Towsley Village Memory Care Center at UMRC’s Flagship Chelsea Campus Earns Recognition from Positive Approach® to Care (PAC)
February 12, 2020
CHELSEA, MI–United Methodist Retirement Communities (UMRC) is pleased to announce that Towsley Village Memory Care Center, located on our flagship Chelsea Retirement Community campus, has earned the Participating Organization recognition from Positive Approach® to Care. Towsley Village was recognized at the Positive Approach® to Care National Conference: Dementia is a State of Mind held in Cary, NC in November 2019.
The Positive Approach® to Care (PAC), founded by Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, is an innovative, evidence informed, dementia education program, designed to improve the care environment through awareness, skills and competencies. This in turn will reduce stress for those with dementia and their care partners. UMRC’s Towsley Village team members began PAC training and implementation in 2016, thanks to generous funding from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, as well as support from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, Chelsea Community Foundation, and the UMRC Foundation.
Currently, only four organizations nationwide have received a PAC designation. “Criteria to be a PAC Participating Organization includes PAC mentor visits to the organization and working with our team members, evidence of PAC skill use among the team, and resulting positive shifts in care for our residents living with dementia,” explains Katie Garvey, OTRL, CAPS, Dementia Care Specialist at Towsley Village.
“Becoming a Participating Organization demonstrates the commitment of UMRC and the Towsley Village team to implement the PAC philosophy in order to best serve our residents living with dementia. It sets Towsley Village apart as an aspiring model for relationship-based dementia care focused on well-being and as a resource for both family and professional care partners in our area. Towsley Village’s care strategies lead the way to create a dementia competent community to better serve Michiganders,” Garvey added.
Towsley Village continues to incorporate the PAC philosophy and provide training for team members, as well as family and professional care partners in the greater region. Since 2017, Teepa Snow has conducted six community workshops in Jackson, Ann Arbor, Howell and Chelsea, Michigan, reaching over 1,300 formal and informal caregivers across the state.
Garvey also leads PAC training throughout the region as a Certified Independent PAC Trainer and Coach in educational settings, affiliated care agencies, and community settings. Approximately 300 UMRC team members across the disciplines and all three shifts have been introduced to the PAC philosophy, strategies and techniques to provide the right level of support for those who are living with dementia.
Building on a foundation of 114 years of service, United Methodist Retirement Communities (UMRC) is a faith-based, nonprofit organization that promotes the wellness, dignity and independence of older adults, by providing high quality, innovative and compassionate senior residential and supportive services. UMRC recently affiliated, under shared governance and leadership, with Porter Hills, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Together, these organizations represent the second largest nonprofit senior living organization in Michigan. With a tradition of exceptional quality and a commitment to cutting-edge care, these faith-based organizations and their affiliates combine to serve more than 6,700 older adults each year, from 24 locations and service lines, across 22 counties in Michigan’s lower peninsula. umrc.com|734.433.1000
Towsley VillageMemory Care Center is designed to meet the changing needs of people living with dementia. Staff members provide compassionate care and support to enable residents to develop a comfortable, engaging daily routine with optimal independence. Towsley Village has been working with Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach® to Care since 2016 to enhance team members’ care skills and promote engagement. The intimate surroundings offer an easily navigable environment with private, group, and outdoor options to explore.