Carolyn Moore

Lehigh Acres has been chosen as the first community to open a home for those with early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The facility is to be known as Casa De La Rosa, named after the flower, and is located at 833 Eisenhower Blvd.

Carolyn Moore is the administrator with Lee Care, Inc., which is planning to open other such facilities in Lehigh, Cape Coral and Fort Myers.

Moore said the home on Eisenhower Blvd. was recently purchased and contains three bedrooms, enough room to house eight individuals who are beginning to show signs of early Alzheimer’s disease.

Other facilities throughout Lee County are being planned and they will house from five to 15 beds. These smaller environments will be able to provide the highest level of service, and will be customized to meet the special needs of Alzheimer’s patients, such as security, pets, activities, 24/7 support in a family environment, said Rinat Tanir, who is handling marketing for the new enterprise.

Moore noted that the first home in Lehigh is ready for occupancy and for a family that may be interested in having a loved one cared for in the home, they should contact Moore at her cell number at 954-494-6240. You may also contact Rinat Tanir of Lee Care Inc., at 941-548-7755 to make plans for Moore to set up an interview and a tour of the home.

Moore said the facility will be fully staffed around the clock and that meals are prepared to fit the resident’s desires.

The house is filled with new furniture for the residents and it provides them with a home atmosphere with the security that goes with it.

“At night the employees who staff the house will do all the washing for the residents. The staffers will be fully qualified to handle medical problems and first aid and will also be able to administer medications, which are secured in the house.

Moore and Tanir are very excited about the new homes they plan to open.

“Each home will be like a family and I’ll be overseeing all of them, stopping by there several times a week. Things are going to be good. We are very excited about the new homes and for those who need the services,” Moore said.

She noted that sometimes family members who have Alzheimer’s disease find they have little time and are unable to leave their family member alone.

“This will provide those families a real sense of security. We will provide the best of services for their loved ones,” she said.

“Families may drop by to see their family members anytime they want to and they can even eat with them at the house during meal time. Sometimes it may be a good idea to call because we will also be providing some transportation for our residents to doctors’ appointment or other errands,” Moore said.

The house on Eisenhower Blvd. in Lehigh Acres is a newer home. It is large and has a big living room and dining room. There is a large lanai and a big fenced-in backyard.

Moore said it can be used for outside activities and for barbecues and to provide an open-air sitting for the residents.

In addition to Moore and Tanir during a recent visit to the house, Lee Care’s CEO, who is based in Sarasota, was there. He is Igor Davidovich.

Moore, who has all background and certifications to oversee such facilities also noted that the homes will provide jobs to the community.

For instance the home on Eisenhower Blvd. may bring about the employment of three to four people. And all will be trained and certified to care for those with advancing Alzheimer’s disease.

“It’s a win-win situation for Lehigh,” Moore said. “Now we can provide facilities that are so desperately needed and at the same time, we can provide jobs for the people in the community,” Moore said.

“There’s nothing like this in Lee County,” Moore went on to say.

The goal is to create a community, family-oriented enterprise catering to the needs of those afflicted with Alzheimer’s and their caretakers. The community at-large can benefit from these facilities in the following ways: creation of local jobs, occupied real estate and families having more time to contribute to the local community and economy, Tanir said.

He said facilities will be created in clusters with five to 10 houses under one management umbrella and the initial focus will be in the Florida markets of Lehigh Acres, Cape Coral and Fort Myers. However, he said the plan may expand nationally and internationally.

“The opportunity also exists to offer adult daycare services as a means to introduce target audiences to assisted living, Tanir said.

Alzheimer’s one of the nation’s fastest growing diseases.

It has been pointed out in studies that those affected by dementia, specialized care in smaller, more intimate settings is best.

According to a study published in this fall’s Journal of Clinical Nursing, after two and half years of research, it was clear that the home-like setting allowed family members, visitors, staff, and residents to engage in a familiar, comfortable routine such as drinking coffee while chatting with a neighbor, helping the staff set and clear the gable for meals, reading a book, etc.

“The environment lends itself to the development of relationships among staff and residents that would likely not have come about in a larger unit,” the study concluded.

The study confirmed that small assisted living homes seem much more conducive to providing quality person-centered Alzheimer’s care than the long, sterile hallways of clinical care settings.

The Lehigh home is ready. It is a beautiful three-bedroom, two- bathroom, two-car garage built in 2004. It is handicap accessible, fully remodeled and upgraded for turnkey assisted living facilities with memory care.

There are functioning kitchen and open living and dining rooms in the homes planned for the program. The facility in Lehigh has a huge lanai and a nice big backyard for residents to enjoy. Ceramic tile flooring throughout has made the house fully modern and up to date. There is a full alarm, security system and ramps for wheelchairs are in place.

The beds are brand new as are the linens and the furniture and appliances, everyting planned for the comfort of the patients, Tanir said.

“We’re ready to admit our first residents,” Carolyn Moore said.

Captions for photos at right:

Carolyn Moore

Lee Care’s Lehigh house for Alzheimer’s patients is located at 833 Eisenhower Blvd.

This is the front entrance of the first home in Lehigh for those with Alzheimer’s disease. It is located on Eisenhower Blvd.

Bedroom at Eisenhower Blvd. home. The house can accommodate six residents with three large bedrooms.

Discussing application to move a family member into the new Lehigh home for Alzheimer’s patients is Cindy Anderson, right, of Cape Coral. She is looking for a place for her mother. At left is Carolyn Moore, the administrator of the Lee Care program. MEL TOADVINE

A late afternoon shadow falls on the fenced in backyard at the home for those with Alzheimer’s disease in Lehigh. There is also a huge lanai.