A Continuum of Care:
From Atlantic Shores to Harbourway

The Yocher Family

The realization began for the Yocher family when their mother, Erma, was visiting her daughter Donna, and suddenly forgot the names of all her grandchildren.  Erma’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s came in September, 2005. The disease rapidly progressed to the point where, two years later, Erma did not even recognize her husband when they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

The struggle of dealing with Alzheimer’s has the ability to tear families apart. In the case of the Yocher family, in some ways it has drawn them closer -- due in part to their discovery of Atlantic Shores. Most
families realize they  cannot deal with the daily challenges of caring for a loved one by themselves. For the Yochers, they knew the best solution was to turn to a professional facility designed to meet the complex medical, psychological and physical needs of their mother.

All three daughters lived far away from their parents in Raleigh, and were not able to see them as often as they felt was needed. When their mother was diagnosed, they all started looking for care facilities within the cities where they each lived. They wanted a facility where their parents could own their own unit and live together, but also have on-site continual care and activities. Daughter Donna Pry lived in Virginia Beach, and after researching all options, the family decided to purchase an independent living unit at Atlantic Shores.

Soon after their parents moved in, Erma started hallucinating, and was moved down to Atlantic Shore’s Seaside long-term care facility, where she was evaluated to see whether she could return to independent living. Ultimately, the staff and family determined her condition required that she stay in the facility’s Harbourway assisted living unit, where she could receive specialized care, and yet still visit daily with her husband, Paul.

Since her parents came to live at Atlantic Shores, Donna and her family have had the freedom to explore a new depth of family togetherness. Paul and Erma receive frequent visits from their grandchildren.
Donna and other family members take them out every week for a family dinner. The staff has also, in a way, become part of their extended family -- providing knowledge, support and care, but also laughing and crying with them during the inevitable ups and downs.

To provide a full spectrum of care for all their residents, and realizing the need for new directives in Memory Care, Atlantic Shores is opening the new Harbourway Memory Care unit in January, 2008, and Erma is going to be one of the first residents. The Yochers look forward to the new level of care the specialized 14-bed unit will provide, including new physical therapy options, targeted activities and a secure garden area so Erma can go outside safely.

 

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