Atlanta’s Leading Dementia Treatment Facility

Riverwoods Behavioral Health System, located in Riverdale, Georgia near Atlanta, provides a multidisciplinary approach to dementia treatment. We create individualized treatment plans for adolescents, adults, and seniors.

Dementia Treatment

Learn more about dementia treatment at Riverwoods Behavioral Health System near Atlanta, GA

Our treatment facility near Atlanta, Georgia understands the concern you may feel when you begin to have memory problems. As we age almost everyone begins to have difficulty remembering things and it is not unusual to immediately think we have dementia and our lives are over. But many times it may be something other than dementia that is easily curable or if it is the beginnings of dementia there are treatments available to help with the symptoms.

This is why comprehensive evaluations are emphasized so heavily at our dementia treatment facility. We want to ensure that you receive the correct diagnosis so you can begin engaging in the proper treatment as soon as possible. We are dedicated to doing what is best for individuals who come to us for help and their families. Our evaluations consist of medical, psychological, nursing, and recreational areas. Our social workers are highly skilled and there is a dedicated social worker for the geriatrics unit who works exclusively with dementia patients and their families finding the best possible placements for them as necessary.

Our facility recognizes that families take on a great deal of responsibility when a loved one begins to experience signs of what may be dementia. It is not unusual for family members to hesitate in bringing a loved one in for an evaluation as they are frightened of the outcome as well. Yet we are here to help make this process as easy as possible and to provide you and your loved ones with the best possible care, information and education about what your loved one is experiencing, what can be expected in the future and to provide a comprehensive list of community resources to help you and your family member as you move through this difficult time.

Why Consider Treatment

Why consider treatment for dementia at Riverwoods Behavioral Health System near Atlanta, GA

We pride ourselves on focusing on the whole individual not just their symptoms as they function within their families and larger communities. We understand the fear you may be feeling before your evaluation begins but we explain everything we’re doing every step of the way. We will involve your family members and loved ones as much as possible depending on your comfort level. We understand how important family involvement is and highly encourage family participation, which allows families to support the individual but also allows our trained staff to support family members as they and their loved ones are adjusting to a new diagnosis or stabilization due to medication related issues.

At our dementia treatment facility, though, we see beyond the individual’s behaviors and symptoms. Many people suffering from dementia describe feeling as if they are losing themselves, the aspects that make them who they are. Family members sometimes report they don’t recognize their loved one anymore due to the distressing symptoms. We are here to help you reclaim yourself as a person with needs who has a wealth of life experiences others can learn from. We work to also remind family members of all positive aspects of your relationship and support them so they feel better able to restore the relationship.

Wherever you may go after discharge near Atlanta, Georgia, we want you to be at your best level of functioning. That includes supporting your family or caregivers and making sure there is the appropriate level of resources for both you and your relatives so each can continue to work through their own issues.

We do far more than just evaluate you, however. Our crisis stabilization unit, where individuals stay for about 10 days, provides different types of therapy, experiential opportunities to get involved in activities that are not under the traditional therapy umbrella, and most importantly we offer constant support throughout your stay. We believe that part of the fear in receiving a diagnosis of dementia involves others withdrawing from you due to your symptoms. We want to help you understand this is not necessarily the case and provide you with as much staff interaction as possible in order to support you every step of the way, be there when you need someone to turn to and help you realize how much you still have to offer friends, family and your community at large.

Your symptoms do not define who you are. While we focus on your symptoms and attempt to treat or regulate them, we are most interested in the person as a whole; your favorite memories, what you enjoy doing, what gives meaning to your life and what strengths you still retain which we rely upon to help you through your stay. Many individuals who come to us for help believe they no longer possess any strong points. We will help you identify these strengths and you will likely be surprised by the abundance of positive facets you continue to possess. You have lived a long life and learned an enormous amount through these years. Now it’s time for you to teach us about your life and experiences so the entire unit can benefit from learning from you.

