Deer Creek Opens in Grand Style
When Deer Creek at Paradise Valley Estates opened with great fanfare last week, it was a moment first imagined years ago by the Paradise Valley Estates board of directors, and community staff and residents. Their shared vision of a beautiful, engaging setting specifically designed for residents living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of memory impairment had become real.
The celebration began with an opening event for Paradise Valley Estates residents and staff on Tuesday, June 13. Before the event, Quail Creek assisted living residents enjoyed their own private VIP event after enduring months of “adding on” to their building.
Our caregivers acted as docents and tour guides, explaining the unique areas of the specially designed community, programs and services. Visitors enjoyed the multi-sensory Snoezelen room with fiber optic cords and a ceiling that drifts into trees, blue skies and puffy clouds. Guests explored the outdoor courtyard with trees and a burbling water feature, the living room’s high-tech virtual aquarium, and the serene salon and spa.
Paradise Valley Estates’ David Kalbaugh, dining services director, and Dwayne Scott, executive chef, prepared beautiful and delicious treats in the community’s open kitchen with counter seating. In the first few days of operation, that same counter seating has been a notable favorite of our residents.
On Thursday, June 15, more than 100 people attended Deer Creek’s dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony. Residents, family members, staff, board members, area senior care providers and local dignitaries joined in the fun enjoying their own tours of the memory care center kitchen to courtyard.
During the heartfelt and moving dedication, Col. Bud Ross, chairman of the board, spoke about the community’s desire to provide the specialized care that residents deserve and the board and staff’s tremendous commitment to making that vision a reality. Thanks were given to the architects and construction crews that designed and built Deer Creek.
Fairfield Mayor Harry Price kicked off the ceremony with kind comments about Paradise Valley Estates’ many contributions to the city. Several proclamations of recognition were given. We were joined by Ed Low, of North Bay Home Health and Hospice; Ariel Sylva, from the office of State Assemblyman Jim Frazier; and, Ron Turner, representing Senator Bill Dodd, who all recognized our community’s significant milestone. After a dedication by Chaplain Perry Polk, Mayor Price concluded the ceremony with a snip of the red ribbon and Deer Creek was officially open!
A project like Deer Creek is the ultimate collaboration. So many people contributed to this beautiful and important addition to our community’s family of services. Last week, the successful completion was celebrated in unison. The next day, though, it was back to business as Deer Creek manager Rosemarie Ferrer and her staff welcomed the first residents to their new home.
