Vista Ridge Memory Care Suites

As part of our commitment to a Circle of Care that addresses the broadest possible variety of needs for the Springfield area, St. John Lutheran Home now offers a Housing-with-Services option for individuals above 55 years of age who need enhanced supervision and assistance because of Memory Loss, Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Vista Ridge offers 7 roomy studio apartments, each with a private bathroom. Tenants have a private home with their personal furnishings. Staff Members support maximum independence is a setting that values personal dignity and privacy. The Suites at Vista Ridge are appropriate for individuals who, because of memory loss diagnoses, need enhanced guidance and assistance, but do not require the specialized medical care of a Skilled Nursing Facility.

We welcome family involvement as we learn about each tenant’s preferences and needs. Specially trained Staff Members quickly become familiar friends who share meaningful experiences with individual Tenants each day. Each Tenant is empowered to be as independent as possible in an environment where safety and appropriate levels of assistance are part of a normal routine.

Experienced RN’s assess Tenants’ needs, plan individualized care with Tenants and their significant others, and supervise Unlicensed Staff. This promotes a holistic approach to caregiving. Staff Members offer personalized attention that responds to individual Tenant needs for activity and companionship. A familiar, structured routine offers a feeling of security and helps manage anxiety.

Successful Tenancy at Vista Ridge

Individuals who live at Vista Ridge will have a demonstrated, documented, or diagnosed memory deficit that prevents them from living safely at home. They will be in need of the services offered routinely in the course of a day at Vista Ridge. Their individual needs may include, but are not limited to:

• Supervision or assistance to take medications properly,

• Reminders to eat or to drink enough fluids,

• Someone to cook, serve, and clear away foods,

• Supervision for wandering or redirection when confused,

• Assistance and reminders for bathing and other hygiene related needs,

• Assistance with choosing appropriate clothing or with dressing,

• Assistance with toileting or managing incontinence,

• Supportive assistance with social or group situations, or

• Reminders, reassurance, or redirection for completion of daily activities.

Although staff is present in Vista Ridge 24hours a day to provide supervision and assistance, there are a number of services not provided there. Individuals requiring those services will not be successful in tenancy at Vista Ridge and should explore other options. Concerns or needs that cannot be met by the staff at Vista Ridge include, but are not limited to:

• A need for two persons (or a mechanical lift) to assist the individual to transfer,

• Unwillingness to cooperate with care givers on a regular basis,

• Inability to feed oneself or a documented choking risk,

• Management of behaviors that endanger other tenants, staff members, or oneself,

• Management of behaviors that are damaging to the building or its furnishings,

• An individual’s persistent refusal to take ordered medications or treatments,

• Unavailability of family or other caregiver to respond when the tenant’s condition changes and requires active involvement of a responsible person or entity,

• Management of frequent falls or ongoing unsteady gait,

• A physical illness requiring extensive clinical management or constant on-site licensed nurse availability, or

• The need for a provider to give daily insulin injections or respond to sliding scale insulin management.

Staff Training and Supervision

Vista Ridge offers housing-with-services to individuals with memory loss issues including Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and related disorders. To provide these services, all direct care staff, regularly scheduled housekeeping staff, and RN’s providing supervision will complete training which includes:

1. An explanation of Alzheimer’s Disease and related disorders as well as neurological changes that affect memory function;

2. Effective techniques for assistance with activities of daily living for clients with memory deficits and behavior changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders;

3. Steps in and strategies for problem solving to deal with challenging behaviors; and

4. Effective communications with clients, families, and other staff members.

Staff Members will begin training upon hire and while working under supervision during the 90 day orientation period. Following completion of the initial training, staff will participate in quarterly training updates regarding one or more of the topics listed above to enhance the care provided for individual tenants at Vista Ridge.

Care given to individual Tenants will be supervised regularly by RN’s. The Tenant Services Coordinator and Home Care RN’s will mentor individual unlicensed staff members as they encounter new situations to increase the effectiveness of the care provided in Vista Ridge.

For additional information contact:  Sharon Weller, RN at 507-723-3250.

Vista Ridge Memory Care Suites
205 South County Road 5
Springfield, MN  56087