Irvine Cottage VII sits over on Pepita Drive in Mission Viejo and serves as a small care home for up to six seniors, focusing mainly on those needing memory care, and when you drive by, you might notice there's plenty of natural light from the skylights and extra windows, which helps the place feel open and airy, plus there are padded wood floors and calming art murals, and you'll often smell something nice from one of their aroma diffusers. Residents get meals every day, including vegetarian options and special meal plans for folks with health concerns like diabetes or high blood pressure, and meals are provided in a homelike setting where staff can help with eating if needed. They let cats and dogs visit as long as they're small, under 15 pounds, and you'll see touches meant to make everybody comfortable, like private and shared rooms with their own bathrooms, wheelchair accessible showers, and bidet toilets as part of a program to prevent infections.
The staff there includes full-time nurses, medical directors, and a geriatric psychiatrist, and there's a doctor on call along with a full-time psychiatric nurse, so the medical support's pretty solid. They provide medication management, incontinence care, and help with things like bathing, dressing, and getting around, so folks who need extra help are covered, and you'll see personal and fall safety alarms in all the rooms. Memory care at Irvine Cottage VII covers all stages of Alzheimer's, and they've got special things to help residents keep their minds active, like memory boards, placemats, and different kinds of activities both on site and out in the community, including music, board games, and creativity sessions, with individual attention to what each person likes. Security's a big deal too, with 24-hour camera monitoring, locked garages with keypads, and a Wander Guard system for residents who might get confused and wander, so everybody stays safe.
Residents and their families get regular updates, such as monthly care plan reports, and there's a newsletter for families plus a support group that meets every so often. There's also transportation arranged for doctor visits, errands, and community events, and they have daily scheduled activities to keep folks engaged, from movies to devotional services to pet therapy, and even outside walks near the park when weather allows. The place doesn't allow any smoking indoors, keeps things tidy, and puts a lot of effort into making everything as safe and comfortable as possible, using visual cues and muted colors to help those with memory issues find their way. They also offer respite care for folks who need short-term stays. The home's regulated by California's Department of Social Services and works with Alzheimer's Orange County, aiming to create not just a safe place, but also a friendly spot where seniors and caregivers can build strong bonds, and the staff's trained in both hospice and home health care if those are ever needed.
