Promise Pointe At Tampa Oaks Offers A Way To Keep Your Family Closer

Tampa Palms and New Tampa-area residents searching for a convenient assisted living and memory care option for their aging family members will soon have a new choice with the opening next month of Promise Pointe at Tampa Oaks.

The new facility is located seven minutes away from the heart of New Tampa via I-75, one mile west of Exit 266 on E. Fletcher Ave., next to the Woodspring Suites Tampa Northeast hotel and the Hong Kong Willie art gallery and red worm farm (that is not a typo).

The 108-unit Promise Pointe joins recently-opened Discovery Village at Tampa Palms, the Legacy at Highwoods Preserve and the Memory Lane Cottages in Tampa Palms as assisted living and/or memory care residences those living in New Tampa can consider to meet the changing lifestyle needs of their elderly family members.

Promise Pointe is managed by Life Care Services (LCS), the country’s third-largest manager of rental senior living and continuing care communities, serving more than 33,000 residents nationwide. LCS also manages the Beach House Assisted Living & Memory Care at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel, which also is celebrating its Grand Opening in March.

Overseeing day-to-day operations at Promise Pointe is the job of executive director Delane Ward, NHA (Nursing Home Administrator) who brings more than 25 years of elder-care experience working in assisted living facilities, nursing homes and memory care facilities. Whatever the setting, Ward abides by a simple rule of “making sure the basics are done” and says, “the safety of residents is number one,” on her list of priorities.

“I treat every resident as if they’re my own family member,” Ward says. “On my business card, I provide my personal cell phone number and if there’s an issue or concern, they can call me anytime.”

Ward says she put her B.A. in Political Science from the University of South Florida to considerable use in navigating the regulatory environment of elder care and working with the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to open Promise Pointe, which has a March 20 Temple Terrace Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting scheduled.

The location of Promise Pointe can help keep New Tampa residents close to their family members residing there and it also provides easy access to numerous nearby medical providers, including Florida Hospital Tampa and the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, as well as attractions like Busch Gardens and Wesley Chapel’s nearby shopping centers and restaurants.

Onsite services and activities offer chances to work out in Promise Pointe’s fitness center, spend time on hobbies, develop artistic talents or socialize in an environment where chores like housekeeping and laundry can be taken care of and all utilities, including Wi-Fi are included in a month-to-month rental package.

According to the Promise Pointe website (PromisePointeSeniorLiving.com), assisted living involves helping residents with daily activities such as dressing, bathing, dining and managing medications without impinging upon their independence. For residents, that means living in their own private unit (or companion suite) with whatever level of help and care they may require being readily available once those needs have been assessed.

So Many Options

Assisted living residences range from 355-sq.-ft. studios for a monthly rate of $3,395 to 730-sq.-ft., two-bedroom units for $4,495. Additional personal services are available in Level of Care (LOC) packages ranging from $350 to $1,500 a month.

Promise Pointe also addresses the needs of memory care residents who have dementia-related disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, which is characterized by a general decline in mental ability and inability to retrieve information, through the use of Heartfelt Connections – A Memory Care Program®.

Heartfelt Connections derives detailed biographical information by using tools such as LifeBio’s Reminiscence Therapy, which according to its website (LifeBio.blogspot.com), “is a powerful tool which promotes engagement, ignites feelings of purpose, reduces loneliness, and increases emotional wellbeing.” Daily routines emphasize accomplishment of basic tasks and participating in activities to promote self-esteem and reduce anxiety.

Home for memory care residents is a dedicated area of the Promise Pointe facility, staffed continuously by Registered Nurses (RNs) and/or Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). Accommodations include private 318-sq.-ft. studios for a monthly rate of $4,495 and a 442-sq.-ft. shared suite for $3,495 per month.

Memory care monthly costs include medication management and attending to personal care needs.

To keep an eye on the health of residents, Promise Pointe staffing includes the 24-hour presence of Registered Nurses and/or Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and residents also will have access to services provided by visiting physicians.

For families more involved in the daily care of aging loved ones, Promise Pointe offers respite care at a daily rate that can give home caregivers a break while their loved ones enjoy a short stay in a safe and supportive environment.

Families also can connect with what’s going on in their loved ones’ lives through social media such as the “Promise Pointe at Tampa Oaks” Facebook page, which also provides information families may find useful in planning for the attrition of life, so their loved ones may age in place as gracefully as possible. There are links to articles about topics such as communicating effectively with someone who has dementia and performing legal document “check ups.”

Delicious Food, Too!

Enjoying food is a big part of enjoying life and an essential part of health in the elderly and Promise Pointe’s Executive Chef Jorge Perez blends taste and nutrition in a modern kitchen.

Chef Jorge earned his Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree in Culinary Arts from Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico in Ponce, and has worked in assisted living and hospital kitchens for seven years. He also has had commercial experience in opening two Tampa Bay-area Cheesecake Factory locations.

Chef Jorge says that a basic principle of cooking  — “flavor, not salt” is applied to the menu, and recipes for Promise Pointe meals use other ingredients, such as cilantro, to spice up a dish. He adds that residents will always have two choices for each meal, and that customer service is an essential ingredient to the dining experience he wants to provide.

“If today we have fried eggs and tomorrow you want boiled, I’ll make it happen,” she says. Residents have access to food throughout the day and facilities for private family events also are available.

Residing in an assisted living or memory care facility can provide a good value for the cost of living there, but paying for it requires knowledge and planning. Long-term care insurance is accepted by Promise Pointe, as are Veterans Administration benefits that can help veterans and their spouses, as well as surviving spouses, pay for assisted living services. Help in determining insurance coverage and benefit eligibility, as well as identifying financial resources to finance senior living expenses is part of discovering if Promise Pointe is a viable senior-living solution for your family.

Membership in the Founders Club awaits the first 35 families who become part of the Promise Pointe at Tampa Oaks community. Benefits offered in promotional materials include free rent for the first and 20th months of residency, guaranteed lifetime rent pricing, recognition with personalized plaques, and more.

To learn more about assisted living and memory care options, or schedule an on-site tour at Promise Pointe at Tampa Oaks (12110 Morris Bridge Rd.), see the ad on pg. 25 of this issue, call (813) 694-2153, or visit PromisePointeSeniorLiving.com.