DATE: January 30, 2020
FROM: Prairie Home Hospice & Community Care
CONTACT: Pat Mellenthin, CEO
PHONE: (507)-337-0080
EMAIL: pat.mellenthin@prairiehomehospice.org
PRAIRIE HOME HOSPICE TO ACQUIRE FIELDCREST ASSISTED LIVING
In an effort to help meet the growing need for residential options for seniors in the area, Prairie Home Hospice & Community Care has signed an agreement to acquire Fieldcrest Assisted Living, located in Cottonwood, MN. “This is a great opportunity to help meet the growing need for residential services for seniors in our area,” said Pat Mellenthin, Prairie Home Hospice & Community Care CEO. “As a non-profit organization established to serve the community of Lyon County and the surrounding area, Fieldcrest is a good fit in terms of our mission to deliver exceptional services and compassionate care as a trusted leader in home care and hospice services in the area.”
“Fieldcrest offers a unique opportunity for us. As a licensed Home Care and Hospice provider, it will allow us to provide a broad range of residential services for seniors,” said Mellenthin. “It will allow us to offer services to fit people’s needs and allows people more opportunity to stay where they are, as their needs change. Residents may move in seeking only basic services like housekeeping, meals, etc., but over time their needs may increase to a higher level of services and care, which might even include hospice, should that become a need at some point.”
According to Mellenthin, “recent studies show that our aging baby boomers prefer options that allow them to age in place. Many choose to remain living in their home for as long as possible and when that’s no longer possible, they look for options that will allow them to stay in place for the remainder of their lives, without additional moves or moving to a nursing home. Fieldcrest will provide those options for people.”
While the focus for Fieldcrest will be providing assisted living services, Prairie Home Hospice & Community Care can also provide hospice care to residents who may need that level of care. “Fieldcrest will not be another hospice house”, said Mellenthin. “But under our hospice license, we can provide hospice to patients wherever they call home, including assisted living facilities. That allows us to provide hospice care at Fieldcrest to as many residents as may need hospice care. This will provide another option for families who seek residential hospice services, when we don’t have rooms available at our hospice houses, where there is consistently a waiting list. Families will have an option to establish residence at Fieldcrest, where our staff will provide for their assisted living needs. That same staff will also provide hospice care, for residents who may have that level of need. A resident who needs hospice may establish residence with their spouse at Fieldcrest, which would allow them to avoid separation. It may also help avoid nursing home placement, where costs are generally higher and staffing levels are generally lower. We think this will be an attractive option for families.”
“We look forward to the opportunity to bring our traditional brand of service and caring to the residents at Fieldcrest,” said Mellenthin. “The kind of care and service that people deserve and have come to expect from us since 1984. We’re excited to bring our staff together with current staff at Fieldcrest and the community to make this happen.”
Prairie Home Hospice & Community Care will work with current Fieldcrest owners throughout the transition and plans to begin operating under the Prairie Home Hospice & Community Care licensing March 1, 2020.
For more information call the Prairie Home Hospice & Community Care office at (507)337-0080.