Area Nursing Homes Receive Top Marks
Two area health care facilities were recently awarded marks of excellence for the care that they provide. Both the Philip and Kadoka Nursing Homes received Five Star ratings in assessments that were completed in September.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) created the Five-Star Quality Rating System to help consumers, their families, and caregivers compare nursing homes more easily and to help identify quality facilities in their area. The rating system gives each nursing home a rating of between 1 and 5 stars. Nursing homes with 5 stars are considered to have much above average quality care.
Director of Nursing at Philip Nursing Home, Denise Buchholz, remarked, “This has shown to be a very difficult task in the midst of a pandemic, when people are more likely to be anxious, depressed, saddened by the inability to see their families at will, and the separation from their loved ones. I think it truly shows the dedication of the workers to their residents. Especially during the year 2020, when families and friends were stopped from coming in and healthcare workers took the role of being a caregiver, friend, and family to those who needed them the most.”
Jeremy Schultes, Philip Health Services CEO, added “I’m really proud of the teams in Philip and Kadoka for this achievement. I understand how much time and effort it requires to get to this level of care.” The facilities are especially grateful for the patience and understanding that the residents and their families have displayed during the challenging time that COVID has proven to be.
Heidi Coller, COO of the Kadoka facility added, “The COVID pandemic has placed an extreme burden on long-term-care facilities. Residents and their loved ones have been forced to separate which has affected the psychosocial well-being of the residents. The staff offer love and companionship, but it simply does not replace their loved ones. Maintaining the high-quality care during these times goes to show the benefits of living in a small-town personable facility.”
Jeremy Schultes, Philip Health Services CEO, was able to provide the following update on the construction of the new nursing home facility, The Scotchman Living Center:
Rangel Construction continues to make progress on the Philip Nursing Home project. Due to a couple rain delays earlier in the project and a delay in concrete delivery we are about 3 weeks behind in the construction schedule. Rangel Construction has organized our project and believes they are on schedule for a May 2021 completion. Please note, there are two more construction phases following the addition. Rangel’s goal is to enclose the building by the end of November to allow interior work to continue during the winter months.
Brad Burns, Chamberlin Architects, stated “I’m pleased with how smoothly the construction has progressed. For a project like this to be successful, it takes a lot of effort and teamwork among the designers, contractors and owner. So far, having essentially no change orders or unforeseen problems are good indicators that this is going to be a very successful project. Of course, the more complicated renovation work is yet to come, and that is where we typically uncover the hidden issues if there are going to be any”. Philip Health Services residents and staff are looking forward to the new living space.
