Lighthouse on Florence

Sixteen residents make up the full household at Lighthouse on Florence, a secured memory care home on Florence Court in Brighton, Colorado, and the community keeps to that number without exception. Lighthouse on Florence is devoted to memory care alone, serving people living with Alzheimer's disease, dementia and other memory-related conditions, and it accepts residents at any stage of dementia. Residents live in either a private suite or a shared room among the 16 large bedrooms, and the house also holds an elevator alongside three kitchens and three living rooms.

Staffing runs at one staff member for every four residents, and a trained team member qualified to give medication is awake and on site at all hours of the day and night. Each person on staff holds a six-hour dementia training certificate along with CPR and first aid certification, and the administrator has completed more than 30 hours of specialized dementia-care training. A resident's own physician writes the prescriptions, a pharmacy fills them and bills the resident's insurance, and team members at the house handle giving them.

Whenever a physician orders hospice or a therapy, the home works alongside the outside team that provides it. The in-house team includes a certified speech therapist, a family counselor and a dance movement therapist, while a network of visiting professionals brings in a nurse practitioner, a medication-pass nurse, a podiatrist, a dentist, home health aides, wound care specialists and physical, occupational and speech therapy.

Meals at Lighthouse on Florence come to the table family-style, the kitchen aims for farm-to-table cooking as often as it can, and the food-certified staff will offer another option to anyone who prefers a different dish. Snacks and drinks can be requested at any hour, and fresh fruit is kept available at all times. Activities draw on cognitive exercises, reminiscence therapy and art and music programs, alongside daily exercise.

Belle, the house dog, is part of the home's pet therapy, and a library, a salon and a fitness program are part of the house as well. Holidays and birthdays turn into shared celebrations, with families, loved ones and the wider community all encouraged to take part. Outside, the home has landscaped gardens, an outdoor patio and secure outdoor areas where residents can be outdoors with friends and family.

Rooms come fully furnished, down to the bed sheets, with a twin bed, dresser, nightstand, chair and television, and residents are encouraged to make their rooms their own. Safety features in the house include an emergency alert system, a fire suppression system, security cameras, keyless door security and backup power, along with roll-under sinks built for accessibility. CarePredict, a wearable system with a two-way call button, fall detection, wander management and real-time location, is part of the included services, and the system also has a TouchPoint view for families.

The home is arranged for people with dementia who need a secured household and staff on hand overnight as well as during the day. Every move-in follows an individual assessment carried out by the manager, and the earliest it can be scheduled is 48 hours from a family's first inquiry. One all-inclusive monthly rate covers housing, meals, personal care, medication management, housekeeping and laundry, incontinence supplies, hospice services, WiFi and utilities, with transportation available as an added option.

Care is private pay, the rate is worked out in a conversation with each family, and the current figure can be confirmed directly with the community. The house stands on a residential street in Adams County with a Brighton mailing address. The nearest emergency room, HCA HealthONE Northeast ER on Holly Street in Thornton, is a little over three miles southwest, and Platte Valley Hospital on Prairie Center Parkway in Brighton is just under five and a half miles east in a straight line.

Saint Anthony North Health Campus on Orchard Parkway in Westminster lies a little under six and a half miles to the west. King Soopers Marketplace on Quebec Street is about two miles west, and a Walmart Supercenter on East 128th Avenue is a little over two miles away. The Riverdale Dunes and Knolls golf courses are about a mile from the house, Adams County Regional Park is under a mile and a half away, and Barr Lake State Park in Brighton spans 2,715 acres with more than 12 miles of trails.