Forest Valley Terrace in Orléans has been providing quality care for residents with dementia for the past 10 years. In January 2020, they launched a memory care program specifically designed for women.

Symphony Sorority is a women-only memory care program where all the aspects of daily living are tailored to the specific needs of women. As part of the Sorority, your mother or loved one will be part of a loving environment where a greater sense of belonging can become the foundation for a more meaningful life.

Located on the third floor of Forest Valley Terrace, the Sorority community is fully secured with programming that is not just focused on your loved one’s health but also on their overall well-being.

All aspects of daily living are tailored to the specific needs of the women living on the floor, from the menu to visits with Polly, the resident cat at Forest Valley Terrace.

Activities among the Symphony Sorority women are based on maintaining a sense of independence. For example, staff will help residents bake their favourite recipes from home, or cook their favourite meals. They can also knit if they want to and assist with their own laundry under the supervision of one of the Forest Valley team members, known as the Sorority Sisters.

The job of the Forest Valley Sorority Sister is to get to know each resident on a personal level and learn their needs and abilities. The Sisters are tasked with learning what the Sorority residents are interested in doing and then organizing activities and outings with a sensitivity to the resident’s level of memory loss and their need for quiet time.

The Symphony Sorority floor, with its single rooms and open-concept kitchen, dining and living space, has the feel of a university residence with a few special touches. The colour scheme is a relaxing lavender and light blue and the scent of lavender is used as a form of aroma-therapy.

Patterned china and silver flatware is used in each place setting on the floor’s dining tables and there are interactive life skill stations set at each end of the floor.

One of the most important aspects of memory care, not only on the Symphony Sorority floor but the entire Forest Valley Terrace residence, is food.

Food, like music, can often trigger happy memories for those who are suffering from various degrees of memory loss. At Forest Valley Terrace, the kitchen staff are able to look after all types of dietary needs while keeping things new and fresh.

To find out more about Symphony Sorority and how it may provide the right memory care for your loved one, call 613-830-4000.