Salt River Nursing Home Open for 50 Years

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Information taken from the Shelby County Herald, January 10, 1973 Edition

By Marlana Smith

  An estimated 1,500 persons attended the open house Sunday afternoon of the newly built Salt River Nursing Home, Shelbina, and were given a complete tour of the million dollar facility before it was officially opened for use on Monday morning.

  The open house was under the direction of the Nursing Home Administrator, Wm. E. Tarbet, Shelbyville, and in addition to the various nurses and staff on duty for explanation to spectators, a Girl Scout Troop and other organizations were available to give the guided tours.

  Each interested spectator was taken in a tour from the front door on the southwest side of the building, to the chapel, through the administrative offices, east down the corridor of rooms, into the main nursing station, drug rooms, into a large living room, back through another wing of rooms, into the large dining room, the kitchen, back to the furnace and storage rooms, then to the laundry area, back toward the front of building through the beauty shop, into the therapy room, and back to the front of the building.

  The First Patient

  The first patient signed into the home Monday morning was Barnard Weston of Shelbina. There were four others signed in during the day, with five also processed Tuesday and today.

  Mr. Tarbet explained that the board hopes to fill half the nursing home within the first 90 days and the reminder as soon thereafter as possible.

  Will Proceed in Phases

  Both the patients and staff will be phased into the new facility, which incidentally, is one of the very few Professional I Nursing Homes in this part of the state.

  During the first few days a staff of approximately 17 will be handling the operation with steady increases to take place as more patients enter. Mr. Tarbet stated that a staff of 30 to 35 will be working when the home is half filled (approximately 60 patients) and that when the home is completely filled the staff will be approximately 60 people.

  Busy and Smooth

  Tarbet explained Monday afternoon that opening day was extremely busy and that details were being ironed out, however, everything seemed to be running as smoot as could be expected with such an operation involving so many people.

  Mr. Tarbet stated that the staff, as well as patients, will be eating at the nursing home because of only thirty minutes allowed for lunch periods. He stressed with pride that the opening day lunch consisted of turkey, dressing, potatoes, slaw and “everything else that goes with a good balanced meal.”

  Prices Per Room

  There are various prices for rooms, ranging from $10.00 to $18.00 per day depending on kind of room, resident or non-resident, type of patient, etc.

—

  Salt River Administrator Tim Schrage said census at the facility runs just a little over 50% of capacity.

  “This is true of not only Shelbina but also of other surrounding rural counties. It has to do with a population change,” Schrage explained.

  Salt River accepts private pay, Medicare and State Medicaid.

  Ddaily rates for Private Pay ranges from $167 to $181 depending on the room type.

  The proposed new State Medicaid daily rate is projected to be 198.76.

  The facility is supported by a local tax levy of .30 cents per $100 assessed valuation.  The ceiling is .35 cents.

  Thanks to the support of the tax levy, the board has managed to make significant building improvements over the years.

  A large commons area in the 500 wing that has been turned into a special care area where there are large windows, separate dining area, and an enclosed outside area.   

  Addition of three vans used to transport residents to and from various appointments,  a large bus garage to house the vehicles and a tractor front end loader, Also the addition of a Community Room.

  The current board of directors consist of: Jerry Myers, Kathy Lackey, Sam Hawkins, Julia Perrigo, Shelly Yost and Lori Wilt.