New Genesis is one of the secured patient resident buildings at Touchstone Neurorecovery Center. The assisted-living residence is a 16-bed unit.[/caption]

Touchstone Neurorecovery Center has served patients from across the nation for two decades, acting as both a rehabilitation center and a close-knit community in Montgomery County.

Nestled in a wooded 26-acre site in Conroe, the center opened 20 years ago and provides care for patients with brain injuries or neurological disorders in a family-oriented, homelike setting.

“There is no other facility like this in the state of Texas,” said Matthew Dantzer, director of marketing and sales at Touchstone. “The one thing that truly makes us unique is the environment we have here. I’ve seen this place really positively affect people’s lives.”

Dantzer said the main goal of the neurorecovery center is to treat patient injuries in a way to help them reach their functioning level and support themselves. Patients are placed in specialty programs for brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, strokes, vocational rehabilitation, community-based living and life care.

Dr. Jude Theriot, a neurologist at the facility, said patients suffering from severe brain injuries or strokes are given the opportunity to learn how to live their individual lives while feeling like they are at home.

“We’re a post-acute facility, but we’re a space between a hospital and a home,” Theriot said. “Our campus is set up so that as people relearn life skills they go through practice in a real life setting. And rather than going to a doctor, the doctor comes to them.”

Many patients—70 currently—are residents of the facility and live in on-site residential homes or apartments off-campus, Dantzer said.

“About 25 percent of the population here are residents,” he said. “Some have been here 20 years. This is their home.”

Residents not only reside at Touchstone and participate in rehabilitation programs but also work and entertain there.

A gift shop is available in the 22,000-square-foot rehab center where paracords and shirts made by patients are sold. Patients can also perform and watch shows at the amphitheater near the rehab center.

“We want to keep them busy and keep a quality of life [for them],” Dantzer said. “Patients work here and get paid, and with this age group, they need to work and be productive.”