A New Canopy of Care
Oakwood is proud to celebrate its first full year of operation for Oakwood Preferred Services, our newest line of care. The combination of Supportive Services, Home Health and Hospice has allowed Oakwood to offer a wider range of health care right here within our own campuses, meeting countless resident needs as our new canopy of care continues to grow.
The expansion of care has brought a handful of new faces to Oakwood. Paula Darrow joined Oakwood with extensive hospice and management experience, making for a natural transition to her new role as Preferred Services Outreach Manager.
“I already worked with a lot of Oakwood residents as hospice patients,“ Paula explains. “And I really enjoyed those relationships.”
While Preferred Services also includes Home Health and non-medical Supportive Services, the close relationships make a particularly large difference when it comes to the quality of hospice care. Whether it’s seeing familiar faces from their existing care team, or getting to remain in their own apartment or a dedicated on-campus suite, residents are better cared for and feel more at home.
“Everything is right here,” Paula says. “We can see you right away, and your community is present.”
Preferred Hospice was built from the ground up to offer the Oakwood experience to residents and their families at the end of life. That means nurse practitioners are integrated into the hospice team; skilled nursing is individualized; pharmacy access is immediate; many hospice volunteers are themselves Oakwood residents, and social and spiritual care are readily available.
Plans for the new Hebron Oaks on the University Woods campus were made with Preferred Hospice in mind. The building features a 12-suite hospice wing that meets the latest standards in accessibility while providing comfort and peace by way of its beautiful design.
Preferred Services also includes the Home Health program, which utilizes Oakwood's therapy department to deliver at-home rehab. This offers a smooth transition from a rehab stay to home. Home Health also offers other services as ordered by your provider, including wound care, skilled nursing, and Home Health Aide services.
Paula would like to spread the word about Supportive Services private pay program, which offers a helping hand with non-medical tasks not already encompassed by the Preferred Services canopy. Included amongst the dozens of supportive services are companionship, transportation, bathing, and grooming. All services are offered on an hourly basis.
While seemingly minor, Supportive Services can play a large role in helping residents remain independent.
According to Paula, residents initially have some resistance to supportive services, but quickly open up to the idea of a helping hand.
“People enjoy the break they receive,” Paula explains. “Even if they are at first hesitant about having someone in their home, they realize that it really is a nice added feature.”
Looking to the year ahead for Preferred Services, Oakwood expects continued growth in the interest of serving residents.
“What’s wonderful about Oakwood is that there are multiple continuums of care,” Paula says. “Preferred Services is an added layer of care that residents will benefit from.”
