We tailor the care of each of our residents to his or her needs. Our philosophy of care is really quite simple. Focus on strengths, rather than weaknesses. Never stop trying to communicate. Be kind, always. This highly personalized program is made possible by our small size and unusually high staff ratio.
Outside is a patio for casual dining and socializing, opening onto lovely natural grounds with wandering paths throughout. We believe that access to the out-of-doors, lacking in many long-term care facilities, is essential to the well-being of our residents.
Activities include creating and tending to a flower garden, a vegetable garden and an herb garden, as well as borders and window boxes. The garden at Barton House presents unlimited possibilities. In the winter, the emphasis is put on the upkeep of indoor plants. By creating the gardens and seeing to their upkeep, we want to make every resident feel equally important. They have the opportunity to pick the type of plant and to personally help care for them. This builds tremendous self-esteem, is fun, and the residents get the chance to work together as a team. The flowers grown are used to decorate the inside of the house, and the vegetables and herbs are used in food preparation, again stressing each residents' importance and so building confidence and pride.
At Barton House, our KITCHEN is in the center of things. It is designed that way to meet the special needs of people with Alzheimer's who often have difficulty with their appetite. The interesting sights, sounds and delicious smells of food being prepared for them help stimulate and maintain their interest in food. Chatting with the cook, asking questions, giving advice, helping with certain tasks and sampling are encouraged!
Six delicious, nutritious, home cooked meals and two snacks are served. We plan our meals carefully, paying close attention to the special dietary needs and physical capabilities of our individual residents. Between meals, our snack refrigerator is stocked with fruit, juice and other goodies. Residents can help themselves whenever they are hungry. We make every effort to meet the nutritional needs of our residents - individual, special care is our emphasis and independence is encouraged. Mealtime is a pleasant, relaxed social experience.
The resident rooms are on the outer most part of the building allowing each room to open onto the common areas. This, along with the size of the rooms, encourages the residents to come out of their rooms to socialize, communicate, become active and stimulated. This activity is critical to the program as it keeps the residents functioning at the highest possible level.