Category: blog

A Post-Surgery Rehab Alternative

After surgery, recovery doesn’t always happen overnight. Many seniors need additional support before returning home safely, especially if mobility is limited or help with daily tasks is needed.

While skilled nursing, rehab, or nursing home settings have long been associated with post-surgical recovery, they are not the only option. For seniors who are medically stable and do not require intensive nursing care, assisted living can offer a supportive, short-term recovery solution.

What Is a Short-Term Stay in Assisted Living?
A short-term stay allows a senior to live in an assisted living community temporarily while they recover. During this time, residents receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and medication reminders, while also benefiting from meals, housekeeping, activities, third-party therapy services, and a safe environment.

Who Might Benefit from This Option?
Short-term assisted living stays may be appropriate for seniors who:
• Are recovering from surgery such as joint replacement
• Live alone or lack short-term caregiver assistance
• Want a home-like setting during recovery

A Focus on Comfort and Independence
Assisted living communities are designed to feel like home. Private suites, social spaces, and personalized support can help seniors stay engaged and maintain independence while healing. Therapy services, such as physical or occupational therapy, can often be provided on-site through home health providers, allowing recovery to continue without frequent travel.

A Collaborative Approach to Care
At Credo Senior Living, we work closely with families, physicians, and therapy providers to support each resident’s recovery goals. When a resident is ready, we help plan a safe transition back home.

Exploring the Right Fit
Every recovery journey is different. Assisted living short-term stays are one of several options available, and the best choice depends on the individual’s medical needs and personal situation.

If you’d like to learn more about short-term recovery stays or discuss whether this option may be appropriate, we’re always happy to help.

Rebranding to Credo Senior Living

Country Place Senior Living and Country Place Memory Care are rebranding to Credo Senior Living and Credo Memory Care on October 1, 2022. We have worked hard over the past two years to make significant improvements to the management team, support services, and deliverable services to local residences. One of the major changes was adding a Director of Nurse Managers to increase the attention and support to local Lead Residence Nurses. The adoption of a new resident care software program, Point Click Care, has enabled all locations to address all resident care in a more efficient and timely manner. A new partnership with PayChex, a nationally recognized Human Resources partner, has allowed us to better serve our employees and continue the standard of service that our residents have come to expect over the past 20 years. Moving forward, a new emphasis is being placed on activities and food service. Activity programs will be expanded, and work has begun with national food vendors to create fresh new menu items. We are thankful to the many Kansas communities that we are a part of for supporting Country Place Senior Living and Country Place Memory Care for the past 20 years and look forward to the next 20 as Credo Senior Living and Credo Memory Care.

While Credo Senior Living and Credo Memory Care will continue to improve care and services for existing residences, expansion is also on the horizon. Our first project, which is scheduled to begin at the end of September, is to add Memory Care services to our Basehor, Kansas location. Two newly constructed 16-suite buildings with luxuries sometimes not available in other Memory Care facilities will include a private bath in each suite, an oversized patio and walking paths for residents. Several other Credo Senior Living locations may also add Memory Care services in the near future.

All Credo Residences Receive Deficiency Free Infection Control Surveys

During the COVID-19 pandemic infection control has been more important than ever and our assisted living residences have taken that need to heart. Our entire family of assisted living residences, including twelve across the state of Kansas, have received zero deficiencies as a result of infection control surveys. Surveying is a standard process that is intended to verify that licensed senior living homes are taking proper infection control measures, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. A zero deficiency survey means that all plans, protocol and resident care were observed by surveyors to be at or above expectations as regulated by the State of Kansas.

Diane West, Co-Founder and CEO, said of the sweeping results, “Our teams have come together during the COVID-19 pandemic in exactly the way that I knew they would. They have risen to the challenge and done an excellent job during such an unprecedented time. I am proud of their dedication and hard work to keep our residents happy and healthy!” In addition to having deficiency free surveys, our residences have had zero cases of COVID-19 amongst staff and residents.

The Joy of Music Therapy

We listen to music regularly in our residences. Each building has either a baby grand piano, as is the case in our Senior Living residences, or an upright piano in our Memory Care residences. We encourage any and all to play and, when played, they fill our residences with beautiful music. When we don’t have someone to play a piano the stereo is on regularly. You will hear jazz, big band, gospel, country and festive music during the holidays. This, of course, isn’t music therapy, but it sets a wonderful atmosphere when music is in the air. To narrow in on that wonderful feeling that music brings we use music therapy. Of the many therapies and activities used in Credo Memory Care residences, music therapy is one of our favorites. This music is more targeted for the individual resident. The memory of someone living with dementia can be thought of as a file cabinet. The newest memories are stored in the top drawer with the longest, most deeply rooted memories stored in the bottom drawer. Those deeply rooted memories are from childhood or early adulthood and music is, many times, linked to those memories. Just think about how you can be taken back to a moment in time when you hear a certain song. The power of music! When we find the music that each individual prefers, magic can happen. For residents that communicate very little we have found that once their music starts they light up, they change, their toes tap, shoulders sway side to side, they hum and even singing along. Sometimes we even see a “window of clarity” open after a music therapy session. It is fantastic! We will continue to use the therapies that we see benefiting our residents and will explore new ideas as they come!