At Ivy Park, patient-centered care isn't just a philosophy—it's the cornerstone of everything the staff does, shaping every little interaction and decision to cater to the unique needs of every resident. 

 

“We work together in order to provide patients with the best care that is tailored to their needs, wants, and what works for them– it’s their life.” Mikayla Goulart, memory care director, has worked at Evergreen for over 7 years. Her role is to assess patients and communicate with their families and their primary care providers, ensuring the best quality of care. “Evergreen Memory Care at Ivy Park provides a safe environment for those who are diagnosed with Alzheimer's dementia and mild cognitive impairment. We provide a routine for patients, filled with activities and mealtimes, and pair them with people of their cognitive level so that they’re still able to have that communication.” 

 

Her favorite part of her role is helping families learn how to interact and participate with their loved ones at their new progression. “It's new to them. They're learning about their loved one again and who they are now. I also become the shoulder for them to cry on when things aren't going the way they would like.” 

 

Crystal Maxwell, activities coordinator, has been working at Ivy Park for over 10 years. Her involvement with memory care started when she was a teenager, working in the dining room at an assisted living facility. Now, her daughter works in a facility. “I love how it’s a circle of life. I think every young person should work with seniors, because it teaches a lot of patience.” 

 

When it comes to memory care, she tries to curate daily activities to fulfill the five aspects–physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual. These activities include exercise, trivia, art projects, nails and makeup for the ladies, and singing church hymns. “It’s interesting to see how our residents with dementia may not talk, but start singing along to a church hymn.” Some activities, such as ornament making during the holidays, involve the residents’ families.  

Crystal believes that it’s important to hold activities outside the facility, such as scenic drives in Taft with care staff. “It really triggers their memory. We’ll have a resident say, ‘I remember this fire station over here’ or ‘My dad and I used to man the hotel over there.’” 

 

One of the facility’s unique events is the “Happy Hour", which involves non-alcoholic beverages, appetizers, and musicians. “We invite local musicians and expose the residents to all different genres of music and types of music. They absolutely love it.” While residents love to see and spend time with volunteers, the facility saw a gradual decrease in new faces due to Covid.  “I love any kind of volunteers, from church groups to students, that we can get. I encourage anyone and everyone to get out there and volunteer.”  

 

Some of Crystal’s favorite moments at the facility come from the activities giving residents a greater sense of confidence and purpose. “One resident never participated in anything and was always in his room. When we did trivia about the military, he perked up and got every single answer right. He was smiling, so proud of himself while the residents clapped for him. Now we're having better moments with him.” 

 

Avery Ortiz, Resident Care Coordinator, says that patient-centered care is a common theme at Ivy Park. “We love and adore them, our residents, and their families and their friends and everybody involved in their care– the hospice nurses, the providers, the psych providers, everybody, like, we all have that mutual goal of wanting them to live, live their best quality of life.” To make sure that residents feel safe and comfortable, she makes sure to introduce herself and get familiarized with the family. Then, she introduces them to the other residents that she feels that they would get along with well. “I see it as if it's their house. I just have the privilege of working there.” 

 

She emphasizes that families aren’t going into the process alone, and she takes the time to get to know the families and residents on a deeper level. “Again, it's person-centered care. We really consider and respect them and everything they've done for our community. They're seen as much more than just a patient or a resident.” 

 

Stig Jantz, whose mother and stepfather are residents at Ivy Park, faced challenges finding the right facility for them. However, a family friend, who is a general practitioner in Bakersfield, agreed to provide care for them, playing a crucial role in their decision to move to Bakersfield. When looking for facilities, he found it most important to find a staff that was adept at adjusting to the micro and macro changes, since each individual's journey changes on a daily basis. “It’s the personal aspect, rather than the programs. It’s the people who matter.” 

When his family found Ivy Park, they were deeply impressed by the care and support of their team during the 7-week long process. “They went the 2nd mile to help us transition into the facility and it was not easy.” 

 

For families looking for care centers for their loved ones, Stig believes that the key is having a good and effective team at home. “Having a discussion with our parents was brutally honest. It was difficult. It was sad. It was emotional.” With his family, he discussed with financial experts and attorneys to figure out the distribution of expenses among family members, and other important logistics of the process. “It's a family operation on the front end for the family. You gotta talk to the loved one or loved ones to be. The facility is a byproduct of all those discussions.” 

 

Stig advises families to be proactive, and to stay on top of legal and medical information and materials. “Be ready to make the move and it's not an easy discussion. Be proactive, don't delay because if someone has dementia or Alzheimer's or another disorder to create cognitive decline, you can't outrun it. Denial won't get you anywhere.”  

 

Before beginning the process, he wishes he had studied and understood dementia more, which manifests differently in every person. He also wishes that he would’ve known how hard it is for residents, who cannot do certain things anymore. “My stepdad just now doesn't know where to go–he forgets we're going from the activity room to the lunchroom.” 

 

From the care team to the maintenance staff, Stig deeply admires the patience and resilience of workers at assisted living facilities, especially at Ivy Park. “People who work in all assisted living facilities are special. Those working in memory care– that's a whole different ball game. That's a certain kind of love.”