Providence Place
There’s No Place Like THIS Home!
Providence Place continually strives to give its residents the one thing they deserve the most: their independence.
When former resident Judy first came to Providence Place, she truly felt as if her life just might be over. She found herself in an unfamiliar situation, away from home and quite anxious as to the outcome. However, it did not take long for Judy to fully appreciate how amazing this skilled nursing long-term care and rehabilitation facility truly is. Her initial fears were quickly pushed aside, and a sense of calm overcame her when she realized Providence Place would become a welcoming “home away from home” as she rehabilitated from her medical incident. She recognized everyone on staff as kind, caring, sweet and fun and above all knowledgeable and professional. The caring specialists at Providence Place made a significant and lasting impression upon her.
Impressive, however, is an understatement when describing the overall ambiance and atmosphere of Providence Place. The facility is remarkably clean, inviting and welcoming and it boasts beautiful outdoor grounds. Immediately crossing the threshold into the main lobby, it is evident the professionals who work here truly care about their work, but most important, about the individuals who reside here, whether they are here for short-term or long-term care and whether they require nursing and/or rehabilitative treatment.
“Everyone who works here understands this is the residents’ home, not ours,” emphasized Esther Talley, Administrator. “We are here to provide a warm and welcoming home to residents and we want to do the same things for them as we would do for our families and loved ones. I tell every new hire that these people did not come to our workplace; rather, we come to their home to work.”
A comfortable post-acute skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility that has “Welcome Home” written all over it.
The term “long-term care” by definition means assisting others with their medical needs or daily activities over a long period of time. This type of care can be provided at home, in a community or in various types of facilities. Most notably, people associate skilled nursing/long-term care with those transitioning to the late afternoon of life, but it is also a viable form of care for others with disabilities or illnesses that require short-term care. Providence Place offers such post-acute skilled nursing and rehabilitation. Its broad range of services is an integral part of the patient’s continuum of care.
“Our goal is to return our patients home and to restore them to their maximum level of independence,” noted Talley, who explained that a patient must have had a qualifying hospital event or stay in order to receive the skilled services care. “This would include an event like a stroke, pneumonia, a knee or hip replacement, or perhaps the patient has fallen and injured himself or herself. As a result, they are unable to go home and care for themselves. We offer a variety of therapies here to help them regain their independence, as we know there are different standards for different patients. Our ultimate goal is to get each patient back to the level he or she was before they came here, if possible, or at least to a level where someone outside of this facility can care for them.”
Skilled nursing is a preferred option for someone following a surgery or other hospitalization. Providence Place is the perfect place to heal from surgery or illness, as well as receiving assistance and rehabilitation. In other cases, however, a patient may require a level of care that cannot be provided by either family members and/or home health services. Providence Place stands ready with 24-hour care and assistance, ensuring patients receive the highest level of care possible.
Skilled nursing provides a host of benefits to patients. First and foremost, patients have access to a range of healthcare services, such as 24/7 nursing care. Residents also benefit by getting help with activities of daily living, like bathing, dressing, toileting, walking or eating. Regular physical activity is also stressed at Providence Place, as engaging in movement at whatever level is possible is an integral part of restoring and maintaining good health. Further, residents are invited to interact socially with others as well as reach out for spiritual support. At Providence Place, loneliness is not an option.
“All residents are treated under the same regulations, regardless of length of stay through our hybrid of long-term care partnered with skilled services,” explained Talley.
Excellence delivered in a warm and compassionate environment where there is always something on the agenda to do.
Residents are the beneficiaries of a fun-filled calendar of events each week. These include art therapy; movie and popcorn days; bingo; arts and crafts; exercise sessions, groups that come in to perform for the residents; a Red Hats Society group; Wii bowling; weekly visits from Pet Partners; group meetings with chaplains from the hospital; and so much more. Providence Place also utilizes transportation for occasional outings, such as dining out, visiting the pumpkin patch or taking in the neighborhood holiday lighting displays.
“We recently took the residents to Chick-fil-a and they had a blast,” smiled Talley. “They were treated like royalty and we want to thank the employees there for making our residents feel so special.”
And keeping residents in touch with the surrounding community is important to Talley and her staff.
“We are reaching into the community to invite volunteers, churches and various groups to come visit our residents and participate in their recreational activities,” said Talley. “Also, families can join us for meals and also celebrate special occasions with their loved one. We welcome families to use our available spaces as their home, like the living room area but with a beautiful conference room table. Nothing makes me happier than to see families gathering in the lobby to visit.”
A comprehensive list of services.
State of the art medical resources. This is where service, quality health care and patient satisfaction come together as top priorities. Excellence is not just a motto at Providence Place; it is a lifestyle.
