The team at Symphony at Mentor is dedicated to senior care done right

By Laura Briedis

As the new executive director at Symphony at Mentor, Terry Hornikel considers herself lucky to be at the helm of the only dedicated dementia and memory care community in Lake County. Terry began her new position in mid-June, continuing her more than 35-year career in the assisted living/memory care industry.

“I’ve always had a passion for caring for those with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia and their families,” says Terry.

With an educational background in gerontology, Terry sees her career in memory care as a life calling. Having worked in several different communities in Ohio and Connecticut, there’s something about the residents and staff at Symphony at Mentor that excites Terry for the future.

“The staff here is doing everything right,” says Terry. “By that I mean that no matter what issues arise, the staff and managers always do the right thing by the residents.”

Terry feels strongly that dementia care needs to take place in a dedicated community, where all residents are dealing with some stage of dementia.

“It’s essential for dementia residents to move to a place where they are cared for by people educated and trained in this area who can address the specific needs of residents and their families,” says Terry. “It’s critical to address a dementia diagnosis early on in the process, before the disease progresses too far. At Symphony at Mentor, we not only care for our residents’ physical needs, we constantly engage their minds as well, keeping them functioning mentally and physically for as long as possible.”

Terry prides herself on her ability to connect with residents and their families who, Terry believes, must also be educated in memory care.

“This journey is an education for the family, too,” says Terry. “They need someone they can trust in charge of the care of their loved one. They need to be confident that I and my staff will always do the right thing.”

Symphony at Mentor is located at 8155 Mentor Hills Dr. in Mentor. For more information and to schedule a tour, call 440-256-8320, or check the website SymphonyAtMentor.com.