Imagine walking into a memory care community and smelling dinner cooking in the kitchen, hearing laughter from the common area and seeing residents moving freely through a space designed to feel like home.
At Sundara Senior Living, that experience is intentional. Co-owner Kelli Hudson has built the Forest Creek community around personalized dementia care, dignity and the familiarity of a residential home.
“We operate like a family, not a facility,” Hudson said.
What makes Sundara different from traditional memory care?
For Hudson, the difference begins with size and purpose. Rather than being a memory care wing attached to a larger assisted living facility, Sundara is dedicated specifically to dementia care.
Its two homes, located on the corner of Rusk and Forest Creek, each accommodate up to 16 residents. The homes take the shape of the letter “H,” with short hallways, an open kitchen in the center and common areas that encourage residents to stay connected rather than isolated in their apartments.
Staff use observational care, paying attention to residents throughout the day so they can recognize changes in behavior or health and respond proactively.
How does personalized care help residents feel at home?
Before a resident moves in, Sundara takes time to learn who they are beyond their care needs. Hudson conducts an in-depth evaluation that covers everything from daily routines and personal care abilities to hobbies, careers and the small details that reveal a person’s history.
One question Hudson asks families is what their loved one did with their hands. Did they cook, sew, write or build things? Those details help caregivers find meaningful ways to connect with residents.
For example, one resident was a former bed-and-breakfast owner, so the caregivers gave her an apron to wear and let her slice tomatoes for dinner. There have also been several residents who are artists, so the Sundara team incorporates those interests into activities.
One of Sundara’s biggest priorities is to help residents release the pressure to constantly mask dementia or keep pace with the cognitive world around them.
“When residents live at Sundara, they let go of their fear. They're masters at masking that they have dementia, and they no longer have to do that here because we're not correcting them,” Hudson said. “We don't care if they think it’s Tuesday and it's Saturday. When they don't have to continuously spend that energy to stay with the cognitive world, they lose their fear. These folks are fearless; they're happy; they laugh. People walk into Sundara and say, ‘We can't believe this is memory care.’”
What does daily life look like at Sundara?
At Sundara, flexible activities are built into the day. Residents start their morning with some form of movement, whether that be chair exercises, a walk along nearby paths, a visit to the pond across the street or enjoying an impromptu dance party with Motown playing.
Rather than emphasizing memory exercises designed to teach or retain information, Sundara focuses on participation and meaningful experiences. Reminiscing about places residents have lived, careers they've had or memories from earlier in life can become a natural part of the day.
Sundara also provides all-inclusive services, including 24-hour awake, on-site care, three meals a day and more. Mobile physicians, nurses, dentists and podiatrists, as well as X-ray and laboratory services can come directly to the community, and those costs can be charged to Medicare.
Can families visit their loved ones?
“One of the things we try to protect is resident rights, so they have a front door, and their families can code in and out,” Hudson said. “We do not recognize visiting hours; residents are free to have family come [at any time]. They're also free to leave when their family takes them out.”
Those outings are especially accessible at Sundara; shopping is nearby, and I-35 and the tollway are mere minutes away.
For Sundara, boutique memory care is ultimately about creating a place where residents are known, cared for and allowed to live with as much familiarity and freedom as possible.
Those interested in learning more can find resources here:
Website: https://sundaraliving.com/
Address: 1000 Rusk Rd., Round Rock
Phone number: 512-399-5080
Hours: Open 24/7
Frequently asked questions
What sets Sundara Senior Living apart from traditional memory care facilities?
Sundara Senior Living is a state-regulated boutique community dedicated exclusively to dementia care, operating like a family home rather than an institutional facility. The community consists of two residential H-shaped homes that accommodate up to 16 residents each, featuring central kitchens, short hallways and open spaces designed to foster social connection. Staff utilize proactive, observational care to attend to resident needs throughout the day.
How does Sundara personalize daily care and activities for its residents?
Caregivers perform in-depth evaluations before move-in to understand each resident's personal background, career history and hobbies, using details like former life skills to create tailored daily tasks and engaging experiences. Instead of rigid memory-retention drills, daily life focuses on meaningful participation, movement, music and reminiscing without the pressure to correct cognitive mix-ups, helping residents live with confidence and without fear.
What services and visiting policies are available to residents and their families?
Sundara provides 24/7 awake on-site staffing, all-inclusive daily living care, three meals per day and mobile clinical providers, such as physicians, dentists, podiatrists and lab services, that can bill through Medicare. Families enjoy unrestricted visitation with keyless door access at any time, as well as the freedom to take residents out for trips into the surrounding Round Rock area.
The above story was produced by Senior Multi-Platform Journalist Sydney Heller with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.