Pictured right are Jacque Rieffer, RN corporate manager, and Al Hanson, maintenance manager of KC Companies. Photo by Jim Palmer
The finishing touches are being placed on a brand new assisted living/senior living facility in Morris. It is called “The Legacy,” and it will be open to residents in about a month.
“The facility will have several one-bedroom apartments, one two-bedroom apartment and some suites,” said Jacque Rieffer, RN corporate manager for KC Companies, the ownership group of The Legacy and seven other senior living facilities in Minnesota and Iowa. “In addition, some of the rooms are handicap accessible. We are licensed for 45 residents.”
Rieffer said Morris was picked as the location of The Legacy for a couple of reasons.
“We really liked the area, and there is a need for services like this in Morris,” she said.
The facility is located at 622 East 7th Street in Morris, a few blocks from downtown, the hospital/clinic, parks and other shopping facilities.
Construction crews hard at work on The Legacy in early April. Photo by Jim Palmer
“It is nice residential location,” said Rieffer, who is anxious to see The Legacy open its doors.
“It is going to be very nice,” she said. “There will be a cafe, a nice dining area, a theater room with a big screen TV, a tub room with a whirlpool, a salon, and the rooms are good sized and have great, rich-looking cabinets.”
Residents can sign up for a general apartment rental, or they can add services. The basic care package includes three meals a day, housekeeping and laundry service, monthly visits, 24-hour staffing, emergency call system, local transportation for a medical appointment or scheduled activity, and set up and assistance with appointments.
“We will have a nurse on call 24/7 and they will be there at the facility five days a week. There will also be an awake staff member there 24/7,” said Rieffer.
Finishing touches being but on The Legacy. Photo by Jim Palmer
There are services beyond the basic package. That additional level of care includes one and two-person transfers, bathing and dressing services, medication management, medication administration and more.
Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, wound care and anything else that Medicare would cover that would usually be contracted out to a home care agency, will be performed right at The Legacy.
“Before a person moves in, they will meet with one of our nurses and do an assessment to determine the level of care needed,” said Rieffer. “They will then discuss the cost based on any additional services that they may need.”
Residents at The Legacy will be able to be as active as they like.
“Several activities will be scheduled at least two or three times a day and vary from day to day,” said Rieffer.
“We will have bingo, exercise and lots of music. I like to do things such as bring animals in for the residents, have a “senior” prom, decorate cookies or decorate the facility, things the residents like to do.”
Unlike many facilities, The Legacy is pet friendly.
“As long as you are able to take care of your pet, you can have your pet here,” said Rieffer.
The Legacy is expected to open in May. The exterior near the front door, left is the area by the main entrance and fireplace, middle is the dining room area. Photo by Jim Palmer
The mission of The Legacy is “to provide quality care with kindness and sincerity in the Christian perspective.” The philosophy is consistent throughout the other seven facilities managed by KC Companies.
Since The Legacy will not have residents move in until mid-to-late May, we talked to a resident of the Golden Horizons Assisted Living in Worthington. This is a very similar facility to The Legacy and will have a similar environment to The Legacy.
“I have lived at Golden Horizons for five years,” said resident Mary Ellen Hammer. “I think I like the food and the staff the best. The staff is just wonderful. It is a nice, clean place to live, and they always have things going on.”
Mary Ellen said her favorite activities are the bean bag toss and trash ball.
“For trash ball, you take a ball and try to throw it into a wastepaper basket,” she said. “You think it is easy, but it is not.”
Mary Ellen also enjoys the regular Bible study, knitting, word search exercises and the music programs that come to the facility.
“We also have coffee at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., and they always have an assortment of things to eat such as cookies and rolls,” she said. “I like to sit outside when it is nice out, too. They have real comfortable chairs out there.”
Mary Ellen said she has been very happy with Golden Living and was glad she decided to move there.
“We are all friends and family here,” she said. “We have a good array of people, and it is fun to get to know everyone.”
Once complete, the front entrance of The Legacy of Morris will resemble the Golden Horizons assisted living facility in Ida Grove, Iowa. To see progress of the facility, see photos from April on Page 2B. The Legacy will be finished up in the next few weeks, and the first rooms will be available in mid-May. Contributed photo
The Legacy of Morris is registered as “housing with services” and licensed as a Comprehensive Home Care Provider through the Minnesota Department of Health. In addition to private pay, the Legacy accepts long term care insurance, Elderly Waiver, MSHO, CADI and is approved for GRH.
The Legacy is expected to open by May 20. For more detailed rental information, contact Chuck Lane, manager, at 218-568-6611. To learn more about The Legacy, visit www.goldenhorizons.org.