As promised, today I want to take you on a short tour of our Kirkhaven community. Kirkhaven was originally built in the 1960s as a for-profit nursing home under the name of the Pavilion. When the owners struggled to make ends meet under Medicare and Medicaid regulations, they shut down in the mid 1970s. In 1980, the building was purchased from the bank left holding the mortgage and after an extensive interior renovation, the facility was re-opened as a non-profit, faith based organization called Kirkhaven.
Kirk is the Scottish (and Presbyterian) name for church and haven meaning a safe place. Over the next 10 years, Kirkhaven added a south-wing addition to create needed space for ancillary and support services. Today, the building continues to serve as a safe haven for those who need long-term care or short-term rehabilitation, but has become antiquated in the wake of new nursing home models of care.
While we take our tour today, I'll point out some of the antiquated design and how our vision for a new Kirkhaven will transition us from a "medical model" to a "residential model" nursing home that incorporates a person-centered philosophy rooted in deep culture change.
As you enter Kirkhaven, you arrive at our reception desk and lobby atrium.
Visitors are always greeted with a smile and helpful directions by Mary Ellen or our other friendly receptionists. We have a reputation at kirkhaven for "admitting" families, not just residents. Our resident families and guests are made to feel very welcomed and become an important part of the care team and Kirkhaven family. When people come to visit or tour us for the first time, they often remark that it "just feels right".
Kirkhaven has 4 resident units, each with between 35-38 residents. The second floor unit includes our short-term rehabilitation center and the fifth floor unit is our Alzheimer and other related dementia center. In our new Kirkhaven vision we plan to build smaller "household" units of only 12 residents each to facilitate a less institutional environment.
Lets head up to the second floor and take a look.
Here residents are enjoying their mid-day meal in the dining room. It's a nice atmosphere and staff have come a long way from serving meals on hospital-like trays. Residents or family select meal choices in advance and staff develop a food preference history file that ensure residents receive what they like and are accustomed to. In our new Kirkhaven vision, residents will be able to eat whenever they desire and much of the meal will be prepared (with resident participation if desired) within their own household kitchen. There is nothing like the smell of eggs and bacon or a fresh baked pie to whet one's appetite.Lets take a walk down the hall and peek into a typical resident room. I'll warn you in advance, however, that here's where our new Kirkhaven vision holds some desperately needed change.
Notice the typical long, double loaded corridor with no room for necessary equipment except in the hall. Everything is kept on one side per our safety policy, but like so many other nursing homes, this is a medical model design and not appropriate for home. You will find no long, crowded corridors in our new Kirkhaven households.
The resident rooms are also designed after the hospital model with side by side beds and a "privacy" curtain separating resident "A's" space from resident "B". I often say that the only time you should be assigned a roommate is when you join the army or attend college. Our elders who need nursing home care deserve their own private room. That is another vision of our new Kirkhaven community.
The resident rooms are also designed after the hospital model with side by side beds and a "privacy" curtain separating resident "A's" space from resident "B". I often say that the only time you should be assigned a roommate is when you join the army or attend college. Our elders who need nursing home care deserve their own private room. That is another vision of our new Kirkhaven community.
The rooms are tastefully decorated, clean and bright and I give staff much credit for making our residents feel comfortable in their surroundings. We have made the most of our design limitations and our residents and families often tell us that while our rooms aren't the greatest, our staff is, and that makes all the difference in the world. I agree, but can't wait until we can have it all!As we head down the hall we cross thru the atrium that leads to the South wing where residents go for therapy, medical services, recreation events, barber & beauty shop and other services. The decor is very lovely throughout and the vast windows bring sunlight and outdoor views to all who pass by or just choose to sit and relax.
Lets go on up to the Alzheimer's unit and visit the folks there. Kirkhaven was among the first to recognize that this population could be best served in a distinct setting where the environment is uniquely designed to meet their special needs. We're very proud that upon our most recent federal inspection, the surveyors confided to us that our Alzheimer's unit was probably the best they have ever seen. In our new Kirkhaven vision, we will continue our Alzheimer's focus and dedicate 3 households to serve this need.
The central lobby within the unit.
The Atrium within the unit which includes activity space, a wandering loop & beauty shop.
Staff and residents posing in the dining room.
Lets go on up to the Alzheimer's unit and visit the folks there. Kirkhaven was among the first to recognize that this population could be best served in a distinct setting where the environment is uniquely designed to meet their special needs. We're very proud that upon our most recent federal inspection, the surveyors confided to us that our Alzheimer's unit was probably the best they have ever seen. In our new Kirkhaven vision, we will continue our Alzheimer's focus and dedicate 3 households to serve this need.
The central lobby within the unit.
The Atrium within the unit which includes activity space, a wandering loop & beauty shop.
Staff and residents posing in the dining room.On all our units, the resident rooms and corridors are very similar. In the rehab wing, all our rooms are private and our patients absolutely love the feeling they get of residing in a fine hotel. Here, all their needs are met, in addition to receiving therapy services to help them return home again following an accident or elective surgery.
As we conclude our tour, I should mention some of the areas that we didn't have time to visit or see. There is the administrative and office support areas, training & education center, chapel, laundry and maintenance areas, outdoor courtyard along beautiful Park Avenue and of course our food service areas. Speaking of which, here is the food service crew on a well-deserved break in the staff dining room and a peek outside onto our courtyard area.
Well that concludes today's tour. I hope you enjoyed your visit and learned something new. I didn't mention that Kirkhaven is a 143 bed facility and employs approximately 260 employees. We do about 130 admissions a year within our long-term care units and 100 admissions a year within the rehab unit. Average age upon admission is 80-85 years old and the average length of stay is about a year in the long-term care units and 24 days in the rehab unit.
- I am always cognizant of the fact that few people look forward to moving into a nursing home. Except for the short-term stays in our rehab unit, it usually means that you are losing independence and struggling with chronic medical problems.
- However, I am always uplifted by the volume of testimonials and thankful comments we receive from residents and families after an admission to Kirkhaven.
- The comfort, support, care and love they receive brings a sense of relief and joy to those in need. Which is exactly why we say "Kirkhaven is the right place at the right time!"
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