After working on children’s puzzles in a sunny day room, with a breeze from a courtyard garden, the small group of elderly men and women prepare for lunch.

The four residents at the upscale Sanitasole, the only assisted-living facility in Marco Island, and the dozen or so others who come for the adult day program share a large table for the hot meal of veal parmigiana, pasta and vegetables.

Paula Camposano Robinson, who co-owns the center with her husband, Richard, nudges them to interact. One struggles with the pasta.

“Roll it on the fork, kiddo,” she demonstrates. “You can do it.”

She starts a video of the “Dean Martin Variety Show” on a large projection screen.

“It’s one of their favorites,” she said.

Keeping the elders engaged every day is critical; so is being upbeat with them. All have varying degrees of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, besides their physical impairments.

“The biggest work is acceptance of their limitations and not making it a negative. Then they do better,” said Richard Robinson, Paula’s husband and co-owner of the center.

Some of the residents like doing small tasks around the center, which gives them a sense of accomplishment.

“All of us want to make a contribution,” he said.

Robinson and his wife opened the three-story Sanitasole, which looks more like a beachfront mansion, in 2008 with the adult day care program.

The 10-bed ALF debuted in December. It also has an extended congregate care license to provide nursing care so the residents can remain at Sanitasole, which becomes their home.

“Between 94 and 98 percent of all residents can remain here until they die,” he said. “A small number will have to go to skilled nursing.”

Read the full article at NaplesNews.com.

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