When Godwin Dixon and Teresa Whittington opened the front doors at Teresa’s House in Argyle two years ago, they introduced a new standard in senior care by considering everything a loved one might need as they transition with dignity through their continuum of care. Being nationally recognized senior care professionals with over 60 years of combined experience in North Texas—and having a quality staff behind them—certainly helps achieve such lofty standards. But that doesn’t mean they are suddenly resting on their laurels.
The entire staff at Teresa’s House is pursuing the prestigious Positive Approach to Care certification—a nationally recognized program established by renowned occupational therapist and dementia care specialist, Teepa Snow. This certification has radically transformed how senior care professionals are trained to support and interact with individuals living with dementia.
Achieving the PAC certification isn’t easy. It requires a long-term commitment, intensive training, and a focus on developing the right people. Once certified, Teresa’s House will be the first in Texas to join a select group of organizations that have earned this distinction.
“This certification takes a year and a half to achieve. We’re happy to say that we’re in the process of pursuing it, and while it takes quite a bit of training, it is absolutely worth it,” Whittington said. Snow started the program in 2007 and began teaching it to others in 2018. “I’ve worked with dementia patients for a very long time, and had I known this 30 years ago, it would have made a world of difference.”
Dixon agreed, adding that “Dementia takes every bit of dignity away from you. Eventually, someone has to come in and feed you, change you, and help you shower. Our goal is to keep you involved in your care and take people through a very undignified disease with as much of their dignity still intact as possible.”
At the heart of this certification is the mantra of “with a person versus to a person.” Rather than do things like changing and showering for a person under dementia care, this specialized approach focuses on putting the caregiver’s hand under the resident’s hand to keep them involved. Doing so creates an environment where the resident feels in control of their care and continues to participate in activities, versus feeling like everything is being done to them.
As a result, the resident responds better to the caregiver and maintains some level of dignity.
“It’s a wonderful program,” Dixon said. “It’s challenging to put in place and takes a significant investment of resources as you train and retrain and retrain, but I can tell you with absolute certainty that it makes a world of difference for us and the care our residents receive.”
Teresa’s House has already trained three trainers and a hired a coach to help guide them through this special PAC certification. In addition, they are responsible for training their staff through monthly and weekly in-person and video training. Once everyone is trained, the next step is to have Teepa Snow observe and inspect their progress and, hopefully, present them with the certification.
The latest certification is the next logical step for a forward-thinking organization like Teresa’s House.
Years ago, Dixon and Whittington recognized the industry needed a new tone-setter to welcome residents and guests and eliminate even the smallest hint of a care facility. With locations in McKinney and Argyle, Teresa’s House more than achieves that dream thanks to a boutique, concierge home model in a neighborhood community.
Teresa’s House Argyle currently features four 16-room ranch-style homes. All meals are prepared in a beautiful, open family kitchen immediately adjacent to the dining area and just steps away from a traditional living room and sunroom. Natural light is abundant, allowing views of the landscaped grounds, garden paths, and the warm neighborhood feel of the community. They also have an activity center with a fully functional vintage kitchen and man cave/garage—complete with a classic 1965 Mustang—and a horse paddock with miniature horses named Bucky and Oreo for equine activities. They built the community to be therapeutic and fun for their seniors.
And all of it is fully accessible for supervised exploration, relaxation, and enjoyment.
Basically, it looks like a house and feels like home. And at the heart of it is a staff that truly wants the best for its residents.
“Everyone wants to be home,” Dixon said. “The problem is that as we age, most people’s homes are not built for senior care, and being home alone at that stage of your life isn’t necessarily good for you. That’s where we come in. We named it Teresa’s House because we wanted everyone to know that it was nurse-owned and operated, and was truly a home. But as one family member told us while visiting her mother, ‘You can call it Teresa’s House all you want. We call it Carol’s House.’ And that couldn’t make us happier.”
To learn more about Teresa’s House, Teresa asks that you please visit them at teresashouse.com, on Facebook, Teresa’s House – Argyle, or call for a tour at 940-220-6937.
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