Suppose you’ve been in the hospital for a week, and your doctor comes by to tell you you’re being discharged. “Yippee!” you think. At last, you are headed home! You nearly leap out of bed to start gathering your things. But, then the good doctor reminds you: you still have work to do. It’s going to take a little rehabilitation to get you back to your old self again.
Fortunately, you have options when it comes to short-stay rehab. You just have to find the one that’s right for you. Lutheran Hillside Village (LHV) believes that the post-acute experience should be less like a hospital and more like home. Michelle Pollard, Care Center Administrator at LHV, sees it as a little of both. “Our REACH Short Stay Rehab actually looks like a nice hotel… and functions like a mini-hospital. It has to.”
“Demands of short-stay rehab are growing greater all the time,” Pollard explains, “because hospital stays are getting shorter. We see guests coming to REACH after open heart surgery or serious illnesses. It’s good to know we can care for those at higher levels of acuity.”
Access to therapy is a differentiator for rehab at Lutheran Hillside Village. Depending on their care needs, guests may get therapy as often as seven days a week. That’s a real comfort for those eager to return to pre-hospital activity levels. But, a rigorous therapy schedule is only a part of what brings them comfort.
There is, after all, the fact that REACH at LHV looks and feels like a nice hotel. As part of a full life plan community, the REACH neighborhood is thoughtfully designed for transition from hospital to home, with living and gathering spaces that are warm and inviting. The grounds are beautifully maintained. The expansive therapy gym is awash with light, thanks to two generous banks of windows. The dining area is tastefully decorated,but guests hardly notice it. The food is what they remember.
“It’s wonderful,” Pollard says of dining at LHV, “just like everything else. It helps me understand why we refer to REACH visitors as ‘guests.’ We really do treat them as such.” Pollard sees that as an embodiment of the mission of Lutheran Senior Services (LSS), the parent company of Lutheran Hillside Village. The mission – older adults living life to the fullest – manifests itself in every facet of the organization’s work… from the top down.
“LSS leadership is just as passionate about serving seniors as the nurses on the ‘front lines’ are,” Pollard says. “This sets the tone for the rest of us: If our leaders live the mission, we live the mission. If we live the mission, guests and residents see that mission in action.” This outlook is not lost on the greater Peoria community. LHV has a great reputation among churches, family members, and the medical community.
As a market leader in post-acute care, REACH is a valued resource for Peoria’s hospitals. Both of the region’s hospital systems work closely with REACH therapists to discuss transitions and treatment plans as they prepare to discharge patients. This communication is key to the successful outcomes REACH has become known for.
When therapy is complete, REACH guests have a friend in Lutheran Hillside Village, often choosing to move into one of the community’s living levels for good. Pollard compares their experience to a cruise ship. “People are relaxed in short-stay rehab,” she says. “They make new friends. We had four ladies once who met in REACH after being released from the hospital, and to look at them, you’d have thought they were on vacation! They ate meals together. They did activities together. They were always talking and laughing. We started referring to them as the ‘sorority.’”
Sorority, fraternity, neighborhood, cruise ship—whatever word best describes those who visit REACH, they are first and foremost honored guests of Lutheran Hillside Village.
Lutheran Hillside Village is part of the Lutheran Senior Services family of Life Plan Communities, offering independent living, assisted living, memory care, and long term care, as well as REACH Short Stay Rehabilitation. Please call 309-692-4600 to schedule a private tour of Lutheran Hillside Village for yourself or a loved one.