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VALLEY — EAMC-Lanier Nursing Hone Administrator Alison Yarbrough was the guest speaker at the Monday evening meeting of the Valley Lions Club. She has been in her current position since August 2017 and with Lanier in some capacity for 20 years. She was one of Program Chairman Sam Bradford’s students when he was the principal at Valley High.

While EAMC-Lanier has undergone many changes it its current conversion to a rural emergency hospital, the nursing home has been largely unaffected. “We are still really, really busy,” Yarbrough said.

It’s currently a 103-bed facility, 93 of them certified for Medicare or Medicaid. Nine of the rooms are private with 94 being semi-private.

There’s one bed in each private room and two in each semi-private room.

A two-year renovation effort at the nursing home was recently completed, and it looks spectacular. “We now have very homey hallways,” Yarbrough said. “I just love the new look of the floors, and each room has a welcoming feel. Every room has a TV with cable being paid for by the nursing home. Each room looks so much better than it did. I love the way the new windows slant.”

No doubt the nursing home’s bright, new appearance was a factor in its recent selection as one of the top five nursing homes in Alabama and one of the top 50 in the U.S.

“We are very proud of that,” Yarbrough said. “The dedication of our staff was a big factor in this high rating.”

Nursing homes are recommended for this survey by medical professionals. Four different factors are involved in the scoring. “They look at resident satisfaction,” she said. “We got really good scores when it came to the quality of care being provided.  Our staff loves our residents and takes very good care of them. We all try very hard to give them the best care that can be given.”

A number of different categories were involved. Lanier was in the 100 bed to 150 bed category and went up against some pretty stiff competition both in Alabama and across the country.

There’s a widespread belief that nursing homes take people’s homes once they become a permanent resident, “We don’t do that,” Yarbrough said. “There are two ways to cover the cost. There’s private pay and Medicaid pay.”

Some families apply for what’s known as institutionalized Medicaid. It’s a good idea to be prepared in advance of a loved one having to go to a nursing home for the rest of their life. “I have seen so many families get into situations they did not expect,” Yarbrough said. “It’s best to be prepared for the worst. It’s best for family members to know about your finances and to have someone you trust to take care of it.”

Yarbrough describes nursing home work as both sweet and precious. “Everyone has a bedroom that’s unique,” she said. “We have individualized care to accommodate this.”

Some people come to the nursing home for short-term care. They are usually there for a rehab stay that’s funded by Medicare. Longer term care is covered by Medicaid.

EAMC-Lanier Nursing Home has a staff of 85 people. “Our staff is mostly made up of RNs, LPNs and CNAs,” Yarbrough said. “They work 12-hour shifts from 7 till 7.”

A variety of resident activities are offered that appeal to different types of residents.

“We encourage family visits and participation with their loved one,” Yarbrough said. “With their permission, we post pictures of their loved one on social media. We like to spotlight and celebrate the resident and their individual history. We encourage family members to take part in quarterly care plan meetings.”

The nursing home is involved in community engagement. “We invite local civic clubs and others from the community to come here for resident activities,” Yarbrough said. “We like to take them on tours of the nursing home and to have question-and-answer sessions with them.”

George H. Lanier Memorial Hospital was the first healthcare facility in the U.S. to be constructed with funding from the Hill-Burton Act. It opened in 1950. Some 15 years later the nursing home was built adjoining the hospital. Ten years later in 1975 the original nursing home went through a first expansion. An east wing was added in 1982, and a complete renovation started in 2022 and finished earlier this year.