Encore Memory Care Day Center, Plano

When a family deals with a condition such as Alzheimer's or dementia, it helps to have the support of a community who has experienced the same things. Encore Memory Care Day Center's staff consists of trained caregivers, most of whom have personally dealt with such maladies in their personal lives. This allows them to approach their care not only with understanding, but real feeling as well.

"We had a family member with Alzheimer's disease who we took care of for many years," owner Laura recalls. "If something like this had been available, we would have been really grateful."

Laura and her team focus on creating a nurturing, home-like environment with plenty of fun and social activities for their guests to participate in. They change up the entertainment every 30 minutes, sometimes playing crossword games, sometimes exercising, and sometimes gathering around the baby grand piano to sing along with celebrity impersonators who stop by.

"All of our activities are designed to stimulate [our guests'] brains, but they think they are just having fun," Laura says. In addition to fueling brains, the staff fuels bodies by providing seniors with four healthy meals a day, each of which is designed by a nutritionist to keep guests healthy.