SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. - As the population continues to age, more and more people are considering assisted living as an alternative to staying in their own home.
Regency Courte Assisted Living, 3501 Dakota Ave., on the campus of the Regency Square Care Center, is a residential alternative combining independence with personal care in a warm, dignified setting.
Greg Gregerson, administrator of the facility, said their purpose is to meet the long-term care needs of the South Sioux City community with a unique combination of housing, personalized supportive services and healthcare designed to respond to the needs of those who require help with their daily activities.
Regency Courte offers 34 assisted living apartments, including 20 one-bedroom efficiency apartments.
The 20 apartments feature a spacious living area, complete with a kitchenette and accessible bathroom and shower.
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Services to the residents include three daily meals in a community dining room, 24-hour nursing support and assistance, medication assistance, flat linen service, housekeeping, and social and recreational programs.
The Regency Square Care Center campus, located on Dakota Avenue at Colonial Drive, also includes a 75-bed, skilled nursing home. The home has been a long-term care provider in the South Sioux City community for more than 35 years. In 1975, apartments were added.
Residents run the entire spectrum, from those who are fully independent to those who need some assistance to those who require care from a licensed nurse.
"We would like nothing better than to assist all our residents in returning to their homes," Gregerson said. "The reality is that may not happen. So, whether an individual's stay is for short-term rehabilitation or for long-term care or in the assisted living apartments, we strive to provide the highest quality of life for each resident while they are living in our home."
Gregerson pointed out that those individuals who do well in assisted living are those who make that life change before their health is impaired.
"Many do very well in assisted living," he said. "They now have the freedom to focus on family, social aspects, church groups and friendships, without the concerns of home ownership."
Gregerson stressed that the assisted living apartments are not the "hospital concept" of a nursing home.
"All doors in the apartments have their own keys and can be locked at the resident's discretion," he said. "There is a separate entrance and a secured courtyard for the apartment area."
The residents bring their own furniture and accessories to their apartments. Regency Square will provide a bed, dresser and nightstand, if needed.
Recreational activities are tailored to meet the residents' needs. Most have a high level of self-activity, Gregerson said. A few even own a car.
One of the popular activities is an inter-generational program in the South Sioux City public schools. The school program is called Pen Pals. The residents are paired one-on-one with members of the fourth-grade class. Members of the class exchange cards and letters with the residents.
Other recreational programs include community theater, concerts, shopping and a full range of intellectual and diversified activities. But most popular, Gregerson said, is the 3 p.m. piano playing of retired South Sioux City Resident Dick Arnold. Arnold "tickles the ivories" each Wednesday for about an hour at the home.
"Residents make sure they are rested and ready to go when Dick gets here," he said. "We have a number of community volunteers, but Dick and his piano are really well-liked among the residents."
