While the details and daily operations of the numerous senior living communities across the Region may vary, they all have the same goal - to provide exceptional care for seniors. Senior care for these communities is all-encompassing. The physical health and safety of residents certainly fall under the umbrella term, ‘senior care,’ but other crucial areas include mental, emotional, and relational care.
Some of these values are not only rooted in the mission of individual senior living communities, but they are also requirements of the state of Indiana. The Senior Lifestyle Counselor of Rittenhouse Village at Portage, Danielle Balek, says these requirements are only the beginning of the measures put into senior care.
“Firstly, we follow the guidelines set by the Indiana State Department of Health,” Balek said. “Secondly, we have an amazing Nursing and Activities program that ensures our residents are living their most healthy and active lives.”
Each senior living community has its own measures in place to ensure it is offering the best care to its residents, much like Rittenhouse Village at Portage has its Nursing and Activities program. Director of Business Development at Life Care Center of Valparaiso, Cathy Ellis, praises the Life Care Center staff for their dedication to senior care.
“It takes a team and we have an amazing team,” Ellis said. “Everyone works together to ensure our residents get everything they need and more. Especially during this difficult time. It's even more imperative since families cannot be in the facility to visit. Our residents know that we are here for them day and night.”
Like Ellis, the Executive Director at StoryPoint Chesterton, Courtney Fokianos, believed that teamwork is essential in helping seniors live to the fullest.
“We utilize a team approach, which involves our onsite home health care team, Laurus Home Care, our care partners, and our residents’ family and friends,” Fokianos said. “We have our partner, Genesis Rehab, onsite to provide occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech, as well as weekly exercise classes and care education and seminars. In addition, we have a visiting nurse practitioner that comes weekly, a podiatrist partner that comes here, and we will be partnering with a mental health specialist who will be providing onsite care.”
StoryPoint Chesterton’s partnership with Genesis Rehab is one of many partnerships formed to better senior living communities in Northwest Indiana. The Director of Business Development at Life Care Center of the Willows, Brandi Costello, noted the importance of continuity of care amongst partners and across the Region.
“The continuity of care between our partners is one of the most important things,” Costello said. “Having established relationships that are successful helps to eliminate hospital readmissions and setbacks once patients are discharged home. Continuity of care helps to keep routine and improves communication. One of the things we as a facility as well as our referral partners try to avoid is having an individual discharged home or to the hospital too soon.”
This continuity of care stems from the shared goal of helping seniors stay healthy and happy and allows a region-wide standard of excellence to be upheld. Susan Burelli, who serves as the Senior Lifestyle Counselor at Rittenhouse Village at Valparaiso, reiterated how well-rounded care leads to overall wellness for seniors.
“Wellness activities and social events are provided to keep our residents' lives full and enriched,” Burelli said. “Our professional team is available around the clock. Social, intellectual, spiritual, physical, and emotional wellness are all important aspects of life that keep our residents healthy and active.”
To learn more about senior care and the senior living communities represented in this article, please visit the sites below.
Rittenhouse Village at Portage: https://www.rittenhousevillages.com/senior-living/in/portage/rittenhouse-village-at-portage/
Life Care Center of Valparaiso: https://lcca.com/locations/in/valparaiso/
StoryPoint Chesterton: https://www.storypoint.com/community/chesterton-in/
Life Care Center of the Willows: https://lcca.com/locations/in/the-willows/
Rittenhouse Village at Valparaiso: https://www.rittenhousevillages.com/senior-living/in/valparaiso/rittenhouse-village-at-valparaiso/