Avita of Needham Opens for Business

After nearly a year of construction, Avita of Needham opened up to residents last week.

Avita is an assisted living facility that specializes in serving people with memory problems—the first of its kind in the MetroWest area, according to Diane Robinson, Avita's community liaison. Last week, the Needham business, located at 880 Greendale Avenue, welcomed its first 11 residents, and about half of the site's 62 units already have deposits down on them.

“We’ve had a great reception from all of 7-8-1,” Robinson said. “Normally I have to make outgoing calls [to attract interest]. In this role, I’m taking inbound.”

Avita is the fifth senior living facility opened by the Northbridge Company, which is based in Burlington. Northbridge will also be opening another facility in Plymouth in the near future. The communities are run by people with more than 20 years of experience in the senior living facilities business.

Every member of the staff at Avita, whether they work as a housekeeper, cook or nurse, is trained in how to deal with people who suffer from some sort of memory loss. Memory loss could be something as serious as Alzheimer’s disease, or even just a little bit of dementia. Avita has no clear guidelines on what types of people they can or cannot accept. They do it on a case-by-case basis so as not to be forced into a decision that may not be the best for the potential resident, or themselves, according to Robinson.

Avita will have residents who need very little care as well as people who need as much as 60 minutes daily help with basic necessities such as dressing and bathing, Robinson said.

Specializing in memory care means Avita has a trained professional staff that uses advanced technology such as computer software programs to help the residents work on their memory in a room they call the “Brain Gym.” Using software designed by Hasbro, they will work the residents’ memories to try to keep them active and fresh in the hopes that they may be able to help sustain their memories for a longer period of time, Robinson said.

Still, there is much that science does not know about memory loss illnesses and it is difficult to predict which techniques, software or programs will help different residents. Patience is key for the staff, Robinson said.

An interesting thing at Avita is their commitment to making the residents feel at home as if they are still on their own. One such example is how they choose to use locally grown food so they will always eat fresh, not to mention inject money into the local economy. Seafood is purchased from Captain Marden’s in Wellesley, produce comes from Volante Farms here in Needham and chicken is bought from Owen’s Chicken Farm, which is also in Needham.

The residents’ safety is also of the utmost importance to the staff, Robinson said. Residents are unable to leave the building without supervision, but with activities planned every day, from games to art classes to movies, the residents have plenty to do on site. Residents’ memories vary, but there is always the possibility someone could wander off or get hurt somehow if left unattended. Most mornings will begin with some sort of exercise class. Throughout the day there could be activities such as baking, playing cards, music and art class.

The campus also features four gardens with plants and flowers, which gives residents the opportunity to get outside and get some exercise.

There are still a number of units available. For more information, call Avita of Needham at 781-444-2266.