By Lori Lovely
Suffering from various health issues, retired cardiologist Dr. Don McRaven and his four children evaluated many facilities before selecting Liberty Village as his new home. “We chose it for its different living options,” explains his daughter Sue.
Liberty Village combines a nursing home, assisted living and independent living, along with a fitness center, in three connected buildings, allowing residents easy access to the care they need with the reassurance of continuity of location and staff.
It’s that continuity of care that convinced McRaven’s family that Liberty Village was the best choice. “The staff cares about the residents,” Sue says. “They’re friendly, compassionate and have a positive attitude.”
“It’s a nice place. They treat me like family,” McRaven indicates. “The staff calls me Doc or Don. They take the time to get to know me.”
Continuity of Care
That continuum of care is perhaps Liberty Village’s biggest asset. An interdisciplinary team of experienced professionals and state-of-the-art equipment provide a full range of specialized rehabilitative therapies for residents without the need to leave their campus, which is arranged to provide a smooth transition through progressive levels of care, says Lisa Hagen, director of marketing and sales.
Liberty Village also provides rehabilitative services through the Bounce Back Program. Geared toward seniors who have been discharged from the hospital after a major illness or sudden trauma but are not ready for a nursing home, the retirement community’s Bounce Back Rehabilitation Program provides daily short-term skilled nursing care and continued physical, occupational or speech therapies to alleviate pain, restore function and improve mobility until they are ready to return home. Part of the program involves educating them about safety and instilling confidence in performing daily activities.
The program also provides interventions for specific orthopedic conditions; balance and fall prevention, including standardized balance assessments; osteoporosis and compression fracture management; pain management; neurological interventions; and conservative management of incontinence.
McRaven has been through the Bounce Back Program twice. After a short illness in 2014, he experienced difficulty with balance and strength. As a participant in the program, he worked on daily living skills, fine motor skills, and walking. Practicing these skills in a real-life environment builds confidence, Hagen indicates.
“I was there for three weeks the first time,” McRaven recalls, “and one month the second.” During their recovery, residents enjoy exclusive private and semi-private spacious neighborhood suites and Bounce Back dining. Bounce Back residents have their own dining room and comfortable accommodations to speed their recovery.
As his recovery progressed, each time he was able to return to the assisted living unit, where he continued therapy, and eventually to his apartment in the independent residence.
Teamwork
Liberty Village’s Bounce Back team is composed of highly trained staff with extensive experience and expertise in the treatment of older adults. The team designs a comprehensive, individualized therapy treatment program for participants, focusing on each patient’s unique goals and needs. Hagen says they value patient-centered care.
In addition to Liberty Village’s skilled nurses, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, pulmonary rehab specialist, registered dietician and social worker, the team includes residents and their loved ones, as well as the resident’s personal physician.
State-of-the-art therapy equipment aids in patient recovery. The Bounce Back therapy room features aerobic endurance equipment and HUR Air Compressed Equipment for strength training major muscle groups to reduce falls and risk of fracture.
Home Again
After graduating from the program, McRaven returned to his apartment in Liberty Estates. In addition to continuing physical therapy, he exercised by walking along the paths on the beautifully landscaped grounds.
Liberty Village staff encourages residents who have completed the Bounce Back Program to stay on track to good health using A.J.’s Fitness Center. The fitness center’s HUR Smart Card equipment allows residents to scan their card to set up and record a personalized strengthening workout designed to meet their individual activity needs.
In addition, the fitness center offers a wellness program with a wide variety of activities specifically created to address strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility. These four areas are critical in helping residents remain as independent as possible.
The team works with patients and families to ensure a smooth transition as they return to their own home or chose to remain on the campus in the assisted living facility—Estates or Villas.
Hagen indicates that they make things as comfortable as possible for residents when they return home, coordinating the care they need to feel safe and secure. Adding to their safety, rehab professionals assess each person’s home for barriers and evaluate the patient’s needs for specialized equipment, home modification, and community resources.
You’re Covered
Participation in the Bounce Back Program can range from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the individual needs of the resident. Liberty Village accepts Medicare and many insurance types. Anyone interested in the program is encouraged to contact the facility with any questions.
Health on the Go
The health of its residents is Liberty Village’s first priority, Hagen says. Fulfilling its promise to deliver exceptional health care to senior citizens in the community, Liberty Village provides residents access to free health care screenings with the UnityPoint Health-Methodist Wellmobile, which brings free or low-cost screenings to residents throughout Central Illinois.
Designed to educate the community about the benefits of staying healthy, the Wellmobile offers Liberty Village residents information about healthy living, early disease detection, disease prevention, and other health-related topics. It also provides free screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose, spirometry (lung function), and vascular function. The Wellmobile comes to Liberty Village of Peoria on the third Wednesday of each month from 8am to 10am and to Liberty Village of Pekin on the first Wednesday of each month from 8am to 10am.
Healthy Living
“The food is good,” McRaven confirms as he lists some of the aspects of life at Liberty Village he particularly enjoys, such as the new friends he’s made there. In addition to the safe and attractive campus, Liberty Village offers activities, musical entertainment, movie night, and outings to local restaurants.
Perhaps most importantly, he says, “My health is better here than it would be in a lot of places.” Agreeing, his daughter says it’s comforting for his family to know that Liberty Village is equipped to oversee his healthcare in a comprehensive, compassionate manner on one campus.
For more information on Liberty Village of Peoria and Pekin visit www.simplythefinest.net. Liberty Village of Peoria is located at 6900 North Stalworth Drive; phone 309.693.1400. Liberty Village of Pekin is located at 1520 El Camino Drive; phone 309.353.1099.