Pioneer introduces enhanced assisted living
September 14, 2011
Original site will offer new housing option
PioneerCare Center moved to its new location just four months ago and workers have already begun renovations to the original site on Sheridan Street. Beginning later this fall, the building’s south wing will house up to 18 people and provide them with enhanced assisted living services.
“Up to now, we haven’t had this combination of housing and care available to our community,” said John Richards, Chief Executive Officer of PioneerCare. “It’s a service gap that Pioneer is well positioned to fill, especially with the availability of space since we moved the care center.”
Richards noted the number of older adults and people managing chronic illness who need more assistance than other assisted living facilities can offer, but not at the higher level that a skilled nursing care center provides.
The south wing renovation is the first phase of a re-use plan for the entire site. Scheduled to open later this fall, Pioneer’s enhanced assisted living suites will include a living and dining area, kitchenette, bedroom and bathroom with a roll-in shower. In addition to the suites, several rooms will be available for those who need shorter-term housing and care.
Karen Wulfekuhle, Director of Home and Community Based Services for PioneerCare, is overseeing the program development side of the project. She has researched similar projects in other communities and is developing the lines of service the building will provide.
People living at the renovated site will have access to 24-hour personal care services, chef-prepared meals and snacks, spiritual care, housekeeping and laundry services, transportation to appointments, personal emergency call systems, scheduled activities, therapy and wellness programming.
PioneerCare will accept month-to-month residency agreements for the enhanced assisted living suites. Shorter term arrangements will be accepted for individual respite care rooms.
“There is room for many more units beyond the ones we’re building in the south wing, but how we use that additional space will depend on the needs for other service lines we’re developing,” Wulfekuhle said.
“For example, adult day programming has been missing for some time now, and we know there is significant need for it. PioneerCare will offer such a service at our Sheridan site, beginning some time after the first of the year.”
Pioneer’s founders built the original building in 1928. The first major addition was built in 1953 and additional wings were built through the years, including the south wing in 1971.
PioneerCare provides a spectrum of aging services including skilled nursing care, rehabilitation, memory care, home based services and housing for seniors in west central Minnesota.
Celebration Center Dedication
August 30, 2011
About 200 residents, families and friends gathered Sunday, August 28 to dedicate PioneerCare’s Celebration Center and Chapel during a special afternoon worship service.
The Reverend Laurie Natwick, Assistant to the Bishop for the Northwest Synod of the ELCA presented the dedication homily. Chaplains Harry Olson and Chris Eldredge performed the rite of dedication. Other paricipating clergy included Father Greg Paffel from Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, Pastor Jon Olson from Hope Lutheran Church, Pastor Jim Johnson from Calvary Free Lutheran Church, Pastor Marv Abrahamson from Zion Lutheran Church, Pastor Doug Dent from Federated Church, and Pastor Lauren Youngdale, retired chaplain of Pioneer.
A massed choir of more than 80 voices led the congregation in the entrance hymn, “The Church’s One Foundation” and presented Brahms’ “How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place” and the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah. Mabeth Gyllstrom directed the choir made up of singers from Augustana Lutheran, Bethlehem Lutheran, Federated, First Lutheran, Grace Methodist, Hope Lutheran, Zion Lutheran and Amor Zion Lutheran Churches.
The Federated Church Bell Choir, directed by Doris Enderson, also provided special music with “Foundation” by Anna Laura Page and “God of Grace and God of Glory” by Paul Manz. Soloist Susan Clambey sang “Bless This House” by Helen Taylor. Pianists included Carol Andstrom, Linnea Hagemeister, Sandra Sedivy and Gloria Anderson.
Governor Dayton Visits PioneerCare
August 30, 2011
PioneerCare Center residents and staff were treated to a mid-morning visit with Governor Mark Dayton and members of his cabinet on Wednesday, August 24. About 100 residents and staff gathered in the new care center’s Garden Court to meet him.
Governor Dayton came to PioneerCare and other locations in Fergus Falls to gather information about workforce development issues in Minnesota. He said he had heard about Pioneer’s use of the household model and blended worker concept in its new care center.
Before his informal “meet and greet” in the Garden Court, the Governor spent 45 minutes in a private meeting with PioneerCare Administrator Nathan Johnson and other senior staff.
“We felt incredibly privileged to host the Governor. He was very interested and engaged in the conversation we had about workforce issues in the skilled care setting,” Johnson says. “We talked ‘big picture’ and at the same time, helped him see a local perspective.”
“Some of the regulations we follow are based on care models from as far back as the 1950s, especially those that define specific job duties for caregivers. Our caregivers at Pioneer want to be more responsive to resident needs, but in some cases their hands are bound with outdated, red tape.”
“It reminds me of a book on my shelf called ‘The Death of Common Sense,’” said Governor Dayton.
PioneerCare leadership discussed challenges that face aging services caused by chronic underfunding and asked the Governor to support aging services in the state’s budget decisions.
Mark Phillips, the commissioner for the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), noted the absence of representation from someone in aging services on the Governor’s jobs creation initiative group. He also said what he was hearing was “180 degrees different” from what he hears in St. Paul, noting the difference between the health care workforce needs in the Twin Cities and in Greater Minnesota.
“The Governor and his staff were very engaged, took a lot of notes and asked some challenging questions,” Johnson said. “We’re very hopeful that his visit may be just the beginning of a dialog toward reforms that make sense.”
