Business spotlight: Beehive Homes of Elmo

By By

The Business spotlight this week is Beehive Homes in Elmo. Beehive Homes offers a home like atmosphere for those unable to reside at their own home any longer. Dallen Skelley along with his wife Molly operate Beehive Homes in Elmo and also a new facility in Price. The Price facility is filled at the current time, but there are rooms available at the Elmo facility.
There are more than 40 Beehive Homes in Utah and 150 throughout the United States. “Beehive Homes in Elmo is special. It is small so we can provide a custom fit care program for each resident. We strive for one on one care for our residents. We provide a home for our residents. We are governed by the rules and regulations of our industry, but we try to provide and maintain a home like atmosphere. For instance, we have an open kitchen, if a resident is hungry or thirsty they can get whatever they want from the kitchen and refrigerator. If they have a visitor over, they can feed them too at no extra cost. They can make a sandwich or whatever. There’s always a variety of food in the fridge for them. We believe this is just one of the things that makes us special.
“We want to provide a place like home so the families and children of the residents can feel welcome here. They are welcome to come and have dinner with their resident. We host family parties and many families gather here for Thanksgiving so they can spend the day with their resident. The families are also welcome to come and take their resident out for a field trip, too,” said Dallen.
Molly said, “We have exercise and crafts for our residents. We do two physical activities a week. Our residents also play bingo. We have a list of activities on our activity calendar. Another fun thing for our residents is the groups that come into the home. We have the Emery County Senior Citizen band and the line dancers come too. We have family home evenings where various groups come in and provide a program for our residents.”
Dallen said, “Recently, Tyler Jeffs came and performed cowboy poetry for our residents and they loved it. Anyone is welcome to come and show up at the facility to perform or visit, but it is nice to know who is coming so we can create a schedule. We get a lot of groups during the holidays.
“We welcome residents of our county to come and visit with the residents here. We have a high school student from Price that visits with the residents at the Price facility and helps with activities and assists the caregivers. We sometimes have kids working off community service hours that come to the facility too.
“We have been here since Feb. of 2009 when we purchased the Elmo facility from Caleen Wilcox. That’s almost two years and in that time we have implemented many changes and new ideas. One of those is having a nurse on staff 24-7. We have Phil DuLude who is our nurse. All medicines are now charted on the computer. We have a bigger staff and bigger team,” said Dallen.
DuLude said, “Our computer system with the resident information is backed up on paper also so we have ready access to all their information. The facility has been painted and new decor has been finished around the home.”
Dallen said, “We have a 12 week menu which offers a wide variety of meals for our residents for their lunches and dinner. They are always getting different items. They receive good home cooked meals. This is something that is an advantage to our residents. So many seniors living alone don’t eat properly. When they come here, they gain weight, they feel better because they are eating better.
“Some of the menu items include: ham, meat loaf, tacos, steak, hamburger surprise and many more. Our meals are also adaptable for those with diabetes. We try hard to keep the food as close to what you might prepare at home as possible. It’s good food.
“Another thing that makes us unique is that we don’t have add-ons. You pay your rent and you get all the other services included in your rent. Some facilities don’t include meals, housekeeping, toilet items, incontinence care and clean-ups. You end up with a different total every month. That’s not the case here. You know what to plan for each month. The base rate is the same and it’s all inclusive.
“The only item they are charged extra for is if they use the beauty shop. Katie Brady comes to the facility every Monday to do hair and colors, nails, whatever the residents want and Brady is paid for the service she provides.
“Assisted living is normally a private pay arrangement. But, there are a couple of things that will help with that. Veterans and their families can receive a stipend to help pay for assisted living care. Or, if you go to a nursing home for 90 days first, then you can transfer to an assisted living center and Medicaid will help pay for assisted living in that situation.
“There aren’t that many differences between an assisted living center and a nursing home. We can do everything they can do, but we can’t accept bedridden residents. If we have a resident who is in our center and then becomes bedridden, they can stay here. We can also provide Hospice services. Sometimes residents come here and are only here a short time during their last days.
“We provide a different environment. We have people here who still drive and come and go as they wish.
“We want to educate people in our counties and let them know there are options available for the care of their loved ones.
“We take better care of our people. We want to maintain their health, strength and longevity. We want them to be able to take care of themselves for as long as possible. When we are needed, we are here,” said Dallen.
DuLude said, “We like the home like atmosphere. We can keep our residents comfortable. We can individualize their care. All of the people who come here are from different backgrounds. I enjoy interacting with the residents and getting to know them and their families. The average stay at one of our facilities is 36 months.”
Dallen said, “We never ask anyone to leave. This is a comfortable place to spend the final years of life. We provide help with showers, eating, personal care and any need the resident might have in a dignified manner. We have full care or they can do as much for themselves as they are capable. We encourage them to walk and do all they can to be active. But, we have residents who can’t do anything for themselves. Even then they still have choices on what they want to eat and do here. We are licensed for 16 residents here in Elmo and we have 11 at this time. Our facility in Price is full.
“We had a man from Wellington who wanted to put his wife in the Price facility, but there wasn’t any room at that time. He chose to bring her to Elmo and then we had an opening in Price, but he didn’t want to move her. He said he likes it just fine in Elmo. He comes over every day and has dinner with her. Elmo really is a short distance from Price. It takes me about 18 minutes when I travel to Price to our facility there.
“We really like the nice country environment here. It’s quiet for the residents. The facility in Price is new, but the care in both facilities is the same. The Beehive Home in Elmo really is the most affordable place in the two county area. We have a half acre of lawns and trees for the residents to enjoy. It’s a great location and a safe neighborhood in a safe community. The Elmo ward comes in on Sundays and serves the sacrament for those who want it.
“The building has been here in Elmo now for 20 years, the community is really supportive and involved. It’s a good spot and we enjoy it. The original resident of the Turnquist Retreat was a man from Sweden and when he died, they took him back there to be buried. We want our residents to feel like this is home. At our Price facility one of the residents felt so much at home they wanted their funeral to be held there so all the residents and employees there could attend. That means we did our job in creating a family home like environment. We even had a baby blessing there so a Grandpa could participate.
“We have one large get together every summer for our residents and their families and then an Easter egg hunt on Easter. We have a Christmas party for the residents and their families. Many of the families join us on Thanksgiving, too.
“Molly and I are real community supporters. We like to be involved. We have three children, twins age 9, Shaylee and Dixie and a 6 year old son named Cache. We are happy to be a part of the Emery County business community,” said Dallen.