As exclusive first-glimpse tours are going on at The Lantern at Morning Pointe Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence, Hardin Valley, Morning Pointe Senior Living is announcing the community’s leadership team.
The single-level memory care community, located at 2433 Reagan Road in Knoxville, is Part II of the Morning Pointe of Hardin Valley Senior Living campus. It is expected to open soon.
The Lantern’s leadership team is:
- Sandra Franklin, RN – Executive Director
- Shauna Craft – Director of Nursing
- Bethany Vandegriff – Business Office Manager
- Cammie Duncan – Lantern Program Director
- Lones Green – Community Relations Director
- Jay Brandon – Food Service Director
- Jim Reeves – Maintenance Director
As executive director, Sandra Franklin will oversee the community’s operations. Working in the senior care field for 35 years, she has experience in roles from central supply to director of nursing to executive director. She is a Knoxville native and currently resides in Corryton.
“Being named the first executive director of this new building is such an honor,” said Franklin. “I am excited about being a part of the team and feel very privileged to get to know the residents and families. Throughout all my years, I have worked with individuals with various needs, but when my own mother was diagnosed with vascular dementia, I really developed a deep regard for what it is like to be a family as well.”
The Hardin Valley Community
The 60 apartments at the new building cover two distinct levels of memory care, expanding the model of care. These are Lamplight, a large area for residents with early-stage Alzheimer’s and dementia who are more active, and Lantern, a more intimate and quiet space designed for more advanced stages. Several floor plan choices include studios and companion two-bedroom apartments, such as for couples.
To tour the community, learn more information, or make a reservation for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia, call 865-343-0409.
The Lantern is next door to the current Morning Pointe of Hardin Valley Assisted Living and Memory Care, which will convert to all assisted living when the new community opens.
Care staff will be specially trained in dementia and Alzheimer’s. Services and amenities at The Lantern at Morning Pointe Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence, Hardin Valley will include:
- Licensed nurses providing oversight of health, wellness and medication management
- Licensed, clinical or care staff available 24 hours a day
- 24-hour personalized care services
- Periodic check-ins
- Personal grooming assistance, such as bathing or getting dressed
- Assistance with transferring to a bed or chair
- Escorting to meals and events
- Incontinence management
- On-site physical, occupational and speech therapies
Programming will include a variety of life enrichment such as arts and crafts, wellness offerings like exercise classes, and intergenerational activities, such as partnering with local schools. Residents will benefit from Morning Pointe’s Farm to Table dining program with local, farm-fresh and seasonal ingredients. And memory care specific offerings will include the Best Friends™ Approach, Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach™ to Care, Meaningful Day™ purposeful programming, music therapy, art therapy and cuddle therapy.
About Morning Pointe
The Lantern at Morning Pointe Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence, Hardin Valley will be the 41st Morning Pointe Senior Living community.
Founded in 1997 by healthcare entrepreneurs Greg A. Vital (president) and J. Franklin Farrow (CEO), Morning Pointe Senior Living operates assisted living and Alzheimer’s memory care communities in five states: Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama and Indiana. Other locations in the greater Knoxville area include Clinton, Knoxville, Lenoir City and Powell.
The philanthropic arm of Morning Pointe Senior Living is the Morning Pointe Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to provide clinical scholarships and caregiver support.
