The Amber Glen Alzheimer’s Special Care Center, owned by JEA Senior Living, is a center “[c]ommitted to being the leader in providing quality personal services for our residents, while honoring the experience of aging” (JEA). One of 22 facilities that the company has opened specializing in dementia care, the center operates under the “Meaningful Moments” program, “designed to honor the individual life story of every resident, while addressing their unique needs throughout the aging experience” (JEA). 

The Amber Glen Alzheimer’s Special Care Center is one of 20 senior care facilities in 6 states owned or operated by JEA Senior Living.  The Center opened in February 2006 and was JEA’s 22nd facility devoted to dementia care (Pressey). It is home to 66 residents living in 10 private and 28 semiprivate rooms.  Licensed nursing staff is on call 24 hours a day.

Joy Rathe was named the first Administrator of Amber Glen in 2005 (businessbrief).  She passed this role to Chris Neff (SNAP), who worked as administrator until 2010. The center is focused on creating a welcoming community for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients and their families, so the center’s events do not have a large impact on the Champaign-Urbana community as a whole.  Moreover, the center still uses CD players and overhead projectors, so it has not had any significant technology updates since opening in 2006 (Eades, Avant).

This CU wiki entry began as a UIUC research project.  For more on that see Study of UC2B Anchor Institutions' Technology Use

Resources

JEA Senior Living. “JEA Senior Living”, accessed 6 October 2011, http://www.jeaseniorliving.com .

Pressey, Debra. “Care Center for Alzheimer’s Patients to Open Early Next Year.” The News Gazette 17 Sep. 2005. 23 Oct. 2011, http://www.news-gazette.com/news/other/2005-09 17/care-center-alzheimers-patients-open-early-next-year.html .

“Rathe Named Administrator.” The News-Gazette 27 Oct. 2005. 24 Oct. 2011 http://ccha.tufl.org/ccha/records/02010000/0201000005102705.htm .

SNAP for Seniors. “Amber Glen Alzheimer’s Special Care Center”, accessed 6 October 2011 http://www.snapforseniors.com/senior-housing/urbana-il/167939/amber-glen azlheimers-special-care-center.aspx .