No matter for how long someone calls Providence Place home, the services provided are highly comprehensive and include therapy offered seven days a week; physicians on campus; lymphedema treatment; daily nursing assessment; a wound specialist; available assistance with orthopedic concerns, stroke rehabilitation and pain management; and close proximity to Providence Medical Center, should the resident require a return to acute care. That’s the long list of vital services. The short list? Peace of mind, both for the residents and their families and loved ones.
“We benefit from being part of the hospital, as any doctor who has privileges at Providence Medical Center can see our patients here, which allows for that desired continuity of care,” said Talley. “We also work with the wound center at the hospital and have the ability to transport patients as needed there or if follow-up care is simply needed, patients are seen here by a wound care nurse or a nurse practitioner.”
Available staff includes round-the-clock registered nurses; a wound care nurse; IV certified licensed practical nurse, and a licensed master social worker for case management and discharge. The facility also employs a registered dietitian nutritionist and a certified specialist in gerontological nutrition. The facility is overseen by its medical director, Michael Parra, MD, board member of Providence Medical Center. Providence Place has the capabilities and resources to manage multiple health concerns, including post-surgical care; cardio pulmonary care, diabetic management, assessment and teaching; and wound care, such as diabetic ulcers. The facility is approved for Medicare, Medicaid and many private insurances. Additionally, Providence Place works in close alignment with referring physicians throughout the metro area, providing timely and accurate information to keep doctors updated about the care of their patients.
Sharon Welker, RN, Director of Nursing, oversees 14 nurses and 24 certified nursing assistants. She also appreciates the fact Talley does such a phenomenal job as administrator that she herself can focus on what gives her true satisfaction: offering excellent nursing care to the residents.
“Whether for long-term or short-term care, we do the same thing here as we would in a hospital,” she emphasized. “This is a great place for nurses to use and enhance all of their nursing skills.”
A Wyandotte County native, Welker genuinely loves people and getting to know their families. As an integral part of the community herself, Sharon just sees this place as an extension of her own home.
“This is a great place to work,” she indicated. “We enjoy working together to provide really great care to our residents.”
Myriad of reasons to choose Providence Place.
Activity abounds at Providence Place, from the dining room where mouth-watering meals are served to the spacious rooms in which the residents live and/or rehabilitate. With an average length of stay at just 18 days for short-term residents, the focus is on returning them to prior or improved function. Providence Place provides consistent high quality care for post-acute residents on a daily basis.
Rehabilitative care is offered 7 days a week, and this includes orthopedic (total knees and hips), neurological CVA, post-amputation protheses fitting and training and specialized speech therapy. Daily physical therapy and occupational speech therapy is also available, as is a mini kitchen for residents to practice basic living tasks prior to returning home. In fact, 80% of patients return to prior or improved function. Home assessment is also offered prior to discharge to help patients with the transition back home.
“Preparing residents to go home safely is our top concern, and we want them to return home sooner rather than later, so they can re-engage in their normal routines at home,” said Talley. “We do this by assisting them to return to their prior level of independence or as close to that as possible.”
An award-winning atmosphere.
While bragging about where they work is not something the staff would normally do, as their priorities always rest in doing their jobs exceedingly well to ensure the utmost in comfort, care and safety for the residents, their committed efforts to ensuring Providence Place is a leader in the health care community shows in the accolades it receives. Providence Place received the esteemed CMS (Centers for Medicare Services) 5-Star rating in 2018 for both its long term care and skilled services. Further, the facility is associated with and directly on campus of Providence Medical Center, which is recognized as a Healthgrades Hospital of Distinction and the only 5-star rated hospital in Wyandotte County. A recognizable name in the local community, Providence Place has been serving residents since the 1980s. Talley noted, “We strive to be the provider of choice for individuals and families in Wyandotte County.”
But don’t just take our word for it…
The list of testimonials of high praise from residents and loved ones continually pour in.
“You all were not only professional in care but also personal,” expressed a close friend of a resident. “She always told us what great care you gave her. You will never know how comfortable you made us all feel. To you, a heartfelt thanks and appreciation.”
And former resident Judy probably summed it up best upon return to her home when she acknowledged the staff at Providence Place with some important philosophical insight that she clearly felt during her stay.
“Remember, it is important to look at the positive in everyone and remember how everyone wants to be respected, to love and be loved. Once we remember and see everyone in all of their positive, then we can just feel the immensity of it all. We are then filled with more love than we can ever hold.”
Those sentiments seem like a beautiful remedy for good health and happiness. Apparently, Providence Place has the prescription for what ails you.
