Dementia patients can experience a happy lifestyle at the Renaissance in Annandale

A lounge at the Renaissance.

Seniors with dementia can live a comfortable life in a calm, yet stimulating environment at the Renaissance, a new memory care community on Braddock Road in Annandale.

Eighteen of the 47 rooms are already occupied, and another 15 people have signed up but haven’t moved in yet.

The garden offers a pleasant, safe place to enjoy nature.

The goal at the Renaissance is to provide “a purposeful day for each resident,” says Executive Director Pamela Phillips.

The center’s “life enrichment director” helps the residents with horticultural therapy, plans activities such as sing-a-longs and games, looks at old family photos with them, and help them cook in a small activity kitchen that’s separate from the facility’s main kitchen.

Videos are shown in the Town Theatre.

“They love sitting outside in our garden, which has a water feature and bird feeders,” says Sandra Fields, director of sales and marketing. The garden is in the courtyard and completely enclosed so no one can wander off.

The color scheme at the Renaissance – light yellow walls and light blue ceilings – was chosen to promote tranquility. Design features from the 1970s and framed photos on the walls – of news figures and celebrities of the 1940s-70s and street scenes from Annandale in the old days – bring back memories and prompt residents to reminisce.

Baby dolls are available for residents in a nurturing mood.

“It’s wonderful to see them blossom,” says Phillips. One resident who had been unhappy at her previous home now smiles a lot, for example. Another resident who wouldn’t eat much before loves the food at the Renaissance and is eating very well.

The lobby.

The lighting mirrors the circadian cycle, so the lights are brightest in the morning and automatically dim in the late afternoon when dementia patients tend to get irritable, a common condition known as “sundowning.” At those times, calming music is played and the staff encourages residents to talk about what they loved in their past, such as a pet dog.

A resident’s bedroom.

There are separate living areas for those in the early and late stages of dementia. Residents in the early to moderate stages have activities like golf and bowling, while those in the late stage focus more on the senses, such as listening to music, enjoying cooking smells, and touching a warm blanket.

The dining room has a diner vibe.

“At other communities, the residents are put in front of a TV,” Fields says. “Here, we keep them engaged.”

Living at the Renaissance costs $7,999 or $8,999 for single occupancy. A second person in a room would be an additional $900. There’s also a one-time community fee of $3,000.