Day at assisted-living facility can be busy, quiet

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A day in assisted living can be as busy or as quiet as a resident chooses it to be.|ret||ret||tab|

At ManorCare Health Services on South Fremont Avenue, the day starts at 6:30 a.m., when residents arise and ready themselves for breakfast. Some residents are self-sufficient, others need a hand getting out of bed and dressing. The dining room serves a varied breakfast menu at 7:30 a.m. Continental breakfasts are delivered half an hour later to the apartments of those who prefer a leisurely morning meal in their pajamas.|ret||ret||tab|

There are 32 apartments in the Village, a two-story brick building attached to the ManorCare nursing facility. The youngest Village resident is 74 years old, the eldest 20 years her senior. Residents come to meals walking without help, or with a walker, or rolling themselves in a wheelchair. They must remain independently mobile in order to qualify for assisted living status. |ret||ret||tab|

"Our residents are here because they need supportive services assistance and reminders to take their medications or because they have nutrition needs that were not being met when they lived on their own," said Katrice Switzer, assisted living director. "When they're ill, or after minor surgery such as cataract removal, meals are brought to them in their rooms. But usually about half our folks eat breakfast in the dining room every morning."|ret||ret||tab|

Switzer, who came to her position after work as a CNA (Certified Nurse Assistant), holds a BS degree in Gerontology from Southwest Missouri State University. She says simply that she "loves every aspect of being with the elderly. It is so rewarding to be able to bring them a bit of comfort or joy." That joy can be provided, in part, through the activities that Switzer and activities director Mary Pruse plan for their elderly friends. Residents enjoy exercise during the Wellness Stretch classes several times a week, and a dedicated walking group strolls the building and keeps track of mileage with some claims of having covered the distance to St. Louis and back. There are also current event discussions, groups that meet for word games, and a reading group. |ret||ret||tab|

Pruse has been at ManorCare for nearly two years, following eight years in other areas of the residential care field. She says she enjoys her work because "the elderly have a wealth of knowledge and experience I can learn a lot from. And if I can bring some happiness and fun to them, it helps improve the quality of their lives and mine. I really like when we meet to discuss current events and we get a lively discussion going. And we all love to go out together and eat at local restaurants."|ret||ret||tab|

In between social activities, residents can visit on-site cosmetologist Nita Kelly for perms, haircuts, sets and manicures. Housekeeping is done by the staff, but residents can use the laundry room, helping to maintain their sense of independence. Bathing and other daily living activities may be done independently or with the help of a certified nurse assistant or licensed practical nurse. |ret||ret||tab|

Registered nurses oversee the residents' medical care, and with the help of LPNs such as Carlene Russell pass out medications and provide basic nursing care, such as treatments of skin conditions. |ret||ret||tab|

"I thought I wanted to do ER (emergency room) or pediatric nursing," Russell said, "but I've been in elder care for 13 years now and it's where I want to be. I was always close to my grandparents ... in nursing school I could really see the need out there for quality care for the elderly."|ret||ret||tab|

When asked if she had a favorite patient, Russell smiles. "I've had a lot of favorite patients," she said. |ret||ret||tab|

Some days visitors come and go, children and grandchildren stopping by to spend time, or perhaps take a resident out for a few hours. Other days, residents visit with each other or enjoy a television show, either in the dining room or in their own apartments. In good weather an enclosed patio makes for a nice, sunny visiting place. Church-member volunteers drop by periodically to visit those residents who do not have family. |ret||ret||tab|

Supper is at 5 p.m., and residents usually retire to their apartments for the evening, secure in the knowledge that the night nurses will check in on them from time to time and that a good, nourishing breakfast awaits them when the sun comes up again. [[In-content Ad]]