Renovation project has new focus

Lake City Medical Center — Mayo Health System has begun a major renovation project designed to improve nursing home residents’ quality of life. This is the first major renovation since it was built 31 years ago.

“We will be redesigning the current layout to make it feel more like home,” Administrator Scott Kallstrom said.

A growing majority of residents use nursing homes as a short-term rehabilitation stop between the hospital and home and they do not want to feel like they are living in an institution, he said.

The project is called Life Matters Here. Divided into five phases to cause the least amount of disruption and to allow ample time for fundraising, the project will include creating private and semi-private spaces for residents, families and friends.

The first phase focuses on the main entrance, activity spaces and adding a central cafe and lounge.

Enhancing the dining experience is part of the second phase. Phases three and four focus on the common areas in the corridors to residents’ rooms, and the last phase focuses on the main hallway.

Mary Gravenish, Lake City Medical Center development director, said the immediate goal is raising $875,000 by spring to begin phase 1.

When completed, the main entrance lobby will turn into a fireside lounge. The beauty shop will be relocated and a cafe built in its place. This phase also will create a large outdoor patio and update the activities area.

“Community support is essential to the Life Matters Here project,” Gravenish said.

“In addition to meeting residents’ needs, this project will help ensure the nursing home thrives in the Lake City community in the future,” said Cheri Kramer, LCMC’s chief administrative officer.

Kramer explained that nursing homes mainly operate on government reimbursement, and for the past few year, reimbursement was partially tied to quality measures.

Those measures include medical care ratings, which LCMC’s nursing home excels in, and quality of life ratings, which evaluate how happy and engaged residents are in the facility. Minnesota will continue to look at ways to tie reimbursement rates to quality, and Life Matters Here will help address that.

“Our staff has been working hard throughout the past couple of years to improve quality of life by making changes to our day-to-day operations,” Kallstrom said. “But we are limited by the physical environment of our nursing home.”

Kallstrom says support for the project from residents, staff and community has been very positive thus far, and he’s hopeful for additional support.

To learn, visit www.lcmcdevelopment.org or call Gravenish at (651) 345-6707.

Tags: lake city medical center, lifestyle, health