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Neighbors at Work: Woodrest Healthcare Center |
| Channels » Home » News » Neighbors at Work: Woodrest Healthcare Center |
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May 11, 2005 |
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The Pilot-Independent
Walker, Minn.
"This is the most beautiful nursing home I have seen in Minnesota," declared a state inspector when he first toured Woodrest Nursing Home in February 1967.
Built and owned by Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Kureth, the facility had 33 two-patient rooms when it opened. Now called Woodrest Healthcare Center, the center has a capacity of 52 residents and recently submitted a proposal to develop an Alzheimer's–dementia unit.
Woodrest is now owned and operated by Beverly Healthcare, which owns 29 nursing homes in Minnesota from Hibbing all the way to Rochester. Beverly owns about 500 nursing homes nationwide.
Why do residents come?
Residents at Woodrest are there for short- or long-term rehabilitation due to any combination of reasons:
- A need for rehab therapy. One of the major reasons residents come is to make use of the center's therapy services. Those services include physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language pathology. Woodrest also provides outpatient therapy services for people who are not residents.
- Not quite able to live on their own. Perhaps a patient has been discharged from the hospital but cannot physically care for themselves yet. Woodrest therapy services help residents with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bed mobility, eating and toilet use until they are ready to live on their own again.
- A significant life event. For example, patients might enter Woodrest after a stroke has left them paralyzed on one side.
- Failure to thrive. Patients living on their own who have lost weight, are dehydrated or otherwise are temporarily not up to par require help with ADLs.
- 24-hour nursing assistance. Woodrest has nursing assistants who are certified medical aides and able to administer medication. In addition to four or five RNs, there are LPNs who are trained as charge nurses to oversee nursing operations, supervise aides, monitor and update charts for residents. The nursing staff also plan appointments, create follow-up schedules and handle any calls from family.
- Hospice respite care. Woodrest partners with St. Joseph's Hospice in Park Rapids to provide four to five respite care days. St. Joseph's has furnished and decorated a room at Woodrest that is dedicated to this kind of care.
What do residents do while at Woodrest?
Patients and families are always encouraged to bring in personal effects that will make the resident feel more comfortable and "at home." Some things found in residents' rooms might include family photos or a quilt from their bed at home.
When residents aren't receiving therapy services, they have other activities to choose from. "The Hill Topper" is a daily newsletter for residents that lists the day's activities as well as the menu for the day.
The activity room and the front entrance lounge are both used for activities such as gathering for coffee time or current events, games, craft projects, sensory stimulation, exercise, listening to the radio, and watching movies or TV. Betty Grams provides beauty shop services to residents who desire them in a room dedicated for that purpose.
The activity room also happens to have a beautiful view of the lake, bringing events like the Leech Lake Regatta and Eelpout Festival up the hill to Woodrest residents.
The front lounge is also home to a few nonhuman residents. Patients can visit with the fish in a tank near the nursing station or with the colorful birds housed there in a floor-to-ceiling enclosure.
While at Woodrest, residents are protected by an electronic security system that requires keypad access at all doors.
What does the staff do?
"The Woodrest staff is more dedicated than any other one group of individuals I've ever seen," declares Executive Director Melissa Kerr. "They're kind, caring, genuine. [To them it's] not just a job, it's a second home. They truly love the residents and come in on their days off to read mail to them or just to visit."
In addition to the 24-hour nursing assistance described above, the nursing staff work closely with Medical Director Burton Haugen from Dakota Clinic and other doctors on pain management, and to assure appropriate care for residents. Doctors also make patient rounds weekly.
An electronic charting system called Caretracker has a touch-screen for quick and easy updates. The system helps expedite the caregivers' day, allowing them to spend more time with patients and less time updating chart information.
Director of Nursing Services Kelly Kruschke oversees all nursing practices and all nursing decisions, measures quality performance and makes sure individual residents' needs are met.
Rhonda Stone, R.N., is the minimum data set (MDS) coordinator. When residents are admitted, the staff asks them about their health care needs. That information, along with other information about their needs, is recorded on an assessment form called the MDS.
The MDS is used to plan patient care and serves as a vehicle to ensure effective communication between residents and their health care team. It is used in an effort to improve quality of care and quality of life for nursing home residents.
