Parkside Special Care Center

The Security Your Loved Ones Need
The Care You Want Them to Have

The first of its kind in San Diego, Parkside Special Care Center offers a unique and specialized environment for the skilled care of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Families who come to our facility looking for skilled care for their loved ones always comment that at Parkside they sense a warm and caring environment. They mention that our residents appear well-cared for and content, and that our staff is happy in their work. With stimulating activities and programs which include art, music, yoga, gardening and baking, our residents are able to continue participating in some of the activities that they have always enjoyed, or discover new ones that they have never tried before.

The Dignity of Freedom

To move about without restriction represents the ultimate freedom for an individual with the mental and physical challenges that Alzheimer’s disease presents. Yet this quest for freedom can also create serious safety challenges.

Parkside Special Care Center offers exceptional skilled nursing care in safe, secure surroundings. Our building and our grounds are securely locked at all times. This means that our residents can wander freely through Parkside and outside to our backyard without any restriction. Individuals who no longer walk on their own can move about independently in their “Merry Walkers,” allowing them to ambulate safely and sit down when they tire.

Activities Offer Fulfillment

Residents are offered a daily variety of activities designed to stimulate, entertain, and improve their quality of life including arts and crafts, exercise classes, live music, movies, games, visits with therapy and family pets, discussions to elicit memories and seasonal parties.

Our one acre private park allows for a change of scene and enjoyment of the outdoors when we take our residents there for gardening, special parties, or a quiet retreat. Because our staff is trained to care for individuals with dementia, realistic expectations allow activities to be enjoyable for everyone.

Our kitchen staff is always striving to make dining a delicious and enjoyable experience. Many innovations to our dining program have been planned and implemented. Parkside offers two dining areas that allow all of our residents to enjoy their meals in a more soothing environment. Many of our residents, who do not require assistance with eating, dine in a more formal setting in our living room at tables arranged with linens, flowers and flameless candles. Soft music plays in the background. Residents who need assistance eat at a more leisurely pace in our quiet, spacious dining room.

Comprehensive, Individualized Plan of Care

Each resident at Parkside receives quarterly individualized assessments to help develop and continually revise a comprehensive plan of care. In addition, we provide a monthly support group where family members are encouraged to voice their opinions and receive extra support to help them cope with the changes they see in their loved ones.

Parkside Special Care Center was one of the first facilities dedicated exclusively to the care of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Today we are recognized as a leader in that specialty. Due to our excellent continuing education program for employees, Parkside's experienced staff and caregivers understand the course and effects of the disease, as well as the best approaches to help each resident through their day.

Combining the latest in clinical research with our professional expertise, we have achieved great success in caring for individuals with dementia by using proven intervention techniques, with an emphasis on minimizing confusion and anxiety. Providing validation for each resident’s unique reality and encouraging them to make the choices of which they are capable, we hope they sense the respect that we feel for them. As elders of our community, they deserve nothing less.

• Robert Thornblad Long Term Care Facility of the Year for Special Programs Awarded by California Commission on Aging 1989
• Special Recognition by California Governor George Deukmejian 1990
• Best Alzheimer’s Facility in San Diego County San Diego Reader 2003
• Chosen by Consumer Report for List of Facilities One Should Consider (One of only two in San Diego County) 2006
• Chosen by the California Culture Change Coalition As one of the twelve California Skilled Nursing Facilities to participate in the Dining Pilot Project 2007