Services and Amenities

Three communities - Bluebonnet, Mesquite and Oak - are dedicated to the behaviors and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders at every stage of the disease. The following criteria must be met for admission to the special care communities:
1) Medical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or other dementia.
2) Absence of severe personality disorder (a psychiatric evaluation may be required).
3) Family consent and agreement to the operating policies and philosophy of the Garrison Center.

The professional staff of the Garrison Center uses the following guidelines to best assure proper comfort and care of your loved one, as organized by community.

Bluebonnet - memory loss; confusion; nervousness; fear; misplacing items; making lists or notes to self; loss of mathematical function; restlessness; performing repetitious actions; decreased interest in former hobbies; occasional inability to recognize familiar people or places; increased dependence on others; ability to participate in personal care with partial assistance.

Mesquite - increased memory loss; depression and crying; increased self-absorption; folding paper, tissues, etc.; loss of interest in previously enjoyed places; inability to perform ordinary tasks; wandering; loss of judgment; difficulty communicating; increased apathy; difficulty following directions; personality changes and mood swings; increased inability to recognize home, friends or family; needs assistance with bathing, dressing, grooming or eating; may be incontinent.

Oak - severe memory loss; possible depression, delusions or delirium; loss of inhibitions resulting in undressing, borrowing, cursing, spitting or outbursts; loss of judgment; increased self-absorption; decreased sensitivity to others; clinging to caregiver for security; refusal to be left alone; hallucinations; inability to follow directions; requires total assistance with bathing, dressing, grooming or eating; may be incontinent.

Geriatric Nursing Care Communities:
Two communities - Sage and Magnolia - have been developed to provide long-term geriatric nursing care. The design for these living communities is able to bring meaningful opportunities into the life of each resident.

Admission to Sage or Magnolia communities requires:
1) An assessment by Garrison staff to determine if prospective resident needs can be met
2) Family consent and agreement to the operating policies and philosophy of the Garrison Center
3) A doctor’s order from the resident's primary physician
4) A history and physical completed by the doctor within 14 days prior to admission

Medicare Skilled Nursing Care:
Medicare Certified Skilled Nursing Care for short-term rehabilitative care is part of the Garrison Center program. Often after hospitalization, there is a need for additional rehabilitation before an individual can return to their home. Through skilled nursing care, the Garrison Center can assist in returning an individual back to the highest level of ability possible.

Services that can be charged to Medicare Part A include:
•    Room and board
•    Routine nursing care
•    Routine supplies and equipment
•    Personal laundry
•    Pharmacy
•    Radiology
•    Laboratory
•    Physical therapy
•    Speech/language pathology
•    Occupational therapy
 
If the beneficiary meets the qualifying conditions, Medicare will pay 100% of the daily room rate plus all covered ancillary charges for the first twenty days. The beneficiary is required to pay a portion of the charges (coinsurance) for the 21st through 100th day of coverage for each benefit period. Medicare pays the remaining portion. Some supplemental insurance will cover the coinsurance amount.

Amenities for Student Training and Research:
The Garrison Center is the first in the United States to host and support a multidisciplinary program for students of geriatric medicine. The affiliation with the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock provides the opportunity of discovery for the School of Medicine, the School of Nursing, the School of Pharmacy and the School of Allied Health through voluntary participation of the resident in care development, research and life experience. The programs are most sensitive to the work at hand - caring for the people who call the Garrison Center home.

Events list:
Each living community has planned activities to match resident interest and abilities. Activities are planned and encouraged to engage social interaction, mental stimulation and normal activities of daily living. Opportunities are created for residents to express choices and have some control over their immediate environment as well as to gain a sense of self-esteem.

Examples of typical resident activities include: art and music; craft projects; outdoor gardening; cooking; games utilizing math, history and geography; reminiscence therapy through storytelling, exploration of family photos and mementos of the past; pet therapy; and physical exercise programs.