Testimonial: “Silverado has set the standard for residential care for individuals living with dementia and their loved ones…”

October 4, 2017

“From the time of its founding in 1996, Silverado has set the standard for residential care for individuals living with dementia and their loved ones. The philosophy and culture of care which Silverado created and continues to refine is often emulated but rarely matched by others. If I had the time, I could write an entire essay about how Silverado has reshaped the entire dementia care industry.  Some of the things about Silverado that I value and respect the most include:

  • The investment that Silverado makes in its team members. Silverado does a superb job of finding smart, compassionate and caring team members and then provides them with training to ensure that they are able to support and interact with residents in the most respectful, helpful and supportive manner possible.
  • Silverado maintains a resident to staff member ratio that few, if any, other comparable organizations match. By doing this, residents living in a Silverado community have the support that they need to be as active, empowered, happy and safe as possible.
  • The Eden model of care, which Silverado pioneered, guarantees that every resident will find activities and experiences that are enjoyable, rewarding and health enhancing.
  • Silverado is the one community that I can always count on being willing to accept a patient with history of challenging behaviors.
  • Silverado is also the one community that, more than any other, is consistently able to provide a level of care that allows for doses of anti-psychotic medications to be reduced.
  • The continuum of care that Silverado provides is incredibly smart and helpful. I especially value Silverado Hospice because most hospice organizations still don’t get how to provide end-of-life care to patients living with dementia and their loved ones.
  • I really value the way that the Silverado culture encourages Silverado team members to approach each resident as a whole person rather than narrowly defining residents as patients with dementia.
  • Silverado does such an outstanding job caring for individuals living with dementia, that the patients we refer rarely ever need to return to our geropsychiatry inpatient unit and, when we get a referral from a Silverado community, we know for sure that the individual has serious behavioral symptoms and truly needs the level of care that we provide.
  • The UC San Diego Senior Behavioral Health Program was born one year after and about 20 miles away from the birthplace of Silverado. Over the years, we have been delighted to acknowledge Silverado as one of our community partners because both Silverado and UC San Diego SBH share the same values including a commitment to provide the highest quality and most innovative care possible for patients living with dementia and their loved ones.”

Dan Sewell, MD

Director, Senior Behavioral Health

Professor of Psychiatry

Hillcrest – UC San Diego Medical Center

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