Our unique downtown streetscape within the Memory Care unit is one of many qualities that sets the Homeplace of Henderson apart from other assisted living facilities. At no other facility in the area can you find a replicated scene like this, one we created to ensure an active lifestyle while also drawing memories from our residents.
First, there’s Patsy’s Laundromat. Walk inside and you’ll notice the checked floor, which gives it a vintage feel. But Patsy’s is more than aesthetics. The washer and dryer are there to be used. With assistance from staff, residents can wash, dry, hang clothes on a hanging rack, use the folding table, or rinse clothes in a sink. While waiting for the wash to finish, they can take a seat and visit with others, read, or drink a cup of coffee.
Next, our residents can visit Pritchett’s Sporting Goods. They experienced some memorable sports moments in the 20th century and many of those still live in their head. We know sports are a big part of many residents’ lives, and we want them to recollect these types of memories when they visit this store. Residents can sit and watch old sports movies and ESPN Classic on the television. Also, sports memorabilia, especially of the beloved Kentucky Wildcats, will adorn the walls.
Residents can also get active, practicing putting on an Astroturf green and fiddling with fishing rods and lures (no hooks so it’s safe). They can also get competitive with a game of darts (magnetic so it’s safe) or checkers. Finally, there will be a toolbox where residents can use their hands, working with screwdrivers, wrenches, and socket sets.
Another featured location along our downtown streetscape is Greer’s General Store. There, residents can browse through the old-time general store and look at the items, including non-perishables and books, that will sit on the vintage wooden shelving. Though there will be no cash exchange, residents can ‘buy’ their goods at an old-fashioned cash register at the checkout counter. Outside the store, baskets will be placed, and these will hold flowers, knick-knacks, newspapers, and magazines.
Down the street, there’s always something to do at Crafton’s Arts and Crafts. Residents can use fabric, yarn, paint, colored pencils, markers, construction paper, canvases to paint on. While sitting at tables situated throughout the store, they work on different projects. All activities are supervised by Homeplace staff so there’s no need to worry about safety. And finally, residents will show off their creations with display boards in the windows and cabinets within the store. We want this piece of Homeplace to be an area where family can participate with their elder loved ones, and we foresee grandchildren coming here to work on keepsakes with their grandparents.
A red canopy over the doorway, a barber pole just to the right of the entrance, and flower boxes full of geraniums and petunias marks the spot of June’s Hair Salon. With its checkered floor, antique salon equipment, and wall photos of famous people from a bygone era, it’s also decorated in a vintage style. It doesn’t just have perfect décor, though; it’s fully functional, and a hair care professional and nail technician arrive weekly to take good care of our residents. We know how important this setting at June’s will be for residents to reminisce, to chat, to gossip like they did years ago. We know they walk away feeling good about how good they look.
Finally, our chapel’s stained-glass windows create the first impression of a small country church residents may have grown up with. At the entrance of the chapel, there is an arch and above that, a cross. Inside, residents can sit in church pews that have been refinished to fit the vintage feel of the chapel. In the front, a lectern stands, ready for residents to lead others in church services or Bible study. There’s even a small organ residents can play, and we hope will encourage others to find a hymnal and sing. We also hope this space can be used for individual meditation, or simply a place of solitude.
All these together create the downtown streetscape inside our Memory Care unit. We’re sure this unique setting will stir the memories our residents and allow them to get active throughout the day.