Morning Pointe Senior Living has officially opened its newest all-memory care community—The Lantern at Morning Pointe Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence, Hardin Valley—bringing expanded Alzheimer’s and dementia services to the greater Knoxville area.
Located at 2433 Reagan Road, this marks Morning Pointe’s 41st community and completes its full-service senior living campus in Hardin Valley, with assisted living services available on the same campus. The Lantern at Morning Pointe will bring 60 new healthcare jobs to the area and is projected to contribute more than $25 million annually in economic impact through local partnerships, payroll and the purchase of goods and services.
The grand opening celebration last Thursday welcomed families, neighbors and local leaders for a deeper look at what "compassionate, clinically based" memory care truly looks like at Morning Pointe.
Guests toured the new community, met with leadership and heard heartfelt stories from families already seeing the impact of the care provided.
The program included state representatives and local dignitaries from the Office of the Knox County Mayor, the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, Knox County Commissioner Chair Gina Oster and Alzheimer’s Tennessee CEO Janice Wade-Whitehead. Guests also enjoyed performances by the Hardin Valley Academy Chamber Choir, a flag presentation by the Anderson County High School NJROTC, and live harp music from Deborah Cable, the 2023 Seniors Got Talent Knoxville winner.
Greg A. Vital, co-founder and president of Morning Pointe Senior Living, said, “We’re seeing more retirees move into East Tennessee—and with them, families needing memory care services. Morning Pointe is honored to help family members become family again, instead of full-time caregivers.”
His words were echoed by families already experiencing the difference at The Lantern. “Once I came here, this felt like home. I’m not the caregiver and the daughter—I’m the daughter again. I know she’s taken care of, she’s happy and she’s with peers. That says it all,” said Cissie King, whose mother is a resident at The Lantern.
The Lantern at Morning Pointe, Hardin Valley offers 60 memory care apartments and two distinct levels of memory care:
• Lamplight – for residents in the early to moderate stages of Alzheimer’s and dementia; and
• Lantern – for residents in more advanced stages who benefit from a quieter, more intimate setting.
Services include licensed clinical support, medication management, personalized assistance, life enrichment programming, on-site therapy services and access to Morning Pointe’s Meaningful Day memory care philosophy.
Additional highlights include:
• Farm-to-Table dining using fresh, seasonal ingredients;
• Music therapy, art therapy, cuddle therapy and pet therapy;
• The Best Friends Approach and Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care; and
• Transportation, salon/barber services and intergenerational activities with local schools.