The Grove is ripe with optimism
A new memory care communty opens in San Carlos Neighborhood
By Matt Elliser, Independent Staff Writer
SAN CARLOS- Don't let the spacious patio. popcorn maker or token-receiving slot machines
fool you : the new San Carlos Grove is a care facility designed specifically for patients suffering
from Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
But if your opinions about the treatment of dementia and memory loss have been shaped
by antiquated depictions in old movies, the brand new memory care community at 707 Elm St.
in San Carlos may not be what you expected. The paint was dry, the beds made and the Grove
was set to open its doors the first week of March.
"I've always described the Elms and now the Grove as a cruise ship that doesn't go anywhere," said boardmember Mike Haesloop. "Just because people are living here doesn't mean there shouldn't be interesting and enjoyable things for them to do."
The philosophy of the Grove revolves around engaging residents in social and physical activities through out the day. There is a capacity for 26 residents to live on two floors of the building, with five staff members on duty for care and activities and two dedicated to sanitary tasks. There will be outings seven days a week, crafts, music programs and pet therapy, with cats and rabbits living on the campus .
"The key is to have the residents focus on tasks that engage them and to have them living in a residential style," said Scott Evans, the executive director of San Carlos Elms . "If there's a lot
of idle time, that clears the way for delusional behavior."
Almost hidden within the festive atmosphere are the advanced scientific nuances that make the Grove, above all, a safe place for dementia patients to live. Windows are made of a transparent form of ceramic rather than glass, making them fireproof and shatterproof. Residents wear electronic bracelets on their ankles that alert staff when they near an exit unsupervised. The Grove is also the only facility on the West Coast equipped with the "vigil system," which immediately alerts staff of potential problems.
"It's exciting because it records everything that happens on computer and sends it directly to our caregivers' pagers," said June Wider, the director of special care and marketing at the Elms. "If a
bed is wet, or someone seems to have been in the bathroom too long, a member of the staff is
paged so any problems will be taken care of immediately."
Seven people have already committed to live in the Grove, according to Evans, with several
others showing interest. Evans expec ts the majority of residents to come from San Carlos, Redwood City and Belmont, although the facility is open to residents through out the county. The local presence expected in the facility is easy to explain, according to Evans: people want to be close to family and friends.
"We try to let family members know this is a safe and comfortable place," he said. "If we can reduce the anxiety level of the patients, that reduces the anxiety level of the family. We try to
creat e a high quality of life."
The Grove will also offer hospice care and joins San Carlos Elms assisted-living campus as another service provider for seniors.
"Our main goal here is to provide the best care for our residents," Wider said. "We want to make them as healthy and happy as possible."
San Carlos Elms: A Residential Care Community In San Carlos
Senior Living, San Mateo Times
San Carlos Elms, a residential care community for the elderly, is distinguished by its artractive surroundings. 85 lovely private apartment residences and comfortable communtty living areas.
Here residents will find what they need, when they need it. It's private living with the added convenience of services - a life-style founded on the premise that a need for a little help does not mean loss of choice nor independence.
The concept is simple. Each resident enjoys the serenity of a private studio, one or two bedroom apartment, surrounded with their favorite furnishings and treasures, plus the hospitality and support of services such as three meals each day, transportation. housekeeping, laundry facilities and a full schedule of activities and excursions to choose from. In addition, the professionals at San Carlos Elmswill be available to lend a helping hand when needed with medication supervision, dressing, bathing, grooming and escort service to activities and meals. The community is licensed by the California Department of Social Services.
The location on the corner of Cherry and Elm Streets in the heart of San Carlos is one of the most desirable spots for senior living on the Peninsula. It is just sreps away from the San Carlos Senior Center, City
Hall and the Library. Within walking distance is downtown Laurel Street with its wide variety of charming shops, services and restaurants.
San Carlos Elms is owned by San Carlos Development Corporation, a non-profit public benefit corporation created with the support of the CIty of San Carlos for the sole
purpose of developing San Carlos Elms. San Carlos Elms opened for occupancy June 1996. For more information, please call 650-595-1500.
SC Elms celebrates anniversary
Residents reflect on first year
By Jennifer Napier-Pearce, Enquirer-Bulletin Staff Reporter
Bernadette Garcia knew she would live at the San Carlos Elms before the structure was even
built.
"When they were digging it out with a bulldozer, I decided that was where I was going to live,"
Garcia said. A resident since the elder care complex opened last year, Garcia joined nearly 100 fellow residents, their families and city officials for lunch on the facility's veranda June 17 to celebrate the Elms' first anniversary.
Over barbecued chicken and a barbershop quartet serenade, Garcia, 89, said she had no regrets about moving from her Redwood City home to the senior housing facility on the corner of Elm and Cherry Streets, and neither did her daughter-in-law. Marilyn Garcia.
"We feel very secure about the care she is getting," said Marilyn, of Redwood City. "They [staff] are very conscientious."
Executive Director Scott Evans of the Hillside Group, which is responsible for on-site management of the facility, believes the complex - which provides full-service care, such as laundry, meals, physical assistance and shuttle service - fills a void for seniors 62 and older in the area.
"It's been extremely successful and is really something San Carlos has needed," Evans said.
He added there are currently no vacancies in the three-story, 85-unit complex and 30 names on a waiting list to move into the city's only elder care facility.
"We have shatte red every company record as far as flll up and occupancy and the community support has been overwhelming he said.
Four homes and a duplex stood on the site until properity owner Jerry Ernst saw a need for senior housing and preposed building an assisted living center in 1987, according to Mark Haesloop, a San Carlos Development Corporation board member.
In one of San Carlos' most complex financial deals , the city bought the land from Ernst for $3.2 million, then sold the property and approved the project to an an independent non-profit corporation, the San Carlos Development Corporation , for $2.3 million.
 The non-profit applied for federal assistance and in 1994, the Department of Housing and Urban Development guaranteed a $9 million bond for the project . The city's Redevelopment Agency chipped in another $4 million to close the funding gap and construction began in 1995.
Haesloop said the project broke even 10 months after it opened and so far the non-profit
corporation has repaid the city $400,000 on the RDA loan.
"We are way ahead of the game and in good shape to pay the city," he said.
Marketing Director Chris Alonso says 90 percent of the facility's 91 residents are from San Carlos and neighboring Peninsula towns.
"The majority lived here and wanted to stay because we're close to downtown, their doctors are here, their friends are here and in many cases, their families are here," she said.
Florence Chappell, 85, said she moved in a year ago for precisely those reasons.
"I had to settle somewhere an d this seemed nice ." she said. "The food has been excellent, the staff is friendly and nice it's a nice. clean place."
Chappell's daughter, Betty Watts of San Carlos, echoed confidence in her mother's living arrangement. "We feel comfortable that if she needs help, it's available," she said.
Hacsloop added the non-profit is exploring plans to add a dedicated Alzheimer's wing with 23 additional units on the site.
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