Oakdale Care Center expanding

Business Today

POPLAR BLUFF -- As the population ages, Oakdale Care Center has watched the waiting list for its facility grow. That growth spurred the locally owned and operated company into making major additions to the facility.

Oakdale will be adding 26 skilled nursing and 28 assisted living beds.

"We added a new skilled wing," said administrator Jeff Newman. "We were at 32 beds and we stayed full with a waiting list and so we made the addition.

"All of the rooms are private rooms. The assisted living is more of an independent lifestyle. We will be there for medication and offer three meals a day, but we are more or less just to monitor. The residents have their own cars and things of that sort."

The skilled nursing wing was added to the main building. The assisted living rooms will be located in a new building across the street from the main building. It is scheduled to open in August.

The facility also recently expanded the dining room in the main building, offering residents more space and a brighter environment.

Oakdale Care Center offers senior citizens skilled nursing, assisted living, residential care and four senior housing apartments. All residential care patients are contracted through the state.

"We stay swamped," said Newman. "This is as big as we are going to get because this is all I'm able to handle without hiring more staff. We don't want to get so big that we can't have the one-on-one with our patients."

Residents are allowed private rooms at a Medicaid rate. Most facilities charge extra room and board for the private rooms; however, Oakdale only charges the Medicaid rate. Amenities such as a beauty salon and cable TV are offered at no extra charge to the resident.

"The residents' rooms are really nice," said Newman. "They are big enough that residents can bring in their own furniture such as a bed or dresser or refrigerator. Whatever they want. They can decorate to their own taste."

Currently there are 40 residents at Oakdale and there is a staff ratio of 1 aide per 10 patients.