News Release

SUGAR CREEK STATION APARTMENTS WILL BENEFIT SENIORS

Feb. 28, 2006 — Comfort, independence, convenience and safety are things that most people want to experience as they grow older. Thanks to a grant program that already aided Sugar Creek Station once before, all of these will be part of the new independent living apartments (ILA) that are taking shape at UPMC Northwest’s 160-bed skilled nursing and rehabilitation center.

Like the rest of the accommodations at Sugar Creek Station, the ILA will be “a nice place to call home,” says administrator Nancy Pastorius. This new senior housing option – the first of its kind in the Venango County area – will have several distinguishing features: seven apartments for individuals who can live on their own (two double and five single units), optional services like meals and light housekeeping, and the security of a call system that will allow residents to summon a nurse or other Sugar Creek Station staff member in case of emergency.

“Residents of the new unit will be able to live as independently as they wish, and they will have the assurance that help will be available 24 hours a day if they ever need it,” Mrs. Pastorius says.

The ILA, which is being developed in one of the skilled nursing center’s former residential units, is intended for individuals whose spouses are Sugar Creek Station residents, for people who live alone and wish to obtain some of the new unit’s services, and others who want a comfortable, safe place to live on their own.

		Volunteer Maxine Dunlap (left) and resident Sara Gureczny enjoy a game of cards during a Sugar Creek Station Card Club get-together. The club is one of many activities that Sugar Creek Station offers to create a home-like environment for residents.

A kitchenette, living room, bedroom, and bathroom will equip each apartment, and several central facilities including a family gathering room, dining/activity room, laundry room, storage room and landscaped patio also are being developed for ILA residents’ use.

The project also includes construction of a small lobby, a driveway off Causeway Drive, and a parking lot for ILA residents and visitors.

Whalen Contracting of Franklin is building the apartments. Construction is about 75 percent complete, and the project is on target for completion in the spring, Mrs. Pastorius said.

The grant that is making the project possible is from the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) and the state Department of Public Welfare (DPW), which are offering the funds to help skilled nursing centers convert excess beds into new facilities. CCAP and DPW developed the program several years ago in response to a statewide oversupply of nursing home beds.

Sugar Creek Station obtained funds from the same grant program in 2001 to expand and renovate its physical, occupational and speech therapy unit.

Prospective occupants can learn more about the apartments by calling Sugar Creek Station at 814-437-0100.

Here are some additional programs and services that are available at Sugar Creek Station:

Residency Options

In addition to skilled nursing and rehabilitative stays (which can be from several days to several months), Sugar Creek Station can accommodate special requests such as brief stays for respite care, caregivers’ travel, and out-of-town emergencies.
Families considering any type of admission may call or stop by any weekday and a staff member will provide information, answer questions, and give a tour. No appointment is necessary.

Physical Therapy

Persons who have prescriptions for outpatient physical, occupational or speech therapy can obtain these services in Sugar Creek Station’s spacious rehabilitation unit. While this is a convenient option for Sugar Creek area residents, it’s available to any Medicare patient who has a physician’s order for outpatient rehab services. Appointments are available from 7:30 am to 4 pm weekdays.

Residents’ Activities

Fine dining, theater productions, and other activities are available to Sugar Creek Station residents. Several times a year the facility’s Resident Council enlists a resident “chef” to prepare a white tablecloth dinner and serve the “country club” meal on china settings.

Residents attend Barrow-Civic Theater productions in Franklin, enjoy wine and cheese receptions, and take countryside drives in Sugar Creek Station’s seven-passenger, wheelchair-accessible van. They go shopping at Cranberry Mall, participate in knitting club, card club and choral group, and enjoy community activities like Franklin’s Applefest.

“These are the kinds of activities they would enjoy if they were at home,” Mrs. Pastorius says.

Birthday Dinners

Residents’ birthdays get extra attention at Sugar Creek Station. They can order a dinner of their choice – anything from an omelette to filet mignon – and enjoy the meal anywhere around the facility. The resident’s spouse or other guest also is welcome to join him or her for this birthday treat.

“We do whatever we can to accommodate their requests,” Mrs. Pastorius says. “This is one of the little things we can do to make our facility more like home.”

Senior Health Fair

Sugar Creek Station’s sixth annual Senior Health Fair drew more than 100 persons for a variety of health screenings (blood pressure, cholesterol, stroke, osteoporosis, etc.), computerized body composition tests, exhibits by local health care
organizations, refreshments and door prizes.

Dementia Support Group

Sugar Creek Station has established a Dementia Support Group that meets the third Monday every month from September through May in the facility’s Alzheimer’s Disease/Dementia Unit. The group provides education and support for families of individuals who have Alzheimer’s Disease or other dementias. Persons can learn more about the group by calling Social Services manager Deb Junkin at 814-437-0145.