“As a management team, we asked our owners to buy (the new facility),” Edgewood marketing director Shannon Conroy said. “We wanted to have it and remodel it and it’s been a really good thing for us because our memory care was always full.”

As people who do suffer from some form of dementia continue to live in standard assisted living facilities, they can become more and more withdrawn as time goes on. As their deficits increase they become more alone. But with memory care, Conroy has seen people flourish in the new environment and become a whole new person.

“There are more one on one staffing and more variety of activities specifically geared to people who have dementia or cognitive loss,” Conroy said.

The new memory care location at what is now called Edgewood South was acquired in January of 2019 and now has 28 beds available for those that need them. It is located at 520 28th Avenue.

Jodi Keller is the director of the new facility and has previously been with the Alzheimer’s Association and has experience with people living with different forms of dementia. In Minot, Edgewood now has 187 apartments and a total of 50 beds for Memory Care. Edgewood does accept Medicaid and private insurance.

“I remember people who had Alzheimer’s who would wander and think people were in their homes or want to go in different rooms and it bothered other residents,” Conroy explained. “In Memory Care, they’re free to walk around. There’s staff to watch them and help them and redirect them so it causes less agitation.”

Each bedroom at the memory care facility has its own bathroom, but everything else is open and accessible. The new location has two big living rooms, one with a television for those that want to watch it, and an open kitchen area. There is also a big dining area and a gathering space for activities.

While the new location is open, they are anticipating a few more cosmetic updates in the future to office areas, nurses stations and the kitchen.