The active kitchen staff provides three square meals and two snacks to all residents each day in the facility's dining room. Laundry services, housekeeping and maintenance staff under the direction of Ron Martin, Director of Environmental Services, also work hard to keep residents comfortable and to keep the facility running smoothly.
Social Services Director Brenda Peterson has worked at Woodrest for 12 years. She does administrative work, such as helping families with issues like powers of attorney. Any grievances go to her office, and she handles the marketing as well.
Business Office Manager Deb Dykema assists patients and their families with insurance, Medicare and Medical Assistance.
Terri Derby's responsibility is medical records. Her work entails filing important correspondence documentation between physicians and nurses. She also codes all diagnoses for the residents.
Kerr is from southern Wisconsin, where she was director-in-training at a facility that housed 84 skilled nursing residents and 24 assisted living residents. She earned her bachelor's degree in nursing home administration from the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire. She is nationally licensed in nursing home administration and is in the process of acquiring her state license.
She came to Woodrest temporarily in July 2004. During the following month, Kerr decided she "couldn't leave" the Walker area and stayed on as executive director.
In addition to a capable and experienced staff, Woodrest is blessed with many volunteers from the community. Volunteers range in age from small children through high school students, as well as adults, who provide church services and activities such as singing, bingo and reading to residents.
Where do residents go when they leave?
One goal at Woodrest is to discharge patients to their homes.
"We tell patients 'We start discharge plans the day you get here,'" reports Kerr, "and we ask them 'What are YOUR goals?'"
Kerr continues with a recent success story. A 92-year-old woman living alone fell and bumped her head. She also had hip and wrist pain and bruises. After a short hospital stay, she came to Woodrest. After one month of speech, occupational and physical therapy she was discharged to her home.
Woodrest coordinates with Cass County Home Health Services for any follow-up in-home visits. When going home isn't an option, Woodrest coordinates with assisted living facilities such as Walker's May Creek Lodge and Gramma Jo's House. Assisted living facilities offer from minimum to moderate assistance with services like housekeeping, meals, activity programs and laundry.
Another possible destination could be senior apartments, where residents might get help with housekeeping and some activity programs.
More about Woodrest
The Minnesota Department of Health takes an annual survey of nursing homes—a highly regulated industry that's second only to nuclear power plants.
"We are very proud," Kerr asserts, "that this year only two very minor deficiencies were noted at Woodrest, much better than the state average of 10 to 12."
Woodrest welcomes and encourages visitors any day of the week. Visiting hours are open—people are free to visit whenever is convenient for them. Woodrest is located at 209 Birchwood Ave. W., just up the hill from WHA School, and can be reached by telephone at 218-547-1855.
For more information about Beverly Healthcare, visit www.beverlyhealthcare.com. For more information on Woodrest, visit www.woodresthealthcarecenter.com.
Article sidebar:
National Nursing Home Week
May 8–14, 2005
Theme—"Taking Center Stage"
Woodrest Healthcare Center joins thousands of long-term care providers in Minnesota and across the nation in celebrating National Nursing Home Week this week.
This weeklong celebration honors the residents, staff and volunteers working and residing in long-term care facilities. Some special events will be held this week include:
- May 10—Residents and staff will celebrate Silly Sock and Fresh Fruit Day.
- May 11, 1–3 p.m.—The whole community is invited to join staff and residents for popcorn and van rides.
- May 12—A potluck will be held to honor Woodrest staff.
- May 13—Residents and staff will wear all black in recognition of Friday the 13th.
Sponsored by the American Health Care Association, the week spotlights the crucial role nursing homes play in delivering quality care to our nation's seniors and disabled Americans, 1.5 million of whom reside in nursing facilities.
This week brings awareness to nursing homes and is also a vehicle for celebrating the exceptional care providers, volunteers, families and others from the community who foster the spirit of "Taking Center Stage" throughout the year.
"Our residents have so much to share, and we feel that activities such as these are a wonderful way of including not only residents and staff, but also the whole community," says Melissa Kerr, Executive Director at Woodrest. "If you would like to join us Wednesday or come for a visit and tour, please contact us at 218-547-1855.We would love to include you."
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