“It’s all about providing the right care at the right time, at the right place, at the right cost,” he said.
Johnson joined the Governor and other leaders later that day, participating on a panel at a public forum on workforce development specific to the needs of west central Minnesota. The Fergus Falls stop is the first for the Governor to address needs for job growth in the state.
PioneerCare provides a spectrum of aging services including skilled nursing care, rehabilitation, memory care, home based services and housing for seniors in west central Minnesota.
PioneerLink commercial debuts on cable
August 29, 2011
Check out PioneerLink’s new commercial now airing locally on CNN, Discovery, HGTV, History Channel and Lifetime…
Tommerdahl Family Donates Wellness Equipment
August 12, 2011
PioneerCare employees will now have free access to a fully equipped exercise gym, thanks to a major gift in memory of Dewey Tommerdahl from his family.
For many years, Dewey worked in leadership roles within PioneerCare. He served on PioneerCare’s corporate board of directors for nine years. While on the board, he was chairman of the search committee when John Richards, now Pioneer’s CEO, was hired as administrator. In 1999, he became chairman of PioneerCare’s foundation board of directors, which led to his involvement in researching and developing Pioneer Cottages, specializing in memory care. Dewey later joined the Pioneer staff as director of development and served in that role for about five years until his retirement in 2009.
As his health declined, Dewey became a resident at PioneerCare Center. During his stay at Pioneer, he and his family were inspired by a nursing assistant who cared for him overnight. Even with a non-traditional work schedule, she made time to exercise each night at 3:00 a.m. on her way home after her shift.
Noting Dewey’s life-long belief in the importance of regular exercise and his strong commitment to PioneerCare, the Tommerdahl family wanted to help make such a daily regime more convenient and accessible for Pioneer staff.
“Our intent for this equipment and room is that it be used to better the physical, mental and emotional state of the employees here at Pioneer,” said Dewey’s son, Mark Tommerdahl.
The new gym is outfitted with a high quality elliptical machine, stationary bike, and treadmill and a weight station, free weights, and stability balls. It will be open and free of charge to employees 24 hours a day through secured access.
PioneerCare’s Family Picnic
July 14, 2011
PioneerCare’s annual family picnic was a hit by all accounts! This year’s picnic, held on Friday, July 1, was the first to be held at the new location. Big tents provided ample shade on such a beautiful day. Thanks to all who helped make the event a success. Check our photo gallery for pictorial highlights.
Norwegian Musicians to Perform
June 30, 2011
NORWEGIAN MUSICIANS TO PERFORM AT PIONEERCARE PioneerCare will host a concert by Norwegian musicians Guri Underdal and Mona Julsrud on Thursday, July 7 at 7:00 p.m. The concert will be held in PioneerCare’s Celebration Center and Garden Court with light refreshments following the event.
Guri and Mona have delighted audiences in Fergus Falls before with their mix of much-loved Norwegian and American sacred and secular music.
Mona is an associate professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music and is one of Norway’s leading concert singers. She studied at the Norwegian Academy of Music and the Opera School at the Royal College of Music in London. Her repertoire spans from early baroque to contemporary music and she can be heard regularly at concerts and festivals throughout Norway and Europe.
Mona has worked with conductors such as Philippe Herrewghe, Fabio Biondi, Roy Goodman and Laurence Cummings. With Frans Bruggen and his orchestra, she has toured Japan and Europe and recorded Bach’s Matthew Passion and Mozart’s Requiem.
Other recordings include Handel’s Jephtha with Fabio Biondi and several works by Nordic contemporary composers. Mona is also working on a complete recording of Telemann’s collection of cantatas, Harmonische Gottes-Dienst, in twelve volumes with her ensemble, Bergen Barokk.
Guri is a teacher, choir conductor and pianist, and she has participated in numerous concerts in Norway and the USA. Guri and Mona have known each other since childhood, and as a duo, they have toured Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota twice since the 1980s. On this tour, the duo will also perform in Moorhead and Grand Forks.
A free-will offering will help defray travel costs for the group.
Mona Julsrud & Guri Underdal
Pioneer Job Fair set for June 16
June 7, 2011
Pioneer will host a job fair on Thursday, June 16 for those considering employment in the health care field, specifically at the new PioneerCare Center.
The Pioneer Job Fair will be held in the PioneerCare Celebration Center at 1131 Mabelle Avenue South in Fergus Falls from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. PioneerCare Center has immediate openings for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) with curent licensure and Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) with current certification.
Pioneer is offering a class for people interested in training to become a Certified Nursing Assistant. Those interested but unsure if care giving is right for them can job shadow a current Pioneer employee before beginning the class. The CNA class begins June 30 at Pioneer’s original location at 1006 South Sheridan Street.
More details are available by calling PioneerCare at 218.998.1500.
Date Set for Family Picnic
May 16, 2011
Mark your calendar: PioneerCare’s annual family picnic is set for Friday, July 1, with events beginning at 11:30 a.m.
This year’s picnic will be the first to be held at our new PioneerCare Center location at 1131 Mabelle Avenue South in Fergus Falls. Residents, tenants, families and friends of Pioneer are welcome – bring your appetite for food and family fun!
Technology Links Homes to Help
May 16, 2011
Stevens County Ambulance Partners with PioneerCare
PioneerCare of Fergus Falls and Stevens County Ambulance & EMS Training have partnered to provide Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) and Home Monitor Systems (HMS) in people’s homes in the Morris area. Read more
