A large crowd gathered from across Hamilton County to celebrate a milestone years in the making—the grand opening of The Lantern at Morning Pointe Alzheimer's Center of Excellence, East Hamilton. The new memory care community completes the full-service senior living campus, now offering both assisted living and memory care services in side-by-side buildings.
Officials said, "Local, county and state leaders joined Morning Pointe Senior Living in marking the momentous occasion, celebrating not only the economic impact for Hamilton County but also the expanded care options now available for families facing the challenges of Alzheimer's and dementia."
Kim Lepard, a retired RN and Morning Pointe family member, shared a deeply personal story about her father's journey and how she thought she could do it all, but after two years of caring for her Dad with his memory care needs, she realized she needed help.
"I've been able to go visit my children and grandchildren who live out of state. The period that my Dad was living with us, I was unable to do that, and now I'm able to be the daughter, a grandmother and mom again, so it's been freedom for us that we can enjoy other things and know that he's well taken care of."
"Other speakers echoed the importance of this specialized memory care expansion, including Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp, Hamilton County Commission Chair Lee Helton (District 7), Bill Hullander, Hamilton County Trustee, Ben Cairns with the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, and Amy French with the Tennessee Department of Health Office of Healthy Aging," officials said.
Morning Pointe Co-Founder Greg A. Vital also shared heartfelt remarks, "This community represents more than just bricks and mortar—it's a promise to families that their loved ones can receive compassionate, specialized care right in the neighborhoods they call home. As East Hamilton continues to grow, Morning Pointe is proud to grow with it, providing services that honor aging with dignity and purpose."
"Special thanks to the Silverdale Baptist PrimeTimers Choir, American Legion Post 95 Color Guard and the Scouting America Troops 82 & 1147 from Harrison United Methodist Church for helping make the grand opening ceremony memorable," officials said.
The Lantern, located at 1775 Generations Way, 9700 Block E. Brainerd Road, includes 60 apartments and offers two levels of memory care: the Lamplight is a large open area for residents with early-to-moderate stage memory loss; the Lantern wing for individuals needing more advanced memory support.