7 Things to Know About PATHWAYS
December 4, 2024 | Alzheimer's & Dementia
By CC Young Staff
This time of year is filled with gatherings, which means you may be spending more quality time with your family members, particularly your parents and older relatives. While time spent together is a blessing, it can also highlight changes brought on by aging. We want you to know that, if you believe someone you love is experiencing mild cognitive decline, there are options for keeping them safe.
At CC Young, we’ve developed the Personal Assistance Toward Health and Wellness As You Succeed (PATHWAYS) program. Designed to serve as a bridge between Assisted Living and Memory Support, PATHWAYS provides extra support and structure in an intimate, small-group setting.
We sat down with Nena Paris, CC Young’s Administrator, Assisted Living and Memory Support, to better understand the PATHWAYS program and who can benefit from it. Here are seven takeaways.
PATHWAYS was created to fill a need between Assisted Living and Memory Support. The program came about because, often, Memory Support units can have long waitlists and fill up quickly. Truthfully, sometimes people with cognitive impairment don’t necessarily need full Memory Support, as they’re not at risk of eloping, or leaving the community without supervision. CC Young has recognized that there’s this middle group — people who need a little more guided assistance and structure with their daily activities but are not qualified for full-blown Memory Support.
PATHWAYS can actually slow cognitive decline. Research has shown that a guided program like PATHWAYS can in fact slow cognitive decline and help people stay engaged. Our program does this by providing residents with personal interaction, along with physical and emotional support, as a way to enhance their overall wellness and quality of life in a positive environment.
PATHWAYS promotes resident wellness. At CC Young, we focus on whole-person wellness, using the 7 Pillars of Wellness as defined by the International Council on Active Aging: physical, social, spiritual, intellectual, emotional, vocational, and environmental wellness. That’s also the backbone of the PATHWAYS program, which promotes active aging regardless of cognitive issues. From these pillars, we have designed a comprehensive therapeutic program to support the needs of those with mild cognitive impairment in a joyful, engaging environment.
PATHWAYS offers an intimate caregiver-to-resident ratio. Part of what makes PATHWAYS so successful is that the CC Young staff works closely with residents, which means the staff will notice any cognitive changes. In fact, at 1 caregiver to 7 people, the caregiver-to-resident ratio in PATHWAYS is better than both Assisted Living and Memory Support, which are 1 to 25 and 1 to 10, respectively. That also results in PATHWAYS residents becoming like family, as the staff truly gets to know them.
PATHWAYS is not just for CC Young residents. It’s true — anyone from the Dallas community who has a need for the program can become a PATHWAYS resident. Upon entering the PATHWAYS program, your family member would also become an Assisted Living resident in The Hillside at CC Young.
PATHWAYS is a less stressful transition for both family members and residents. It can certainly be stressful for families to face the decision of whether or not their family member should enter Memory Support. PATHWAYS offers a comforting solution for both them and their loved ones, as it lessens the pressure of deciding whether full Memory Support is needed now. The PATHWAYS resident may be able to live out their days in the PATHWAYS program or eventually transition to Memory Support, if the need arises.
PATHWAYS keeps residents engaged and prevents isolation. To keep PATHWAYS residents engaged, the program takes an active and intentional approach to life enrichment activities, which includes participating in activities on the Assisted Living calendar as well as a specialized PATHWAYS calendar. The biggest differentiator for PATHWAYS is that a dedicated support staff member helps residents plan their day and escorts them to the activities. Since we purposely guide residents to keep them engaged, they are able to remain active and enjoy a better quality of life, while also avoiding any isolation that can be a symptom of cognitive decline.
PATHWAYS is just one more service that CC Young offers current and prospective residents and their families. When we noticed an increase of older adults experiencing various levels of cognitive decline — but not necessarily to the level of needing Memory Support — we wanted to do something about it. We put our heads together and created a solution: PATHWAYS.
If you are noticing cognitive decline in someone you love, we encourage you to have a conversation to express what you’re observing. Talking to your primary care physician is a good place to start. CC Young is also happy to provide information, so feel free to give us a call at 469-249-3154.
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