What started as a one-and-done memory care unit for women at one Sonata Senior Living property, Serenades for Her has expanded to two additional properties in Florida, with a third in the pipeline.
The Orlando, FL-based company initially offered the women-only dementia care at Serenades at West Orange in Wintergarden, FL. It has grown to include neighborhoods at Serenades at the Villages and Serenades at Longwood, both in Central Florida. Serenades for Her also will be a brand-new lifestyle option at Sonata Boynton Beach in South Florida.
“It has been found that women experience Alzheimer’s disease and dementia differently and with greater frequency than men,” Sonata President and CEO Shelley Esden said Monday in a statement.
Julie Fernandez, regional director of operations for Sonata’s Serenades memory care communities said the first Serenades for Her neighborhoods were filled “almost immediately.”
The concept of memory care units exclusively for women seems to be gaining ground nationwide. Earlier this year, Des Moines, IA-based Via Health Services opened the first women-only dementia unit in the state.
A women-only unit provides female residents with an extra layer of protection from behavioral issues that tend to come from men, and it also provides a “safe haven” for women who have been victims of any type of domestic violence or similar trauma in their past, Via President Jennifer Conner previously told the McKnight’s Business Daily.
Williamsburg Village Healthcare Campus in DeSoto, TX, opened a 28-bed all-female memory care unit in 2018, and Quail Ridge Living Center in Colcord, OK, has an all-female memory care unit as well.
“Sonata’s all-female neighborhood concept simplifies life for the resident and her loved ones, providing a greater degree of gender-specific privacy while giving family members increased peace of mind,” Esden said.
Serenades for Her has a distinctly feminine vibe, with a color palette and décor aimed at evoking a sense of comfort and serenity, the company said. Amenities include an onsite salon and nail bar plus a “Bath-tique” spa.