Every person who comes to us for help is an individual and we celebrate that individual as unique, special and as someone who has much to offer the unit, and the world at large. We feel that way about every, single person who walks through our doors. From this and the work carried out to help you get to a better place emotionally, socially and functionally, the relationships built on the unit are all richer because of it. We value every person and family who comes to us and respect the variety of qualities and characteristics you bring with you which will help us help you and which often can help others on the unit.

Our Philosophy

Riverwoods Behavioral Health System philosophy and treatment benefits

At our treatment facility, we strongly believe in providing a safe, stable, predictable environment where you feel as comfortable as possible despite the fact these may feel like uncertain times. We also want to ensure that the atmosphere is comfortable and inviting for your family members, so you can interact with them fully and they can focus their full attention on you without the physical nature of the surroundings intruding. The structure of our units is based on designs that keep the patients and their family in mind such that space was created in a manner consistent with a calm atmosphere conducive to healing. In addition, patients and family members can feel confident that our compassionate staff will provide only the highest quality individualized treatment.

Since all residents on our Crisis Stabilization Unit are age 65 or older, we are aware that many may have mobility or balance problems. This is the reason we ensure there is always a high staff to patient ratio to ensure safety and that you feel as confident as possible to enable you to take full advantage of your treatment plan. We also strongly believe in including you in your treatment planning by asking for your feedback on how you feel about certain options after they’ve been explained to you and monitor how your treatment is progressing throughout your stay with us to ensure it is fully meeting your needs.

Types of Treatment

Types of dementia treatment offered at Riverwoods Behavioral Health System near Atlanta, GA

Our hospital’s Supportive Care Unit is designed for short-term, acute, crisis intervention, usually lasting about 10 days. The unit is not designed for long-term treatment of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Often individuals come to us due to behavioral issues such as extreme agitation or aggression and after an evaluation, it is determined a change in medication is all that is needed to help get the person back to their prior level of functioning.

When the evaluation indicates that the difficulties are due to a change in an individual’s condition, we work with them to fully understand their needs, then create a discharge plan that will provide the long-term care that is most appropriate for their condition. Despite not being a long-term care facility, we are dedicated to your total well-being and begin exploring potential placements for you or your loved one as soon as you arrive.

While we don’t typically engage in traditional individual or group therapy, we have developed a unique treatment facility aimed at mind and body health. Some of the components of treatment at our facility include:

  • Nutrition and health based instruction and planning
  • Creative expression to enhance memory
  • Specific memory exercises to improve short and long term memory
  • Adaptive living skills to improve the ability to be as independent as possible
  • Creative skills based group therapy
  • Recreation therapy to improve mobility and balance and increase circulation
  • Music therapy – shown to tap into memories through a different sensory modality
  • Expressive therapy– allows participants to just let go and have fun
  • Family Sessions – allows family members to be educated as to their loved one’s condition and best care strategies, what constitutes a crisis and how to respond, self-care for caretakers, and all family members are provided with support and other resources in their community to help them cope

Continuing Care

Continuing care and levels of treatment for dementia

At our facility, we work very hard from the moment you arrive to determine the appropriate level of care for your continued treatment. In some cases, if the issue is a matter of medication alterations individuals may be sent back to their families after families have discussed topics to ensure continued care and safety.

Sometimes, as difficult as it is, loved ones can no longer be cared for safely at home. Should this be the case, we will work with you and your loved one to locate the optimal hospital for your relative based on what would be best therapeutically but also what would be the best environment, the nature of the population in the facility, and provide the specific services most needed by your loved one. Our hospital’s social workers begin disposition planning when your loved one arrives and does everything possible to ensure when it is time for discharge they will be transitioning to the best care facility to fit their individual and unique requirements to ensure the best care is being provided based on their individuality.

If you or your loved one is worried about increasing memory loss or other symptoms described here, please call our dementia treatment facility near Atlanta, Georgia to discuss your options and schedule an appointment for an evaluation.