Family Care for Alzheimer's Residents in Orange County When Stella and Isaac Neches opened their first Gardens Residential Care Center in 1983, the concept of Alzheimer's care was new to Orange County. The experience that Stella had accumulated since 1972, when she began working as a nurse in a mental health hospital, made her a leader in this field from the very start. Today the Neches family owns and operates four facilities, which are considered some of the best in the United States. When medical personnel, insurance companies and health care executives from other countries come to the United States to see the best in Alzheimer's care, quite often they are directed to the Gardens Centers. In 1993 Isaac and Stella Neches were invited to the Second Annual National Educational Conference, entitled Alzheimer Care Strategies, in Chicago to present the Gardens Residential Care Centers as an exemplary program model in Alzheimer's care. Since 1995 residents at the Gardens facilities have been participating in a behavioral research program conducted by the University of California, Irvine. All results thought to be beneficial to enhancing the quality of life and sense of dignity of the residents are immediately incorporated into the care program. The majority of Alzheimer's care facilities in the United States as well as in Orange County represent some type of a remodeling, alteration, reconstruction or addition to an already existing facility built for a purpose other than Alzheimer's care. The Gardens Care Centers of the Neches family were built as brand new centers specifically designed and constructed from the ground up only for the purpose of best serving elderly afflicted with Alzheimer's disease. The experience and knowledge accumulated by the owners since 1972 is reflected in the unique design of the buildings and the surrounding grounds. The hundreds of letters and thank you notes found in the albums at each care center attest to the wonderful feeling of freedom and easiness that residents with memory impairment can experience and enjoy. While the perimeter of each center is secured, all of the doors and windows in the building are open, which certainly helps eliminate the anxiety of the elderly people. The floor plan is designed in such a way that it is very easy for residents to find anything they may be seeking. The residents feel completely in control and unrestricted. The rooms are very spacious and families are always invited to bring personal furnishings and pictures that will remind their loved one of their home. The corridors are wide, yet short, with daylight at each end. Four beautiful and bright activity rooms surround the dining area, as the residents are encouraged to participate in mentally and physically appropriate activities that promote their spirit and sense of purpose. Wide sidewalks surround the building, winding through the flowerbeds and trees with elegant benches easily accessible for a comfortable rest or a bathe in the sun. Many visitors comment that the Alzheimer's Care Centers of the Neches family look more like nice resorts. Internists and psychiatrists that visit the facilities and take care of the residents confirm that the unique environment created at the Gardens Centers is optimal and highly conducive to the well being of the residents so that far less psychotropic medications need to be used than otherwise mandated with Alzheimer's disease. The cornerstone of the Gardens Alzheimer's care program is the caring and dedicated staff. Of 155 employees, more than 30 have been with the Gardens team for over 10 years and over 70% are long-term employees. Each time the Neches family has opened a new center, several staff members have been transferred to the new facility in order to ensure that the integrity of the exemplary Alzheimer's care program had been faithfully replicated and maintained. Every prospective employee is carefully selected and goes through a rigorous training course based on the many years of family experience and knowledge. Subsequently, each employee is assigned to a mentor that has been associated with the Gardens Residential Care Centers for at least three years. If in 1983 the program was based only on the experience and methods used in one hospital, in a year 2001 it incorporates everything developed in the United States and abroad that has proven to be helpful to Alzheimer's residents. Musical therapy, physical therapy, restorative therapy, painting, cooking, gardening, singing, dancing and dining in the gazebo, as well as many other life-enriching activities are an integral part of the lifestyle led by the residents at the Gardens Centers. On numerous occasions during the year all the facilities hold grand parties where professional entertainers along with school and kindergarten performers give their best to the residents and their families. The joy and excitement in the eyes of the residents must be witnessed in order to understand the quality and achievements of the Neches family program. The dedication, hard work, experience and love that underlie every part of the Neches family operation since 1983 are the qualities that have made the Gardens Residential Care Centers famous. The relentless pursuit of excellence in the field of Alzheimer's care will continue to maintain these facilities as a leader in the future. For further information and a free video please call (714) 895-9898.