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Multilingual dementia-trained caregivers
Vietnamese, Spanish, Somali and English spoken on every shift.
24/7
Memory care · Garden City, Kansas
When English slips away, we answer in her first language.
Alzheimer's often takes the language a person learned last. At Sandsage, caregivers speak Vietnamese, Spanish, Somali and English, so no one is left without words.
Photo tour
Evenings at Sandsage
Why language matters
Comfort sounds like home.
Garden City has always been a town of people who came from somewhere else. Many of our residents learned English as adults, working at the plant or running a family store, and dementia is quietly taking it back. A sentence that used to come easily turns into frustration, and frustration turns into fear.
So we hire for it. Our caregivers speak the languages our residents grew up with, our kitchen cooks the food they grew up eating, and the songs on the stereo are ones their mothers sang. It sounds simple. For a person who feels lost, it changes the whole day.
— Hoa Tran-Mendoza, executive director
Sample family reviews
In our families' words
My mother stopped speaking English two years ago. The first time I visited, a caregiver was teasing her in Vietnamese about her cooking, and Mom was laughing so hard she had to sit down.
Papá worked thirty-one years at the plant. They have him folding towels and he calls it his shift. He is proud again.
They asked what my grandmother ate for breakfast in Mogadishu. Nobody else ever asked.
I'm a farmer and I don't say much. They figured out my wife settles down with Glen Campbell, and they play it every evening at six.
What sets us apart
Where we shine
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Home cooking from four kitchens
Pho on Mondays, posole on Thursdays, fried chicken on Sundays and rice at every meal for anyone who wants it.
Included03
Music and memory hour
Personal playlists built with each family, in every language we serve.
DailyFacebook · Sandsage Memory Care
Life here lately
Good to know
Questions, answered
Do caregivers really speak my parent's language?
On every shift we have caregivers who speak Vietnamese and Spanish, and Somali-speaking staff on most shifts. For other languages we use a phone interpreter service and learn key phrases with your family's help.
Can you cook the food my mother is used to?
Yes. Our menu rotates Vietnamese, Mexican, East African and Midwestern dishes, and our cooks will learn a family recipe if you bring it in. Halal and vegetarian meals are always available.
Is the building secure?
Doors are coded and alarmed, and the courtyard is walled, so residents can walk freely and safely indoors and out.
How is memory care paid for?
Most families pay privately or with long-term care insurance. Medicare does not pay for room and board in memory care. Some veterans qualify for VA benefits, and in Kansas some residents may qualify for Medicaid (KanCare) waiver services. Our business office can help you sort through it.
When can we visit?
Any time. Many families come for supper. Let the front desk know and we'll set a place, and grandchildren are always welcome.
Schedule a tour
Tours in three languages
Choose a time below or call. Tell us which language your family is most comfortable in and the right person will meet you at the door.
Visit
Find us in Garden City
- 1720 E Sandsage Lane
Garden City, KS
Park along the east side of the building, by the courtyard gate. The front door is on your left. - (620) 555-0126
- Text us
- visit@sandsagememory.example
- Sandsage Memory Care
Tour & office hours
- Tours, Mon – Sat9a – 5p
- Sunday tours1p – 4p
- Families visitAny time
Come hear what a good day sounds like.
Tours run about an hour and we can give them in Vietnamese, Spanish or English. Bring the whole family; we'll put the kettle on.