Lorraine Pincus is a vital, active Lions Gate resident.

Lorraine has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

“My mother is a force of nature,” said Lisa Stanwyck, Lorraine’s daughter and caregiver. “She went to college at Temple University in the ‘50’s for Speech Pathology, when that field of healthcare expertise was really just in its infancy. She always loved connecting with people and worked for a decade at GBC, a local business computer company. She was always a community volunteer, and whenever she volunteered, she always became the president. She was active at Temple Emanuel and on their Board. She was the Sisterhood President. She made a difference wherever she went. She and my dad were married almost 60 years and were the proud parents of two daughters and 4 grandchildren. She is a lady who likes being in charge, so this new stage of life with Alzheimer’s is a big adjustment for all of us.”

Lorraine started showing symptoms of dementia five years ago. “When my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, my response was to put the supports in place to allow her to remain living in her home alone because that was very important to her,” said Lisa. “We hired home health care workers to attend to her during the day, and that was sufficient for a while. Two years ago, we needed to move to 24/7 coverage, but my mom didn’t want someone living there with her. It was a struggle. When she fell off the stair glider, I knew we needed to make a change. It took a while to find the right placement for her, but Lions Gate’s Safe Haven Memory Care neighborhood is the place she feels most comfortable. To be honest, there are several perfectly good memory care communities in the South Jersey area, but none of them felt comfortable to my mother because they didn’t celebrate the Jewish holidays and traditions that she still connects with. Lions Gate is the only place with a vibrant Jewish culture.”

Lisa is so grateful to now be sharing the caregiving responsibilities for her mother with the trained memory care staff at Lions Gate. “I am so much more relaxed now that my mom is not living alone in her house,” said Lisa. “She was making decisions for herself that were not in her own best interest, like sending away evening caregivers or not wearing her call button pendant. The staff in Safe Haven is great, and they are specially trained to address dementia needs. They are so warm, and I know they really try to connect with my mother. Her bright, active personality is not something that can be dimmed with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Lions Gate’s Safe Haven community is absolutely the right place for my mother at this stage of her life, and I can finally sleep well at night now that she’s there.”