The Cottages at Clear Lake

Home

The Cottages are for people suffering from Alzheimer’s and other related dementias. Each resident is treated individually in a warm, caring environment that makes it home for them. Residences are tailored to meet each person’s needs on a physical, mental and emotional basis.

Residential Care of Persons with Alzheimer's Disease (Dementia)

Introduction

Our society is aging. The social and economic consequences of this have yet to be fully appreciated, however, the increasing demands this places upon our health care system have already been felt for some time. The population of Americans 65 years of age and older currently numbers almost 35 million and represents 13% of the total US population. This number is projected to grow by 40% in the next 30 years, and the number of persons who are 85 years of age and older will grow 80% over the same time period. As we age, the likelihood that we will need assistance in performing basic activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing and feeding ourselves increases exponentially.

Most nursing homes in this country were built with a different population in mind than the population that currently lives in them. The current health care financial environment is driving changes now and will continue to do so in the near future. When they were originally built, most nursing homes were intended to house cognitively intact but medically ill individuals who would convalesce there in hopes of ultimately returning home. As a result, most nursing homes resemble hospitals, with high, hospital-style beds, long corridors and visibly prominent nursing stations. Over the last 25 years, however, nursing homes have become home to a million or more individuals with dementia and related conditions, requiring 24-hour supervision and "custodial" care.

Almost two thirds of all nursing home residents are cognitively impaired and, overall, the prevalence of mental disorders, (including dementia, delirium and psychiatric illness), among nursing home residents is over 90 percent. These buildings were, unfortunately, never intended to house these individuals. The physical plant was tailored to an entirely different purpose. As a result, these elderly nursing home residents often have difficulty conforming to the nursing home environment and their illness puts them in contact with a number of environmental hazards. Crowded public areas, slippery floors, and dim lighting increase the risk of falls, while hard floors and high beds increase the risk of injury.

Recent economic and regulatory changes have led to an increasing demand for nursing home beds to accommodate medically ill patients transferred from acute care hospitals and to serve as an alternative to hospitalization for some managed care systems. Nursing homes themselves have sought to increase operating income by preferentially admitting patients in need of skilled care. These market forces have had the effect of displacing cognitively impaired but physically well individuals.

The Cottages at Clear Creek

The Cottages concept has been the leader in Alzheimer's care in the Bay Area of Houston since we opened in 1998. Going beyond today's traditional assisted living facilities, which are still institutional in feel like nursing homes or hospitals, we offer a true home environment.

Our cottages are uniquely designed to meet the needs of persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related memory disorders. Under the direction of our highly qualified 24-hour staff, we provide personal care assistance, medicine supervision, meals, snacks and specialized activities. Adult day care and respite care provided.

The Cottages at Clear Lake is the caring answer to your loved ones needs.