The Phoenix at Hammond

Where does a Hammond family turn when a parent needs daily help, or has started showing signs of dementia? The Phoenix at Hammond, at 15835 De Marco Lane, provides assisted living and memory care, and it also accepts short respite stays of 14 to 29 days. Phoenix Senior Living operates the community, which serves this small city in the eastern part of Louisiana.

Assisted living here means supervision with bathing, dressing and other daily tasks, supervision when residents take their own medications, and trained staff available around the clock. Meals are full board, so 3 a day plus snacks, served in a restaurant-style dining room. Linen and housekeeping service is part of the routine, and apartments come in private or semi-private layouts with roomy bathrooms and kitchenettes.

For residents with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia, the community lists certified dementia care built on custom-designed programs. Physical, occupational and speech therapy are offered on site, which can matter after a fall or a hospital stay. An emergency response system is installed, and scheduled transportation covers appointments and outings. On a memory care tour, ask how a typical afternoon is planned and how staff respond to evening restlessness.

Shared spaces include a fitness center, a library, a game room, a salon and barber shop, and a courtyard with landscaped walking paths. Arts and crafts, live entertainment and group outings fill the calendar. The Hammond area includes Lake Maurepas, Lake Pontchartrain and the Maritime Museum of Louisiana, and North Oaks Medical Center is the hospital residents would likely use. Compare other choices through senior living in Hammond.