Background

For decades, Tekoa Care Center has operated as a skilled nursing community and has been known as a leader in behavioral health management.  Since 2015, it has been operated by a small, family-owned organization - Noble Healthcare. Tekoa Care Center continues to provide much needed service to the communities they serve, including a few changes.  

 

Due to the increased attention to mental illness and with the encouragement of state officials, in 2018 Tekoa Care Center transitioned from a skilled nursing facility to an assisted living facility.  More specifically, Tekoa Care Center received a contract from the state to serve as an Enhanced Adult Residential Care (EARC) provider. Enhanced adult residential care (EARC) is a package of services provided by an assisted living facility. Tekoa is now one of just a handful of buildings operating under this new designation in the State of Washington.

 

Current

Tekoa Care Center is now officially an EARC that is piloting the new CSS (Community Stability Support) Program.  We are thrilled to continue to be partners in Washington’s Mental Health Transformation. With 59 CSS beds, we believe we are well positioned to provide continued support in an overburdened mental health community.

 

The majority of our residents have been referred to us either directly from Eastern State Hospital or are being diverted from eventual placement at psychiatric beds via other local area hospitals.
 

Tekoa has been successfully providing a community based care setting for residents with behavioral health needs for many years.  We are passionate about serving this population. It has become who we are and our dedicated staff are proud of their unique abilities to care for folks who have experienced multiple failed placements at other facilities. Being a Community Stabilization Support (CSS) designated building only enhances our ability to continue providing these services.

 

Services

Some of the unique services that we offer at Tekoa Care Center include:

• Regular visits from our Physician/Medical Director (typically once a week)

• Regular visits from our Psychologist/ARNP (typically 2-3 visits a month with phone consults available 24/7)

• Licensed Nursing and Caregiver services available at a significantly higher staff to resident ratio that what is found in a typical Assisted Living 

• All staff receive regular training related to behavior management 

• Monthly Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) meetings to review each residents’ unique behavioral management needs and make adjustments as determined by full IDT input. Members of the IDT include: Physician, Psychologist/ARNP, Nursing Director (RN), Lead Aide (CNA), Dietician, Pharmacist, Activities Director, Social Services Director, Dietary Manager, and Administrator.

• We work closely with our dedicated Social Services Specialist from Home and Community Services/Department of Health and Human Services who attends IDT meetings and works directly with our residents.

 

Future

We have a number of projects in the works that we believe will enhance the lives of our residents and staff at Tekoa Care Center.  Some of these include:

• In 2019 we had a professional artist visit the facility and work with residents for about a week.  The paintings the residents created during that time were then used when we redecorated our front hallway and dining room.  It has been so fun to see our residents’ creativity come out and be used to decorate their home.

• During the winter of 2020 we have been working on a new outside patio dining and walking area.  It should be completed in the summer of 2021. The new area will offer residents a large patio just outside of our front dining area where they can enjoy dining “al fresco” in an area that offers beautiful views of the Palouse.  The new outdoor area also includes a new sidewalk that will give residents a safe place to stroll around the building.

• In Spring 2020 we implemented an Employee Emergency Fund which is a non profit entity that gives staff who desire an opportunity to donate a few dollars from their paychecks towards a fund to help each other when emergencies arise.  This fund is overseen by a few dedicated staff members acting as the board of directors. In coming years we hope to see this fund grow in its ability to help our staff and their families.