“I love to come to work every day. I love my clients. They’re like my own family. It’s really hard to watch them decline” ~Nazila Tatashadze
Eleanora Tatashadze and her daughter Nazila of Rocky Hill have always been passionate about helping others. Their motto, “We put the passion in compassion” sums up the culture of their business. Arriving in America in 2003, Turkish immigrant, Eleanora’s first job was as a caregiver. She loved helping others so much that in 2009 Eleanora decided to start her own Home Care Agency serving the elderly. Her staff would care for clients in their homes for 8 hours at a time, keeping them company and making sure they were safe and comfortable.
Many of their clients were patients with varying levels of dementia who needed assistance with daily activities like dressing, remembering to take their medications, and meal preparation. The caregivers built loving relationships with the clients in their care, but it didn’t take long before Eleanora and her daughter realized they really needed more stimulation than just being in the house with a single caregiver day after day. They needed social interaction with others and activities to pass the time.
While their caregivers continued to provide excellent care and companionship for clients in their homes, Eleanora and Nazila wanted more for them. They wanted them to have a safe place, specifically for those with dementia to spend their days that was bright and colorful, filled with friends and loving staff. Her dream of a more stimulating environment for her dementia clients led her to open The Rocky Hill Adult Day Center, located in Rocky Hill, Connecticut where she was able to create the environment she wanted for her clients.
The Center is just as Eleanora and Nazila envisioned; bright and colorful with lots of activities and good company to help their clients pass the time. They spend their days doing crafts, baking, painting, playing pool, exercising, singing or listening to music, playing games, and socializing with each other. Every client is treated with the same love, kindness, and respect they would give their own family members. In fact, when the coronavirus temporarily shut down the state and their Center, they missed their Rocky Hill “family” and continued to check in on their clients at home. (Note: Photos taken prior to Covid-19 Safety measures being implemented)
Caring for patients with dementia and memory loss requires an extra dose of love and patience. The Rocky Hill ADC staff is dedicated to making sure each and every client is well-cared for no matter their level of cognitive decline. While they offer a large variety of activities for their clients every day, those patients who have advanced dementia require more attention and more stimulation to make sure they are staying engaged.
Unfortunately, most patients with dementia do eventually get worse over time. “I love to come to work every day. I love my clients. They’re like my own family. It’s really hard to watch them decline,” said Nazila. In an effort to continuously improve the quality of life for all of her her clients, Nazila decided to sew special activity blankets for the clients who were unable to participate in the regular social activities at the center.
She brainstormed ideas and decided to include a wide assortment of sensory materials in each blanket. Every unique, hand-made blanket includes an assortment of ribbons, buttons, zippers, beads, pockets, bows, laces, and even stuffed animals that her dementia patients can play with to entertain themselves and occupy their hands. The clients love them!
10% of the sale of each Activity Blanket will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association
Nazila Tatashadze gathers assorted sensory materials to begin assembling another Activity Blanket for her dementia patients at The Rocky Hill Adult Day Center #MemoryCare #Dementia #Caregiver
For more information about ordering an Activity Blanket for a loved one or your patients, contact Nazila at The Rocky Hill Adult Day Center at 860-372-4656. 10% of the sale for each blanket is donated to The Alzheimer’s Association. More information about The Rocky Hill Adult Day Center can be found by visiting their website at https://www.rockyhilladultdaycenter.com/ or email them at rockyhilladc@gmail.com.
