A natural part of aging is and has always been slipping memory. At Kalispell’s Prestige Assisted Living, a new memory care center hopes to use innovative techniques to help manage older Americans with memory concerns.

At Expressions Memory Care, a 20-bed facility connected to Prestige, seniors with Alzheimer’s disease or lesser forms of dementia have several daily pillars that keep minds active.

“The focus here is on activity,” said Prestige’s director Patty Cordell. “We want to keep people active and engaged. There is no cure for dementia, but we can try to keep brains healthy.”

It’s Expressions’ belief that keeping minds moving — with art, spirituality, exercise and education — can help forestall the effects of memory loss.

The facility was designed with help from Alzheimer’s expert David Troxel, a California author whose “Best Friends Approach” formed the basis of Expressions’ treatment.

“It’s disappointing there is no cure, but some of the best treatment for Alzheimer’s is socialization,” he said. “In 1900, the average age was 47. We are living so much longer now, we are victims of our own success.”

While Alzheimer’s has ties to genetics, dementia is a risk factor with anyone aging past a certain point. Troxel said the progress of dementia and Alzheimer’s can be slowed or even halted by adhering to numerous healthy living strategies. From good lighting to a Mediterranean diet and managing blood sugar, a well-rounded healthy lifestyle can stave off the progression of the diseases.

“We have classes here that the patients can attend,” he said. “They are learning, even if maybe they can’t retain the information. It keeps the synapses in the brain working.”

While the facility opened less than a month ago, the grand opening and open house was just last week. Almost all 20 beds are occupied already.

Debbie Engelhard and Michele Glazier are two sisters whose mother is in the facility.

“Our mom was in Prestige, but they day we moved her in, she asked ‘do you want to see my new home?’” Engelhard said. “The staff is great, the courtyard is wonderful.”

With open avenues of sight, a sunny courtyard where patients can garden and plenty of staff on hand, the secure Expressions Memory Center hopes that its strategies will give loved ones more time with a family member who is afflicted.

Troxel said the stigma around dementia is harmful to mental health. The new memory care center is a good step toward getting rid of it.

“We’re trying to rethink our approach,” he said. “We’ve got to get away from the negativity. It’s a tough thing to deal with, but not impossible.”