Welcome to the GoodLife

Welcome to the GoodLife

(HEATH, TX — August 6, 2018) Each year, the population of aging citizens in Rockwall County continues to grow. Fortunately, so do the options for senior living. From visiting caregivers to assisted living facilities and nursing homes, our community offers a variety of choices for quality, elder care. Finding the right solution for you or a loved one, however, may prove overwhelming – as nothing compares to living independently in the comfort of your own home.

A new concept in senior care may hold the key to finding that happy place – the perfect situation that combines all the comforts of home with 24-hour, personalized caregiving.

Low Caregiver to Resident Ratio

On July 30, GoodLife Senior Living and Memory Care of Heath hosted a grand opening celebration at 126 Smirl Drive (on the northeast corner of Smirl and 549, behind Anytime Fitness).

With only 16 beds in the home, the caregiver to resident ratio is about 1:7. According to GoodLife CEO Dallen Skelley, the norm in other larger facilities can be 1:27.

GoodLife caregivers are onsite day and night, with medication administration overseen by Holli Steinecke, RN and GoodLife Administrator. In addition to assisted living, GoodLife offers memory care for those with Alzheimer’s, dementia or other cognitive impairments, and respite care for short-term stays.

“For many residents, this will be the last place they call home,” said Skelley. “To create the GoodLife they deserve, we fill it with new memories and experiences so they feel safe, loved, and at peace. We don’t just treat them like family; they are family.”

With 12 other GoodLife locations and 20 homes throughout Texas and New Mexico, Skelley explained that the inspiration for this concept came when his great grandmother reached the age where she couldn’t be alone anymore.

“My father, Lawrence Skelley, is a licensed contractor with over 42 years of experience in developing and building subdivisions, residential and commercial buildings. He decided to build an assisted living home in Hobbs, NM, where my great grandmother could live.”

He added, “It’s kinda funny. She was a free customer – it didn’t cost her anything – so she moved around a bit because wherever there was an empty room is where she went. I think she lived in three different GoodLife homes before she passed away. She loved to cook. She raised eight boys, and it was important to her to bake her bread every week, and her freezer jam. So she’d make herself at home in the kitchen, and do her thing.”

Full-Service Amenities

Whether residents decide to cook or do their own laundry, GoodLife offers full-service amenities, including chef-prepared meals, linen service, housekeeping, and transportation. Staff can assist with bathing, toileting, oral hygiene, dressing, dining, hair and nails. Physical exercise, Bingo, art, music, gardening, and trivia help keep residents engaged.  A peaceful, secure, outdoor sitting area features waterfalls, a Koi pond, and barbecue grill.

“We do everything a nursing home does except we do it better, and in a different environment,” Skelley said. “I hope as people come through our doors they can see we are a little different. People come here to age in place. We are home.”

GoodLife has two buildings on the property in Heath, both licensed and equipped for assisted living and memory care residents, including those with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Passion, Compassion, and Love 

“One of the reasons we’re here in Heath and growing is because of the niche we found in providing personalized, private care to our residents. We’re very selective with the caregivers we hire. They must have passion, compassion, and love,” Skelley said. “We’re here for the residents – first and foremost.”

Skelley said he recognized great potential in Steinecke, RN, and interviewed her for the Administrator position.

“During the interview, Holli shared with us that she grew up with her grandmother and has a passion for the elderly. Holli has been an RN with over six years of psychiatric nursing experience and we felt she would be the perfect fit to oversee the care of our resident’s with Alzheimer’s and dementia and other cognitive deficits.”

He described Steinecke as “the quintessential Texan through and through with an infectious personality and a fight or die spirit. We think we have made the right choice and we look forward to moving in residents. The future is bright in Heath!”

Steinecke said that growing up, she spent most her time with her “Grandmommie,” and that’s where her foundation began in caring for and loving elderly patients. “I enrolled in nursing school and have been a practicing RN since I was 21. Most of my background is in psychiatric care, and that really puts me in a great position to provide memory care to our residents as well as assistive care for those who are more independent. I have a passion for the elderly and my mission is to care for each and every one as if they are my family member. I want them to be loved and spoiled in a home that caters to their individual needs, that has delicious food, and a clean, enjoyable environment.”

GoodLife Senior Living and Memory Care private pay homes are welcoming new residents and are available for touring. For more information, call 469-338-0538 or visit goodlifeseniorliving.com.

Sponsored article by Dawn Redig, Blue Ribbon News. GoodLife is a client of BRN Media.

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