United Methodist Homes

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by: Michael McGuire

Without offering the best possible quality of life to its residents, there’s not much else for a nursing home to hang its hat on.

At United Methodist Homes’ Doris L. Patrick Campus on Calvary Drive in Norwich, the staff is constantly inventing new ways to go above and beyond providing the basic comforts of home, says Kate Conant, Director of Activities and Volunteers at the 27-acre campus’ Pearl and Everett Gilmour Health Care Facility.

“Just because you’ve entered a long-term care facility, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the same things you enjoyed at home,” said Conant.

Eating out at restaurants, taking wine tours, visiting local festivals and going on trips to other nursing homes isn’t out of the ordinary for residents at Gilmour. Neither are a host of daily activities ranging from morning coffee chats to playing interactive games over the Internet. Pretty soon, residents will even have a full-day spa at their disposal – an extraordinary feat in the long-term care industry.

“The day spa will be the first of its kind in New York state and only the second in the entire country,” said Conant, who expects the spa to be fully operational after it receives state approval in the near future. “We’re very progressive in that way.”

Aside from the 82-bed Gilmour Facility, Doris L. Patrick is also home to Graceview Manor, a 40-room, HUD-approved, independent living complex for low income seniors.

Doris L. Patrick Administrator Stephen Woodruff says as a non-profit, United Methodist Homes has a responsibility to the community to provide high quality service.

“It’s our goal to be the facility of choice and employer of choice in long-term care,” Woodruff said. “It’s about pursuing perfection, and accepting excellence.”

While it was still in the concept phase, the spa seemed like the perfect fit for Gilmour.

“We had some open space on the first floor,” said Conant, who is a licensed massage therapist. “It just seemed like a slam dunk.”

It will be furnished with commercial-grade equipment and offer massage therapy, manicures, pedicures, salon hair care and other beautification services. Conant hopes to have skin care added “down the road.”

“This will be a great way to start residents off when they first get here,” she said. “There’s a lot of anxiety involved when they make this kind of change. This can help relieve some of that stress.”

The project’s start-up costs were aided by a grant from the Greater Norwich Foundation.

The spa won’t be the only quality of life improvement, Conant says. Relaxation therapy has become a larger component of Gilmour’s temporary rehab program in the past year as a form of pain management, and upgraded Internet access and computers have helped residents better connect with the outside world.

“We try to offer a diverse schedule of therapeutic and recreation programs to improve the quality of life for our residents,” said Conant.

To literally get them outside, Gilmour also features an enclosed garden where residents can walk and sit outdoors during the warm months of the year.

“It’s really beautiful when everything is in full bloom,” said Conant.

Woodruff says the staff has fully blossomed as well, investing in the residents and each other as if they were a family.

“The culture here is a familial culture,” said Woodruff. “It’s the family values-oriented service that makes us different and unique. It’s a sense of care for our residents and their families, as well as our employees and their families. It’s compassion and caring infused together.”

The home will also be starting what’s called “Hey Therapy,” where residents and family are encouraged to express their interests when it comes to patient care.

“The goal is to open up the lines of communication,” said Lindsay Dechow, Gilmour’s Therapy Program Manager. “We want to hear what everyone else is saying.”

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