Cary, N.C., August 3, 2009 -- The Grove, an internationally acclaimed memory support program, is the subject of a new multimedia project produced by Signal Hill.

Launched in July, The Grove Story Project uses the Web, video and print communications to explore the innovative dementia care program of ABHOW, a California-based senior housing and healthcare provider.

“The Grove has an incredible story to tell – actually many stories – of an organization passionate about delivering care in a different way, of families finding much-needed help, and of staff discovering new ways to accompany older adults through Alzheimer’s and other dementia,” says Michael Pryfogle, Signal Hill’s video director and project manager.  “Ultimately, the stories are about seniors finding a home and peace of mind.”
 
ABHOW started The Grove in 1996 at Plymouth Village, its Redlands, Calif., continuing care retirement community.  Today, the program is in place in four additional communities – in Santa Barbara and Fresno, Calif., Des Moines, Wash., and Phoenix, Ariz.
 
Signal Hill’s crew shot video in Redlands, Santa Barbara and Phoenix for a 26-minute DVD history of The Grove plus brief Web-based video vignettes. The team is now producing a five-minute promotional video that will be used for marketing and educational purposes.  Signal Hill writers interviewed staff and family members to capture their caregiving journeys. Stories and video are available at www.abhow.com/grove.
 
“Throughout the production, our team was moved by the passion of ABHOW staff members,” Pryfogle says.  “And we witnessed firsthand the incredible difference The Grove makes in the lives of residents and their families.”
 
ABHOW uses a social model rather than a medical model for memory support. Through a uniquely designed setting, creative activities, and person-centered care that adjusts to the habits and preferences of the resident, ABHOW’s approach has achieved significant results: improved physical health, decreased wandering, better sleep patterns, less agitation, stronger interpersonal relationships, and less use of medications to control moods and behaviors.
 
ABHOW is the first multisite organization in the nation to receive the coveted accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities-Continuing Care Accreditation Commission.  The company’s approach has captured the attention of senior living leaders in the U.S. as well as international researchers who are struggling to address the symptoms of a disease for which there is no known cure.  More than five million people live with Alzheimer’s in the U.S.  Those numbers are expected to dramatically climb as 76 million baby boomers enter their sixties.
 
“Amid the growing prevalence of Alzheimer’s, we are proud to share the good news of The Grove,” Pryfogle says.  “Our hope is that The Grove Story Project helps more families find the assistance they need, plants the seeds for ABHOW to expand the program to additional communities, and inspires other organizations to be equally innovative.”
 
ABOUT SIGNAL HILL
 
The Signal Hill Company, a leadership and communications consultancy, serves nonprofits, congregations and social enterprises throughout the U.S. and Canada.  Founded in 1999, Signal Hill uses narrative-based practices to help leaders draw upon the power of their stories and multimedia approaches to get the stories out.  Learn more about Signal Hill at www.signalhillspot.com.