THE WOODSIDE DIFFERENCE | 13
SUMMER 2017
Reflections of the Woodside Difference
M
ary O’Connor has advocated for decades on behalf of Alzheimer’s care and research due to her own a personal experience. In the early 1990s, her husband Dan, a corporate bond lawyer in Atlanta, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease at the young age of 58.
“It was then that I began my spiritually-driven journey to seek out not only the best care for Dan, but to help revolutionize the way people living with Alzheimer’s disease were viewed and cared for,” Mary noted in a recent phone interview with us. Mary wished for an environment that was less institutional and less restrictive, a place that could remove the unnecessary barriers and make the environment more like home. Then a miracle happened; Mary received an article from the October 20, 1997 issue of the New Yorker, written by the now famous Malcolm Gladwell. It was about Woodside Place, a development in the Pittsburgh area by Presbyterian SeniorCare and a Perkins Eastman architect, David Hoglund, who had helped design communities like she was envisioning. “And so I began my travels and first-hand information gathering at these modern communities. I was enamored. I saw that it really was the little things that made a world of difference for the residents, their family members, and for my
own perspective. There were cookies baking and they smelled delicious. There was carpet instead of linoleum. It did not feel as if I were in a hospital. I felt at home.” At the time, a model like Woodside did not exist in Atlanta. Although she knew that her husband might not benefit from this new model of care due to his advanced stage of the disease, Mary recalls, “I wanted to make it easier for people who would be coming after my husband.” Dan died in 2002, but Mary persevered, using her compassion and community connections to support the development of Hearthstone, a new memory care center at Presbyterian Village, a ministry of Presbyterian Homes of Georgia. Her dream became a reality in 2005. Today, Mary fondly remembers her quest to find and replicate the Woodside model and shared her gratitude for the Board and staff at Presbyterian Village. “ It feels so good to know that I was part of something that helped make such a tremendous change for the better.” Mary now lives in Washington DC and continues to advocate for Alzheimer’s research, specifically as a member of the advisory committee for Us Against Alzheimer’s. Over 25 years since Woodside Place of Oakmont opened its doors, the Woodside model remains relevant and has been replicated more than 100 times around the world.
1215 Hulton Road Oakmont PA 15139-1196 www.SrCare.org 1-877-772-6500
On the Go? Want to Save Paper?
If you’d like to receive future newsletters in your inbox, visit our web site, www.SrCare.org, to sign up for E-news.
WALKING TO END ALZHEIMER’S Presbyterian SeniorCare Network is a proud Regional sponsor of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s and will have team members, residents and family members represent our organization at five walks across the region that support the communities we serve. We are walking in support of the mission of the Alzheimer’s Association to drive research toward treatment, prevention and, ultimately, a cure. Visit www.SrCare.org/events to register for the walk for your choice.
Sharon
Washington
Erie
Pittsburgh
September 9 – BC3 at Linden Pointe, 9 am September 16 – UPMC Park, 9 am
The Woodside Difference From person-centered programs and pioneering technologies to standardized practices and community outreach and education – it all adds up to a unique model of care and services that is unmatched in our sector.
THE STORIES THAT UNITE US
October 7 – Consol Stadium, 8 am November 4 – North Shore, 7:30 am
Clarion
October 7 – Clarion County Courthouse Lawn, 8 am
Excellence in Dementia Care