How 'sweet' it is: a holistic approach to Alzheimer's nurtures patient and caregiver.

Take an idyllic English village and drop it in the middle of a luxurious bed and breakfast inn, and you've got the beginning of a formula for success in treating the whole person with Alzheimer's.

In fact, you might even say the residents are living "the sweet life."

After all, that is the facility's name. The Sweet Life at Rosehill is a 60-bed skilled nursing "village" in suburban Kansas City.

The facility's co-owners--Shirley Allenbrand, Jeff Cleveland, and Mark and Stacy Parkinson--say they follow a simple philosophy: If your first priority is to treat the whole person, first make him feel at home. The rest follows naturally.

The "rest" is even more straightforward: residents receive the care they so richly deserve and need, and administrators make 100 percent occupancy a reality.

Allenbrand, Cleveland and the Parkinsons first developed their winning formula several years ago when The Sweet Life at Shawnee, a nearby assisted living "memory care" village, opened its doors. That first village plan worked so well for the 7-year-old company that the owners, with 40 years' experience in the long term care industry, decided to import their philosophy to the nursing home segment.

Home away from home

The owners note that Rule No. 1 is that The Sweet Life will not look like or feel like a typical nursing home. The facility's offerings include a gourmet food buffet and an exceptional health care team. Sweet Life personnel also take a "just like home" approach to daily operations, encouraging everyone to do their part--just like at ... home.

This approach includes:

* Finding out what residents like to do, whether it be folding laundry or setting the table, and let them help, if they'd like. Everyone wants to feel needed.

* Removing obstacles that make things difficult. Milkshake makers, wafflemakers and the like are in each neighborhood kitchen so residents and staff don't have to work hard at getting what they want or need.

* Treatingthe staff as well as the staff treats the residents. If a nurse would like a fresh-baked cinnamon roll, she's more likely to suggest that a resident accompany her to the village to get one.

* Making family visits fun for all age groups by having something here for everyone--cappuccino for mom; the theater for the teenage grandson; and the children's area for the younger grandchild.

"It's a wonderful place for our whole family to visit," says Jennifer Cain, daughter of resident David Stephens. "My kids love to make cappuccino straight from the cappuccino machine and to watch TV or a movie in the movie theater."

* Adding to the sights, sounds and smells of home everywhere possible. For example, if tater tots are part of the night's fun menu, staff take residents to the neighborhood kitchen to prepare.

* Removing the "get up list." According to Sweet Life President of Marketing Jeff Cleveland this means letting residents "sleep until 9 a.m. if they want. We can always come up with a snack in the middle of the morning if they've missed our gourmet breakfast buffet."

Feeling completely at home

Residents, including the nearly one-fourth who have Alzheimer's disease, live in beautifully appointed neighborhoods--complete with fireplaces, spas, living rooms, interior courtyards and dining rooms--surrounding a central village where all the action takes place. This village is a complete microcosm of a city, not just a strip of storefront facades. There's The Majestic Theatre complete with surround sound; the French Bistro; Sophie's Salon; Rosehill Market; a boutique; a chapel; a premiere art gallery; a children's art gallery and play area; and more.

The familiar environment, combined With a feeling of independence and freedom in a secure setting, is key to residents feeling completely at home in their surroundings. Residents walk to the boutique, along sky-lit pathways, and reminisce with loved ones or staff about the shape and style of hats or jewelry they wore in the '40s and '50s. Together, they perch in front of a full-length mirror. They make faces and laugh together, re-living frozen moments in time--today.

Arm in arm, they stroll toward the French Bistro to sit and enjoy a cup of cappuccino or fresh lemonade and munch on the "home-baked item of the day" or select from the basket of fresh fruit.

In the chapel, there's time to pray, to reflect, to meditate. Sweet Life officials say they know the village is probably where its residents will spend the rest of their lives, so it should be as comfortable and special as possible.

Skip and Jerrien Hill, daughter and son-in-law of resident Dorothy Titus, share that philosophy.

"Last time we were there we took mom out to get a cup of coffee at the French Bistro and she felt like she'd had a little outing," the Hills say. " Because she grew up in a Christian environment, [mom] feels like she's actually been in church when she goes to the worship center, rather than just having had someone come in to speak."

Sophie's Salon, named for one of the owner's grandchildren, is the primping spot. But residents walk away with more than new hairstyles and manicures. There's a well-designed sense of confidence in knowing they look wonderful, especially when someone tells them so.

"My dad has his hair cut regularly in the salon," says Steve Dickerson, son of resident Paul Dickerson. "I know that [the stylist] relates to him very well ... and he looks forward to that."

The art galleries--one featuring children's work and the other the work of significant local artists--bring culture to life. Residents who once enjoyed a visit to the art museum or hung rare art pieces in their own homes still appreciate the unique gift of creativity. Alzheimer's residents also create their own works in a special Alzheimer's Association-Heart of America Chapter "Memories in the Making" painting class, thus furthering their sense of self-esteem and worth.

Stuffed animals and child-size chairs placed along the walkways of the village beckon the children who come to visit and entice residents to pull up their own chairs and participate in the small visitors' adventures.

A therapy and activities room aids the physical well-being of each Alzheimer's resident. And just outside, the Gazebo and a park, designed with a walking path to create a feeling of freedom also layer the benefits for those with motor agitation.

And, when it's time to rest, The Majestic satisfies the need for entertainment with state-of-the-art video equipment and an old-fashioned feel. A popcorn machine and fresh drinks may be self-served. According to our nursing supervisor, roughly 90 percent of Alzheimer's residents have hearing or vision problems, but here, the super size screen and surround sound are loud enough and large enough for all.

Kim S. Ellis is executive director of administration for The Sweet Life at Rosehill, the nation's first-known, skilled nursing "village" which opened in March in Shawnee, Kan. She is secretary of the Long-term Care Ethics Consortium. She can be reached at The Sweet Life at 913-962-7600 or through www.shawneesweetlife.com.