FEBRUARY 24, 1978 PAGE 9
Core For The Aged Costly, But Essential
by Donna Behrend
They are few in number, but
their care is one of the most
important and time consuming
endeavors a family can take
upon itself. No, we’re not speak
ing of babies or children, but the
care of the elderly.
Selecting the type of care
desired for an elderly person
can be very difficult. Nursing
homes, convalescent centers and
homes for the aged are con
venient because there is usually
round-the-clock care. But, plac
ing an elderly person in such
homes can often confuse and
disorieht an old person. They
often become unhappy and with
drawn.
The other alternative to
nursing or guest home care, is to
keep the elderly at home. But to
find a compatible and reliable
person to come into the home
can frequently be difficult. This
article is concerned only with
outside care facilities and re
sources.
Upon checking with most of
the care facilities in the Central
Oregon area, Spilyay Tymoo
discovered that the cost of daily
care of patients only varies a
few dollars one way or the other.
Cost of the care depends upon
the degree of necessary care. It
ranges from light care, which is
for those who can dress them
selves and walk to the dining
room, to heavy care, which is
for those who are bedridden and
cannot provide for themselves.
There are three nursing
homes and one guest home in
the Bend area.
At the Bachelor Butte Nurs
ing Center, there are 80 beds
available. They have no waiting
list and the cost for a private
room is $27, sem i-private $25
and three-bed ward is $22.
Harmony House Nursing
Home is another alternative.
They have 18 beds but they have
a waiting list of 20 persons.
Their daily rate is $20, but their
administrator was reluctant to
give any further costs.
Central Oregon Health Care
Center is the largest in the area.
As of March 15, they will have 99
beds but the adm inistrator re
fused to give us rates because he
thought the Confederated Tribes
was investigating the possibility
of a nursing home here on the
reservation.
Lastly there is the Bend
Guest Lodge. Their rate is $350
per month, they have room for
10 guests and presently there is
no one on the waiting list. They
provide three meals per day and
the guests must be well enough to
care for themselves, walk to the
dining room and be daily active.
A foot doctor makes monthly
visits to care for their feet.
In Prineville, the Pioneer
Memorial Nursing Home is com
bined with the hospital. The
nursing home is divided into two
sections. One is Home for the
Aged where the private rate is
$700 per month and semi-private
rate is $550 per month. The other
section is for intermediate care
and the private rate is $820 per
month and semi-private rate is
$795 p er month. Interm ediate
Sims Holliquilla, a young but disabled resident of Mountain View Nursing Home spends much of
his time quietly in his room, which he has personalized with pictures and knick-knacks.
CDS Photo
care is for those patients who
are confined to bed or a wheel
chair, and cannot do for them
selves.
The other care facility in
Prineville is Ochoco Nursing
Home. They have 63 beds and
accept perspns who are retiring
or those who are unable to care
for themselves. Their daily rates
View
S“11? ssS,nnges of a c o c c c,ass “ Indian history held once a week at the Mountain
othwresidenteH°me' Unable to fully ParticiPate, Wilson was wheeled into the famiy room to be With
CDS Photo
are $27 for private room, $25 for has his own physician who can
semi-private room and $23 for be called in case of emergency.
ward care. They also have a Visiting hours are open in all
$22.13 daily rate for welfare nursing homes. Immediate fam
patients.
ily can visit at any hour within
In the Redmond-Terrebonne reason.
area there are two facilities for
They all have many activi
the elderly. The Redmond ties planned for residents such
Health Care Center has 67 beds as Bingo parties, Sunday after
but only 58 patients. Their pri noon church services and
vate daily rate is $26.50, semi- monthly birthday parties. They
private rate is $25, and three-bed are frequently visited by Girl
ward is $23.50.
Scouts, Camp Fire Girls and
The Golden Age Guest kindergarten students.
Ranch in Terrebonne is not a
The guest homes are inde
nursing home, but a facility pendent of State Rules and Reg
where ambulatory persons can ulations and are not licensed.
live. Again, they must be able to They have no doctors or nurses
come to the dining room to eat who make regular visits and for
and to dress themselves. Their this reason, the guest must be
monthly rate is $300, however, well. The two in Central Oregon
they have no openings at the are operated by families and
present time.
both have live-in housekeepers.
Mountain View Nursing
Costs can add up quickly
Home, in Madras presently has and many families are concern
32 beds. Their monthly rates are ed about expensfes. According to
dependent on the degree of care Public Health Service Director
required by each patient. Light Gäret Soules, PHS provides
care is $614, medium care is $675 Contract Health Care for the
and heavy care is $730. They elderly in such cases as recov
have a waiting list of 30 persons. ery following an illness. If an
All the nursing homes have elderly person is placed in a
Registered Nurses on duty dur nursing home by a clinic doctor,
ing day shifts. The fundamental PHS will cover expenses. But, if
care is the responsibility of only custodial care is necessary,
nurses aides and most aides PHS will not cover the expenses.
have an average of nine patients
to care for. Most homes have
Coming up: Caring for the
elderly at home.
doctors on call but each patient
From The Tribal Drug Program . . . Caffeine is A Drug
Caffeine is one of the most
widely used stim ulants in the
world and it can be found in
coffee, tea, cola drinks, choco
late bars, and cocoa. One cup of
coffee has enough caffeine in it
to keep a person hyper Tor
approximately four hours: It has
been estimated that the annual
consumption of caffeine in the
United States in the form of
coffee alone is about 15 million
pounds.
Caffeine is a drug which
does affect the body — mainly
the central nervous system, the
heart, and the kidney. Because
caffeine is a stimulant, the func
tion of the heart and central
nervous system is increased.
When caffeine is taken into the
body it is done usually in the
form of a liquid. It first goes to
the stomach where it is slowly
and incompletely absorped into
the bloodstream. Thus, absorp
tion is delayed and occurs large
ly through the intestines. As a
result caffeine is absorbed slow
ly, only about 25 percent in one
hour.
Caffeine is freely and equal
ly distributed throughout the
total body water. Thus caffeine
is found in almost equal concen
tration in all parts of the body,
including the brain. In the brain,
caffeine is a powerful stimulant
of nerve tissue. The earliest be
havioral effects of caffeine are
increases in mental altertness, a
more rapid and clearer flow of
thought, wakefullness, and rest
lessness.
Caffeine has a slight stimu
lant action on the heart. It
makes the heart beat faster thus
making the heart pump more
blood per minute. Caffeine also
affects blood vessels, sometimes
making them dilate or contract.
In the brain the blood vessels
constrict resulting in relief from
certain types of migraine head
aches.
In normal doses caffeine is
not harmful, however once any
stim ulant is taken in excess,
there follows a period of behavi
oral and m ental depression.
Socially, this can sometimes be
seen in certain automobile acci
dents that may occur as a result
of driving for prolonged periods
under caffeine stimulation. If
one stops drinking coffee, he
may become drowsy and fall
asleep while driving. Therefore
a person should be careful when
any stim ulant drug is used to
maintain wakefulness or perfor
mance for prolonged periods.
How many of you have been
around people who cannot start
their day without a cup of
coffee? More than once, right?
In order to keep your caffeine
intake you must be in control. I
you cannot quit drinking coffee
or if you cannot quit drinking
soda, keep it at a minimum. A
person should not drink more
than four cups of coffee per day.
It is up to you, it is your body
and your health.