10 Questions With Kevin Seidel Of Arbor Terrace Morris Plains

Arbor Terrace Morris Plains, a premier assisted living and dementia care community in Morris County, provides residents with the highest quality of care options tailored to the individual's specific needs. Their three programs, Arbor Assisted Living, Bridges and Evergreen Memory Care range from minimal assistance to comprehensive care and include specially designed programs for both patients with dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Patch caught up with Kevin Seidel, executive director of Arbor Terrace, to learn how the community's personal approach to memory care has been essential to its 30 years of success.

Patch: For those readers who may be considering various assisted living communities in the area, what’s distinctive about Arbor Terrace Morris Plains?

Seidel: We like to say that Arbor Terrace is the new signature in assisted living because everyone in the Arbor Company truly strives every single day to deliver the highest quality care and service to our residents and their families.

At Arbor Terrace of Morris Plains, our residents won’t need to choose between independent living or assisted living. All they need to do is to choose the kind of lifestyle that is best for them. We will worry about making sure they get the services they need, or not, if they’re not needed. We don’t label people according to the type of housing they need. We get to know each resident as a person and try to understand what he or she has to contribute. It’s making deep connections with the residents.

We are designing Arbor Terrace of Morris Plains so that every aspect of our community is top notch. Our building will be beautifully decorated and designed for the comfort and safety of our residents. Our dining staff will prepare meals that are not just nutritious but also of gourmet quality. Our innovative Engaged Living program will create meaningful moments through structured activity programs and spontaneous interactions, filling each day with the right balance of purpose and fun.

Patch: How did you first become involved in senior care?

Seidel: My first job out of college was in assisted living. I accepted a position as community relations coordinator for an assisted living community. To be honest, I thought it was just a job to have while I looked for another job! But I quickly realized that working with seniors, while incredibly challenging, is also very rewarding. It allows me to connect with people in a very special and unique way. That first job turned into a 16-year-long career working with seniors and grew from a coordinator position to eventually becoming the executive director of that community.

Patch: If you had to recommend three books, what would they be and why?

Seidel: Let me tell you about three books that our family members with loved ones with dementia have found helpful. The “bible” for caregivers is "The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementias, and Memory Loss." As the title suggests, caring for a person with dementia is a round-the-clock challenge, and at some point it can be too much, especially if the caregiver is also a senior who may have health issues of his or her own. That’s why our memory care is so vitally important to our families. I’d also recommend "Learning to Speak Alzheimer's: A Groundbreaking Approach for Everyone Dealing with the Disease." It’s full of good tips for interacting with a person who has Alzheimer’s or dementia. There was a time when caregivers tried to help a person with Alzheimer’s “get back to reality.” We now know that just doesn’t work. Once you understand to speak to people with dementia “where they’re at,” they’re calmer and happier. "Creating Moments of Joy for the Person with Alzheimer's or Dementia: A Journal for Caregivers" is another helpful book. Even a person who has very limited functioning due to dementia can experience moments of joy in his or her life; we try to find ways to create them at Arbor Terrace every day.

Patch: Arbor Terrace Morris Plains offers Evergreen Memory Care. Could you tell us a bit about what that entails?

Seidel: Evergreen Memory Care provides 24-hour support for those residents who are living with Alzheimer's and other age-related dementias. It’s driven by the latest research and understanding of memory disorders and features completely individualized care programs, specialist attention, tempting nutritional options and even counseling and support for family members.

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Patch: How has the senior care industry changed over the years?

Seidel: The newest generation of seniors has very high expectations – both for the communities in which they live and for themselves in terms of staying active and engaged in life. They’re not willing to settle for just the basics. We know that at the Arbor Company, and we design our communities accordingly. As I mentioned, there’s our extensive Engaged Living program, and when we open, all of our residents will enjoy access to a wide range of support services and amenities, including a physical therapy and rehab area, bistro, salon and gourmet dining. Another key change is that we have made a lot of progress in dementia care. We understand a lot more about how to care for those seniors living with dementia and how to keep them healthy and engaged in life as long as possible.

Patch: The website for Arbor Terrace Morris Plains is really fantastic. How did you approach designing the site?

Seidel: We know what seniors are looking for when shopping for a assisted living community, so we designed the website to be user friendly, so that they can easily get answers to their questions and concerns. You can visit our site to get basic information on apartment floor plans, our amenities and services. Also, we have a Live Chat feature which allows us to answer questions personally when visitors come to our site. We are committed to personalized attention at Arbor Terrace, and that starts when you first visit our website.

Patch: Your website offers interactive tours of the different types of apartments at Arbor Terrace Morris Plains. How did you come up with the idea to offer that online?

Seidel: First, we wanted to allow potential residents to be able to “see” the community and visualize what we have to offer before they visit. We are convinced that, if potential residents can just see how beautiful and well-designed our community is, they’ll want to learn more. Also, some of our residents move here from out of town, perhaps to be closer to family or friends in the area, so this gives them a way to check us out before making a trip. Another factor is that the selection of a assisted living community is very often a family decision. Other members of the family may not live in town but are still concerned and want to be part of the decision. This is one way to make that easier.

Patch: How is Bridges different from other programs that address early-stage dementia and memory loss?

Seidel: Most forms of dementia, unfortunately, are progressive. A person may be fairly independent in the early stages but, in most cases, the person’s needs will change and he or she will need more help down the road. Our Bridges program is designed to help provide a gradual transition through our residents’ personal assisted living journey. The advantage is that residents can set aside concerns about outgrowing care or ensuring that their situation will remain stable. With two distinct memory care communities to ensure the best fit for your loved one, this unique program stands out as the only one of its kind in this area.

Patch: What advice would you give to someone looking to get involved in senior care?

Seidel: Working in assisted living is rewarding, but be prepared for the level of commitment that is required. To be successful you need to be available to your residents, their families and the team you work with. There are no snow days or holidays when the work stops. For that level of commitment, you need to be motivated and rewarded by the deep connections you make and a strong desire to serve others. This is an occupation that will make you laugh, make you cry and make you feel important each and every day.

Patch: How can readers contact you to learn more about Arbor Terrace Morris Plains?

That’s an easy one! Call us at (973) 718-3636. I would love to have the chance to meet you, tell you about what our community has to offer, and just to be a resource for families who are struggling to figure out how to best care for a loved one.

Image Credit: Arbor Terrace Morris Plains

This Patch article is sponsored by Arbor Terrace Morris Plains.