Pilgrim's Landing features specialized memory care unit
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

Pilgrim's Landing Senior Community, located at 410 Mill St., Williamsville.

Peregrine Health Management Company has opened its newest facility in Western New York.

Pilgrim's Landing Senior Community opened at 410 Mill St. in Williamsville in September with its first resident, Patrick Brogan.

Rooms continue to fill, Marketing Director Colleen Eoannou said, but space is still available.

The facility has three wings - assisted living, one wing for singles and another for couples, and an advanced memory care unit.

Pilgrim's Landing accepts patients with dual diagnoses in the memory care unit. These patients typically have been diagnosed with dementia and a second ailment, mostly behavioral, which can include depression, anxiety, aggression and bipolar disorder.

"It's very unique. Assisted-living facilities in Western New York don't accept a patient like that," Eoannou said.

Pilgrim's Landing will be coordinating with Suburban Psychiatric Services to provide care for these patients.

Stephen Bowman, president of Peregrine Health Management Company, Syracuse, was at Pilgrim's recently.

Patrick Brogan was the first resident to move into the recently opened Pilgrim's Landing Senior Community at 410 Mill St., in Williamsville. He relaxes in his room while watching TV.

He said the idea for an advanced memory care unit came from facilities in Maryland and Massachusetts that have had success in treating dual-diagnosed patients.

"There had been no place for them to go. They were sent to nursing homes or hospitals," Bowman said.

He added that, with proper diagnosis and treatment, some patients may improve enough to transfer to mainstream living facilities.

The advanced memory care unit is still being completed but is expected to open soon. It will be able to serve 38 patients.

Pilgrim's Landing, which is located at the former Holy Family Home Adult Home, has been remodeling over the past year.

A dining room and activity room are now included in each wing. Eoannou said the residents gather for football games on the flat-screen TVs, for card and board games, and many other scheduled activities.

"Activities are really a critical part," Eoannou said, adding residents are encouraged to be an active part of society, instead of staying in their rooms.

Three meals are offered a day as well as a nighttime snack. She said that she has heard rave reviews about the food - families will stay and eat inside instead of taking a resident out to eat.

Also available are private dining rooms for parties and gatherings, lobby with baby grand piano, beauty salon and ice cream parlor. Exercises and rehab programs are also available on premises.

Providing spiritual support was important when creating Pilgrim's Landing. It is the only facility with a full-time Roman Catholic priest on staff.

Father Fred Hinton provides daily Mass in the facility's chapel, as well as individual counseling. The purpose is to provide for the changing demographics and focus on the residents' wants, Eoannou said.

The public is welcome to attend the Mass services.

Eoannou said Pilgrim's Landing was designed to be affordable - semi-private rooms are $1,800 and a bedroom suite is $2,500 a month.

Located near the Amherst State Park, Pilgrim's Landing also offers a beautiful view, especially in the morning or evening when the deer come out, Eoannou said.

For information, call 632-3000 or visit www.peregrinecompanies. com.