Shirley Thompson, 72, lightly taps her fingers to the classical music drifting in from a bedroom. Anita Smith, a caregiver, lovingly caresses the hand of Lois Ryan, 83, who is reminiscing about raising horses.

Nicki, the house dog, dressed in a red bandanna, wanders in and settles by Thompson's feet.

When asked, Thompson can't remember what she ate for lunch. Nita Wissler, 79, asks repeatedly when her husband will pick her up; she's forgotten that he died several years ago.

All five residents, one man and four women, have Alzheimer's disease, a progressive disorder that destroys brain cells, causing confusion and eventually death.

But unlike many who suffer from the illness, they aren't facing a life of sterile white nursing home walls and hospital food. Instead they live in a cozy home tucked in a quiet Longmont neighborhood. Their food is prepared daily by a caregiver who knows their individual tastes. They are even pampered by a visiting hairdresser, who does their hair and nails weekly and offers monthly pedicures.

Bathrooms and showers have safety bars. The front door is locked with a security code so residents can't wander out.

The home, one of nine in Colorado run by Denver-based Millbrook Homes, reflects an emerging trend toward more care options for Alzheimer's patients, says Kathleen O'Brien, vice president of program services for the Chicago-based Alzheimer's Association. Ten years ago, the only options were nursing homes and assisted living centers. Today options include small homes sometimes referred to as personal care boarding homes, adult daycare and a variety of nursing home and assisted living offerings.

O'Brien says the change is fueled by earlier diagnoses and greater awareness of the disease.

At the Longmont home, residents have their own room. There are no hospital gowns and no nurses' uniforms. Off the living room is a secure back yard with a patio for barbecues and morning coffee.

Residents regularly are taken on trips in the company van, for shopping, lunch, Dairy Queen and sometimes even Estes Park. They can partake in crafts, bingo and games at the house on a daily basis. A music therapist comes once a week.

The home has been operating about five years.

There are roughly a dozen companies in the metro area offering residential settings with four to 12 occupants, according to the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.

Millbrook Homes charges $3,800 to $4,300 per month, depending on the size of the room and the level of care. The cost falls within the typical range for traditional nursing homes — the average cost for nursing home care is $42,000 annually, but can exceed $70,000 in some parts of the country, according to the Alzheimer's Association. But because Millbrook Homes does not accept Medicaid, and Medicare doesn't typically cover long-term care for seniors, most residents here pay out of pocket, using money saved for retirement or from the sale of their homes.

The cost at Millbrook includes supervised room and board, food, hair appointments, toiletries and field trips.

Although seven out of 10 Alzheimer's patients are cared for by a friend or family member, as a person declines they almost always require more supervision and care than what a family can provide, O'Brien says.

That's what happened when Kristen Green tried for five months to care for her mother in her Boulder home. Her mother, Shirley Thompson, 72, has lived in the Millbrook home for almost three years.

Thompson was the kind of mom the neighborhood kids turned to when they couldn't talk to their own parents, says Green. But today Thompson doesn't remember those conversations. She can't recall raising three kids as a single mother or being a high school teacher in Minnesota. She doesn't remember living in the same home for 39 years.

Green tried bringing her mother to live with her, but it was difficult. She refused to climb the stairs, so she slept in the living room. Then she learned how to unlock the door and started wandering the neighborhood.

"The neighbors all knew me and brought her back," Green says.

Her search for a loving home ended at Millbrook. Green says she likes the personal attention and the homey atmosphere. And she's thrilled that her mother, who always had a dog, lives with a dog once more. Thompson is known for sneaking food under the table to her furry friend.

"We love the idea of her being in a house," Green says. "The caregivers here are incredible. (Smith) cares for my mother as if she is her own. It's beautiful."

When asked about her living situation, Lois Ryan, the horse lover who is also the most cognizant of the group, says enthusiastically: "I love it." She loves to go for errands, and often will accompany Millbrook Homes staff to Safeway or to her favorite stop — the dog groomer.

O'Brien says small home settings may not be appropriate for everyone with Alzheimer's, particularly those with more complicated care needs or a very high need for privacy. A visiting nurse comes once a week, and there is constant contact with resident's doctor, but there is no medical personnel on site. It also may not work for those who have trouble getting along with others.

"It needs to be a good match," O'Brien says.

For Ryan, it has been.

"I'm getting old," she says. "But I enjoyed every minute of my life."

Contact Susan Glairon at (303) 473-1392 or glairons@dailycamera.com.