>>> People Barry time capsules at a certain time and place, with the idea that they will be retrieved and appreciated by future generations. But a real lifetime capsule has been constructed in the South Bay, with the specific purpose of helping Alzheimer's patients, the 1950s style Townsquare in Chula Vista has started accepting applications, as a new place to go in an old setting for people with dementia. Joining me is Lisa Tybersky, with the Alzheimer's center. For joining me. The whole idea behind the Townsquare is a technique known as reminiscence therapy. Can you tell us what that is? >> It is not a new therapy, it has been around for years, but it is a very effective therapy for people with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. What does it is Dashwood it does is people are brought back to memories that are the strongest, they will forget what they had for lunch, where conversation that they had 10 minutes ago, but they will remember something from when they were in high school or college, having babies, it brings them back to where memories are the strongest, very comfortable for people with dementia. >> Does it help people with dementia? How does it help to make other connections? >> What does, in the studies we have read, and the medical advisory counsel has advised, effective for helping with sleep, improving mood and decreasing agitation, it brings peace, joy and calmness. >> How does a replicate midcentury America, what does it look like? But it is in the final stages of construction, opening in April, we have been working on this for a couple of years, the inside, we basically have leased out a warehouse building in Chula Vista, and we have got to the inside, and are remodeling it to be a 1950s, 1960 city, it will bring them back to that time, where there memories of the strongest, because based on the age of all of our participants, which is late 70s early 80s, that is the time that they usually resonate with. >> This is not a place where people go to live? >> Know it is a daycare, an adult day care that has been in San Diego for 35 years, we have been doing this for a very long time, we were also found it, that discovered the link between the link -- between Alzheimer's, and the rich history, this is not a new program, it is just in a very different environment. >> Take us through the average day, what will the day look like for patients from the time they walk into the time to go home? >> When they first walk in, the act -- the activities will be starting the diner, for people in the morning, we serve continental breakfast, it will start in the 50s diner, and move on to some of the other storefronts, as we are calling them, just individual rooms, a department store, a movie theater, a barbershop, a library. They will rotate from storefront to storefront, every 45 minutes or hour, we will be able to group people in early stage, late stage and they will rotate in the storefronts, based on their cognitive ability, and the activities will be geared for them. >> Any movie theater as well? Will they be showing 1950s movies, they will be showing clips? >> Yes, the idea of going to an adult days care center is not just to park them in front of a TV, we try to keep them active all day long. >> Will there be medical staff on hand? >> Yes they all have an RN on staff, managing medications, very helpful, private caregivers, they get confused over that. >> Is there any concern that the center in the 1950s, it might cause patients to be more confused? Because they are sort of experiencing two different time periods, the time period of the modern day, and then they go free well, back into the 1950s? >> We have been asked that question before, and I did see counsel from the chair of our reticle advisory committee, so actually the opposite. They are very confused, they are very confused, and they walk into any environment where they recognize things, -- into an environment. It is more therapeutic. >> Townsquare is now accepting applications from prospective patients, what are the eligibility requirements? >> Each person that comes will have to have in individual assessment, -- an individual assessment, a diagnosis from a physician of cognitive impairment, any form of dementia, not just Alzheimer's, there are all kinds of forms, we accept all kinds, in addition to traumatic brain injury, it is very individual, they are assessed based on their ability to interact in a group setting. >> How much does this cost? >> The rates are under $12 per hour, it comes out to about $11.17 an hour, 8.5 hours of care per day, $95 per day. >> Can health insurance help people afford this? >> Long-term care insurance sometimes does have a clause for adult day care, we will accept that, and we have a contract with the VA, we will accept VA benefits as a form of payment, other than that, private pay. >> My understanding is that there will be Townsquare is in parts of the county, and expanding nationwide, will each one look like it's individual community, it's individual local community? >> What we're trying to do is branded Townsquare, they will look similar to each other, probably identical, but one particular storefront, using the pub, to tailor it to tailor it to that city, the one in Chula Vista, a lot of San Diego memorabilia, and he will have the local memorabilia in the pub in other areas. >> I have been speaking with Lisa, the developer -- the representative from the development company.
A real-life time capsule has been constructed in Chula Vista with the purpose of helping Alzheimer’s patients.
The 1950’s themed Glenner Town Square adult-day-care center has started accepting applications from prospective patients ahead of its April grand opening.
"We've basically leased out a big warehouse building in Chula Vista and remodeled it to be a 1950s, 1960s city. So what that will do when people walk in is it will bring them back to that time when their memories are the strongest because based on the age of all our participants, which is late 70s early 80s, that's the time they usually resonate with," said Lisa Tyburski, director of business development for Glenner Alzheimer's Family Centers.
The center uses a technique known as reminiscence therapy to help people diagnosed with Alzheimer's and other forms dementia. The center features a 1950s-era diner, movie theater, library and other shops. The patients will rotate through each location and participate in activities based on their cognitive abilities, Tyburski said.
"What [reminiscence therapy] does, in the studies we have read and what our medical advisory council has advised us on, is that it helps with sleep, improving mood and decreasing with agitation, so it brings a lot of peace, joy and calmness," said Tyburski.
Tyburski discusses the vision behind the Glenner Town Square and reminiscence therapy Wednesday on Midday Edition.
