Life Care Center Provides Comprehensive Care Under One Roof
Photographer / Jubilee Edgell
Life Care Center of Rochester has been serving the community since 1988. The facility is owned and operated by Life Care Centers of America.
The first facility was opened in 1970 by Forrest Preston in Cleveland, Tennessee. Prestons passion for resident-centered care helped to mold Life Care Center into the facility it is today. His vision was to go above and beyond the nursing home model, and offer a home-like setting encompassing the needs of every type of resident seeking comfort, convenience and health care in one place.
The facility offers a multitude of services including 24-hour skilled nursing care, specialized wound care, inpatient therapy, respite care, long-term care, short-term rehabilitation, and a secured dementia unit. Due to COVID-19, the facility is currently unable to offer outpatient therapy.
We have many wonderful and qualified staff that work at Life Care Center, says Amber Basham, marketing and admissions manager. Many of them have an extensive history of working in the health care field.
The nursing staff consists of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants (CNAs), qualified medication aides (QMAs), and a nurse practitioner onsite several days a week. The medical director ensures residents receive quality care, and a doctor oversees the wound care program.
It takes a versatile team to keep the facility running smoothly. Life Care has 75 staff members working together to keep residents happy and healthy. In addition to the medical staff, Life Care has a therapy and social services department to serve the health needs of residents.
Dietary and activity supervisors, an in-house hairdresser, and housekeeping and maintenance staff members all do their part to help the residents feel comfortable.
The business office staff members oversee day-to-day financial operations, and the administration team works together to keep the facility running smoothly.
All departments have been trained or certified in their areas as required, and all of the staff receive training upon hire, annually and as needed, Basham says. Each month the staff and residents nominate an associate who excels in their job by going above and beyond, for a Whatever It Takes and Then Some award.
Basham works closely with residents and their families during the admission process.
I meet with the families or resident to complete admission paperwork and answer any questions they may have regarding their nursing facility stay, she says. Admission to a nursing facility is often an overwhelming and daunting process, and it is my job to make it easier for them.
Life Care is currently home to 50 residents. The facility has 107 beds, 20 of which are in the memory care unit. There are 12 private rooms, and the remaining beds are in semi-private rooms.
We typically have a nurse, a QMA and two CNAs for each unit, which has approximately 20 to 24 residents, Basham says.
Life Cares rehabilitation program offers physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.
In therapy, residents may participate in activities of daily living retraining, neuro re-education, therapeutic exercise, gait training, and therapeutic activities including adaptive equipment training, Basham says. Our director of rehabilitation is physical agent modality certified, and can conduct electrical stimulation, ultrasound, and diathermy on residents. Our speech therapist is certified to conduct vital stimulation for swallowing impairments, and we have recently begun doing telehealth therapy sessions with other Life Care Centers facilities.
Basham adds that most insurance plans are accepted, and can be verified prior to therapy. The business office at Life Care can assist in obtaining Medicaid for residents who may require it.
The Life Care team members not only pride themselves on quality of care, but also on quality of life for residents.
In addition to nursing and therapy, Life Care provides transportation to and from appointments via bus.
Our social services department assists in providing external mental health services as well as dental, optometry, podiatry and audiology services, Basham says. The department also assists residents in exercising their right to vote in elections.
Residents start each day with a song and prayer followed by morning announcements. They typically exercise by dancing to music, and enjoy spending time outside in the secure courtyard as weather permits. Crafts, games, movies and popcorn, manicures, trivia, and cooking are all available to residents as well, and according to Basham the most popular activity is bingo.
Prior to COVID-19, residents also enjoyed church and music programs, pet therapy, community outings and special events coordinated by the certified activities director. Currently, religious programs are being offered via computer and television.
Residents can choose to eat in their rooms or the main dining room, unless they are in the quarantine unit.
We also have an assisted dining room for residents that need staff assistance or monitoring while eating, Basham says. We have families that bring in food and snacks for their loved ones.
The Life Care Center team is dedicated to residents and their families.
Life Care is committed to being a premier provider of long-term health care in America, Basham says. It is our desire to be the facility of choice in each community in which we operate. Our programs, services and facilities are designed and operated with superior quality, in order to satisfy the needs of our residents. We are committed to ensuring our residents are not only healthy, but happy. We realize this is their home, and we respect the residents and their families.
Life Care Center is located at 827 West 13th Street in Rochester. For additional details including a blog, COVID-19 information and more, visit lcca.com or call 574-223-4331.
