Brandon Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is celebrated the opening of its one-of-a-kind sensory garden, adjacent to their dedicated memory support unit, on Wednesday, September 6.
While most memory support centers have secure green outdoor space for residents, Brandon Oaks took it a step further and created a sensory garden with programmatic activities for those with memory impairments. The garden provides experiences for all five senses – taste, smell, sight, touch and sound – to stimulate the mind, body and spirit.
A sensory-specific curriculum was developed based on all the elements featured in the garden. The targeted activities are designed for each sensory area with engaging hands-on activities that can be done with staff members or visiting friends and family.
Natalie Wynegar, Brandon Oaks Nursing and Rehab Administrator, stated, “Our memory support unit prides itself on providing the highest quality of care and facilities, and the addition of the sensory garden makes Brandon Oaks one of the most innovative and unique memory centers in the region”. Brandon Oaks’ sensory garden is the only one of its kind in the Roanoke Valley.
Julee Goodman, Brandon Oaks Director of Development, spearheaded fundraising for this unique project. Goodman said, “Specialized programming spaces like the sensory garden are truly a gift to the community. The sensory garden was funded mostly by an individual donor whose passion is to enhance the quality of life for those living with dementia.”
Brandon Oaks worked with all local vendors to create this incredible space. Local landscape designers, Melissa Hodgkinson of Fiddlehead Landscape & Garden, and Tim Boitnott of Creative Nursey & Landscapes, Inc. helped make this dream a reality for Brandon Oaks residents. Hodgkinson stated, “Designing this garden gave me great joy knowing that it would have such a positive impact on the memory care residents. I put a lot of thought into creating spaces that would give multi-level sensory experiences that can grow and change seasonally and annually.”
Additionally, Brandon Oaks utilized community volunteers to add special touches to the sensory garden. This includes: a painted rock garden that features rocks painted by local students, Brandon Oaks staff and residents; a colorful mural wall painted by Patrick Henry High School student, Abby Cronise; and whimsically designed totem poles that were hand-crafted and painted by Brandon Oaks residents.
Brandon Oaks Life Plan Community, Roanoke’s premier retirement community, and British Swim School of the Roanoke Valley, the area’s newest survival and stroke development swim program, have partnered to bring a new and unique experience to local families.
New York Times best-selling author and former Roanoke Times writer, Beth Macy, visited Brandon Oaks Life Plan Community on Friday, December 9 for a Q&A session with residents. Many residents have been long-time readers of her columns during her days with The Roanoke Times.
answer session covering topics such as the start of her writing journey and experiences while her book, Dopesick, was made into an award-winning Hulu mini-series. It was bonus visit for her because one of her family members is a current resident of Brandon Oaks.
Brandon Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center has been honored by US News and World Report with two national distinctions: Best Nursing Center for Long-Term Care and Best Nursing Center for Short-Term Rehabilitation. These designations are made by intense review of a facility’s quality measures, staffing ratios and more.
We are excited to announce the promotion of Jennifer Hicklin to Chief Financial Officer for VLH and Brandon Oaks, effective August 21, 2022. Jennifer currently serves as our Controller and has been a member of the VLH team since December 2014. However, she had previously served VLH as a member of our auditing team at Foti, Flynn, Lowen & Co. Jennifer is a graduate of Bridgewater College where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Accounting. In her spare time, she enjoys running, being active and spending time with her husband, Darrell, and children, Ty and Skylar. You can also find her throughout the year at multiple sporting events in Salem cheering on her children.
It is with great pleasure that the Board of Trustees for Virginia Lutheran Homes names Charles Downs, Jr., Esq. as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective Monday, August 8, 2022. Downs currently serves as VLH’s Executive Vice President.
Earlier in June, our Chief Financial Officer, Gary Ventola, was honored by LeadingAge Virginia with the Stewardship Award for 2022. The Stewardship Award is given to an individual that has advanced public trust and confidence in aging services through public service, collaboration, media or other effort to educate consumers and make informed choices. Congratulations Gary!
In response to staffing shortages that are impacting communities all across the nation, Brandon Oaks Life Plan Community is taking action. Last week, Brandon Oaks began testing a robot server in their Independent Living Main Dining Room. Brandon Oaks is the first in the area to utilize this technology.
We are pleased to announce the promotion of Allison Williams to the new role of Director of Environmental Services. Allison previously served as the Housekeeping Manager for Independent Living and Assisted Living since October of 2019. In her new role, she will now oversee housekeeping in all levels of care, including the Nursing and Rehab Center.