Heritage House of Kimball held an open house this past Sunday, Feb. 1. People from around the Kimball area were able to tour the facility, visit with the owners and staff, and experience for themselves the transformation of the facility. Much work went into the building located northeast of the intersection of Highways 15 and 55. Formerly a full-care nursing home, the building had been vacant for several years. To bring the building back to life, it was virtually gutted down to its foundation. New roof, windows and interior brought a neglected building back to life. At that point, the building was sold to a group that operates four other nursing home or assisted living facilities in Minnesota. Heritage House operates in Black Duck, Sebeka, Pequot Lakes, Windom, and now Kimball. Tasteful decor put the finishing touches on the building’s make-over. The facility is beautifully outfitted with furnishings and decorations that make it feel much more like someone’s home than any kind of institutional building. Why assisted living? Not all older people need a full-care nursing home. Perhaps great-grandpa suffers from memory loss from Alzheimer’s or dementia. Maybe he forgets to take his medications regularly, doesn’t eat healthy foods on his own, or needs a little help once in awhile to get around. He doesn’t need full-care nursing services, just a little help with daily activities. Assisted living provides round-the-clock supervision and help with meal preparation, bathing and dressing. Meals, laundry and housekeeping are provided, but residents can do as much or as little as they like. When family members decide that great-grandpa should not live alone, but he doesn’t need skilled nursing care, assisted living can be just what the doctor ordered. As long as great-grandpa is independent physically, and only requires the assistance of one person, not two, then assisted living can be a great option. Keeping families in mind Heritage House of Kimball was designed with the families of residents clearly in mind. There is a large sitting area in the front, with lots of window light, a television, a games table, and a small reading library. One corner of that room is made into a smaller seating area with a gas fireplace and a stash of toys for children who come to visit. There is also a computer for playing various games. At the end of the south wing there is a private family room. Furnished with a kitchen, a private bathroom, table and chairs, and even a sofa-bed, this room is ideal for family gatherings in a home-like setting. Everyone is invited to Heritage House of Kimball every Thursday from 2-3 p.m. for coffee and cookies. Other community events will be scheduled and announced on the marquee in front of the building, visible from Highway 15. The staff Heritage House of Kimball is currently fully staffed and ready to go. Jean Pallansch is an LPN (licensed practical nurse) and the nurse manager of Heritage House of Kimball. Sondra is an LPN with 10 years nursing experience. The two will supervise residents during regular day hours. Heritage House has an R.N. on-call 24 hours a day; the R.N. also visits each facility at least once a week. Besides Jean and Sondra Heritage House has five home health aids/certified nursing assistants. These individuals are fully trained to administer medications, and they also share cooking and cleaning duties. The rooms There are four private rooms in Heritage House of Kimball; the rest are semi-private, two-to-a-room with a shared bath. Each room is furnished with an armoire, bed, lamp and nightstand. Each room has windows facing either the front yard or the back courtyard. The drapes have not yet arrived. Personal furniture and decorations are welcome. Care was taken to decorate each room differently, in different styles and colors. This helps diminish any “institutional” appearance, and also helps memory loss patients recognize their own living space. The owners Jim and Kathy Birchem of Little Falls, and Jerry and Ginny Kapsner of Pierz, own Heritage House which now owns the Kimball facility. Jim has an accounting degree and his first job out of school was as an accountant for a nursing home. He then served as nursing home administrator in Pierz for about 10 years before forming Heritage House about 10 years ago. Jim’s wife Kathy is an R.N. with experience in assisted living nursing. She oversees the nursing area of Heritage House’s operations. Kathy was an elementary teacher for about 10 years while working part-time in nursing. She left teaching nearly four years ago to become involved in Heritage House full-time. She teaches the home health aids. Jerry Kapsner said, “I’m just a farmer.” He does indeed farm 120 acres and milk 80 cows on his farm near Pierz with his 26-year-old son. Jerry met Jim while serving on the board of the Catholic-owned nursing home in Pierz that hired Jim as the administrator. Their partnership grew from there. Jerry has a construction background and is responsible for building upkeep and maintenance, and has also participated in planning and design for some of the facilities they own. Jerry’s wife Ginny humbly said, “I’m the farmer’s wife.” Together with Kathy, Ginny has decorated the Kimball facility. She also fills in wherever needed, especially the kitchen. This group of four owns Heritage House which now owns and operates five facilities in Minnesota. They also own the Pierz Villa with 76 beds and an attached clinic, and ElderCareMN in Bemidji, a campus that includes a 100-bed nursing home, 42 apartments and 10 assisted living units. In total, the group owns nine buildings and about 300 residential units at all levels of care. The other Heritage House properties are built more like a big house, multi-story and looking like a house from the outside. “We like the one-story [building], and the size [of the Kimball facility],” said Kathy. They also appreciate the open area and hallways. “It may be more functional [than our other facilities],” said Jerry. Looking toward the future Heritage House has made a commitment to the Kimball community. Staff will be added as client numbers increase. Their capacity is 20-22 residents. The south wing will be filled first, and the north wing will be furnished and filled as needed. In the spring, gardens can be planted. The plan is to install knee-height planter boxes so that residents can get their hands dirty in the garden. The owners look forward to many years of service in Kimball, just as they have done in the other communities they serve. How to contact them If you missed the open house, you can call or stop by any time during business hours to talk with either Jean or Sondra. Their phone number is (320) 398-8643. They can give you a tour of the facility at any time. You can also check out the Heritage House group of facilities, including Kimball, on-line at www.HeritageHouseofMN.com.
