While it’s true that active, independent boomers and seniors are moving to Moorings Park Communities for the luxurious residences, the stunning amenities, and the world-class dining, there’s another important benefit to being a Moorings Park Communities resident. Residents have the comfort of knowing that they also have access to the best health care in Southwest Florida.
At both Moorings Park and Moorings Park at Grey Oaks, assisted living and memory care residences provide certified, compassionate care, and in the first quarter of 2026, our newest Life Plan Community, Moorings Park Grande Lake, will open the doors to the nation’s most technically advanced assisted living and memory care residences to date.
Oakstone’s Passionate New Administrator
Oakstone, the assisted living and memory care residences at Moorings Park at Grey Oaks, recently gained a new administrator, Emma Jones, who has been using her passion and expertise to enhance the lives of residents and partners alike. After receiving her degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Emma served as the nursing home administrator with Presbyterian Homes and Services. However, she has felt a calling to senior living since she was in high school.
“My very first job was as a server in an assisted living community. It was because of this opportunity that I recognized how special it was to create relationships with older adults and connect with them through my role. At the time, I didn’t know that I would be fulfilling this passion at the capacity that I am today, but I always knew I was meant to be serving baby boomers and seniors.”
“The Moorings Park mission of providing Simply the Best services for successful aging with professional and compassionate care aligns with my passion to create relationships and empower each person I serve to live life to their fullest ability,” she says. “I find so much joy in working at Moorings Park at Grey Oaks. Each day I’m able to build relationships with residents, families, and team members. There is a culture of compassion and care that radiates from the partners to the residents we serve.”
This emphasis on person-centered care stems from Moorings Park Communities’ adoption of the acclaimed Best Friends™ Approach.
The Best Friends™ Approach
The Best Friends™ Approach was developed by Virginia Bell and David Troxel in 1997 while they were working at the University of Kentucky Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Based on their experiences during this time, they determined that what a person with dementia needs most is a friend. The Best Friends™ Approach is now regarded internationally as an accumulation of the best practices in memory care, and Moorings Park Communities was the first organization in Florida to formally license the Best Friends™ Approach.
“Our assisted living and memory care services are centered around compassionate care to residents. When a resident experiences memory loss, we engage with them in a way that truly embodies how we would treat our own best friends, emphasizing empathy, respect, support, trust, and humor, the essential elements to any friendship,” says Emma.
Over the years, many members of the Moorings Park Communities team have become certified Best Friends™ master trainers, and the programs at each of the memory care centers are designed around Best Friends™ principles, which emphasize things like practicing patience and understanding, fostering meaningful engagement, creating a safe and secure environment, and implementing the Dementia Bill of Rights. Every person experiencing memory loss, whether caused by dementia, Alzheimer’s, or mild cognitive impairment deserves appropriate care, a community of advocates, and to be treated with respect and dignity.
From individualized healthcare to engaging programs and activities, Moorings Park Communities offers fulfilling, compassionate services across their assisted living and memory care residences that are designed to improve residents’ quality of life and enhance their physical, intellectual, and spiritual wellness.
Moorings Park Grande Lake’s New Assisted Living and Memory Care Residences
In late September, site preparation for the new assisted living and memory care building at Moorings Park Grande Lake began. Construction is set to start January of 2024 with the grand opening projected for the first quarter of 2026. In addition to the area’s best assisted living and memory care, this new health care gem will be home to an adult respite, which will allow residents with spouses who need some assistance, but not full-time care, to have a break throughout their day.
The new suites at Moorings Park Grande Lake will be some of the largest assisted living and memory care residences ever built and will be designed to include cutting-edge technology. A short stroll from their residence, residents will be able to enjoy an expansive wander garden with a variety of flora and fauna. To see what this game-changing assisted living and memory care building will look like, visit our website.
