a specialized team of staff members trained
to work with those with memory loss, said, “We’re able to
focus on a person’s strengths and what they can do and place
them in a neighborhood with other neighbors who have the
same level of cognitive impairment.”
After a potential resident’s application is received and
prior to assigning residents to their neighborhood, a dementia
care specialist will do a pre-screening to determine the
individual’s level of memory impairment.
With the goal of encouraging activity, fellowship and
health, Harmony Village offers its residents a variety of services
and programs, which include 24-hour access to certified