Vonderlieth Living Center celebrates 50 years
Public invited to an Open House on Sunday

 

[October 20, 2023] 

On Sunday, October 22nd, Vonderlieth Living Center will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the skilled nursing facility in Mt. Pulaski.

On October 22nd 1973, May Downey had the privilege of being the first resident to check into the new nursing home that had been built thanks to the generous endowment of Henry and Jane Vonderlieth.

This week Jeff Martin and Tom Cross joined administrator Donna Kinkade to share information about Vonderlieth with Lincoln Daily News. Martin is a second-generation board member and also the longest sitting board member at Vonderlieth. Cross is the current board president.

Kinkade has been the administrator at Vonderlieth for the past five years. She came to Vonderlieth after nearly 30 years of working for a faith based not for profit organization. She notes that there, she fulfilled many roles, though she was never considered the administrator of that organization, the experiences she had there prepared her well for taking on the duties assigned to her position at Vonderlieth. Hailing from Piper City, she said that she moved to Lincoln soon after accepting the position in Mt. Pulaski. She appreciates the small community atmosphere of both towns and has felt quite at home at Vonderlieth.

Martin is a second-generation board member, who technically should have been the third generation. When the construction of Vonderlieth was in the works, Martins grandfather was tagged to be one of the charter members of the board. However, he passed away before the establishment of a board of directors and Jeff father took his place. Then later, Jeff replaced his dad, and has been on the board for the past 23 years.

On Sunday, there will be an open house at the living center from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. There will be a short program at 2 p.m. where Martin will share some of the historical background of the center.

While the nursing home was officially opened in 1973, the plan to erect a long term care facility began many years prior to that, when Henry and Jane Vonderlieth established a bequeathal in their will for the new facility to be built after their passing.

Martin shared that the Vonderlieth’s had been from Mt. Pulaski but had moved away. They were in touch with the community throughout their time away and entrusted to the editor of the Mt. Pulaski Times, Harry Wible the news that they would leaving money to Mt. Pulaski for the construction of a hospital.

Yes, a hospital was the first plan of the Vonderlieth’s, and the story was published in the Times on January 10, 1958. Though the hospital was a nice proposal, looking into the needs of the community, it was determined that it was not feasible, and that there would be a greater need for a long term care facility. The bequeathal was not to be distributed until the passing of both of the Vonderlieths. Henry passed away on April 14, 1968, and 18 months later in October of 1969 Jane joined him in eternal rest.

The groundbreaking for the new nursing home then took place on June 18, 1972. Cross said that the original building is what is now considered the south half of the skilled nursing facility. There have since been additions to the building proper and also the establishment of the independent living apartments which are separate from the main unit. Cross said that even though the independent living apartments did not come right away, the proposals that were approved by the Vonderlieths before their passing included such living facilities.

The first meeting of the board of directors for Vonderlieth was held on March 11, 1971. The original plan for the center was a skilled nursing facility where that the majority of the residents would require consistent medical attention. Kinkade, martin and Cross said that over the last 50 years, the skilled nursing has continued to be an important part of the facility, but there is also a larger number of people who are coming to the facility that are higher functioning and require more of an assisted living situation than consistent medical care.

Kinkade said it is a good sign that our senior population is remaining independent longer, staying in their own homes longer, and requiring less medical attention as they age. The center has adapted continually throughout its 50 years to accommodate the needs of the residents and the community.

Throughout the years, the center, which is board directed, and not affiliated with any larger health care organizations has faced its share of challenging moments. Cross, Martin, and Kinkade all agreed that perhaps the greatest of those challenges was the Covid-19 pandemic. Kinkade was still pretty new to the job when covid struck and she said it was a difficult time for the staff , the residents, and the families.

She said that there were some remarkable stories though that came from the bad times. The staff that stayed in house for longer periods of time because there was a fear that if they left the facility they could bring the virus back with them when they returned. There was the families that brought bags of food and treats and left them outside the building to help benefit the residents and the staff during their isolation.

Vonderlieth board member Jeff Martin, Administrator Donna Kinkade and Board President Tom Cross

She said there were tough times as well. She and Martin talked about the pain of the residents and the families in not being allowed to have human contact. Martin said there were plenty of visits outside the windows of resident rooms, but it wasn’ the same, and sometimes even made it harder because family and residents could not really be close through a glass.

Of course throughout the history of the living center, financial management has always been a challenge. With the living facility being a stand alone operation, Vonderlieth has had to be very careful in its money management. One of the greatest challenges has been dealing with the loss of income for residents with Medicaid. Kinkade said that the nursing home has a shortfall of about $40 to $60 a day that has to be made up in other areas. Because of this, the facility has to maintain a careful ratio of Medicaid residents and private insurance residents in order to keep the facility financially sound. One way the center is offsetting costs is by adding more services. Currently the facility offers a rehab to home program where patients can come from the hospital and receive rehabilitative services such as physical therapy in preparation for the time when they are able to return to their home. The center also offers a physical therapy program for clients not living at the nursing home. She said the patients needing that service have their own entrance into the building, and do not come in daily contact with the long term residents or staff.

Cross said that Kinkade has done an excellent job with that balancing act, and that the board doesn’t interfere with her job. He said the board hears from her, acts when she asks them to, but otherwise allows her to advise them on how to proceed with the daily operations, and works to support her when she needs that support.

Currently there are 60 residents in the skilled to assisted living sections of the facility and 23 independent apartments that are all occupied. Martin said there is a waiting list for the apartments, and Cross explained that the independent living portion of the Vonderlieth program is the first step in the progression as residents age and required more specific care. He said some will move from the apartments to the assisted living portion of the main building and then on to the skilled nursing as their needs increase.

Kinkade said that the center also has a higher than average staff to resident ratio. With 60 residents, they nursing home employees 70 staff spread across multiple shifts to assure 24/7 care for all.

She said that while the facility prioritizes health care, there are also many opportunities for socialization. She said first and foremost, the facility itself, while it may not have all the “bells and whistles” of other facilities, offers a comfortable “grandma’s house” setting for residents and their families. She said the main communal area is the living room and it is very comfortable for residents and visitors. Families are able to come in and dine with their residents, and currently the center is repurposing one private area just off the dining room that can be utilized for a family get together scenario that allows for more privacy and more closeness between the residents and their families.

Kinkade said there are also outings for the residents who are able. The center participates in several of the local parade events. The residents enjoy the Mt. Pulaski Fall Festival and the Lincoln Christmas parade. This time of year, they enjoy going out and watching the harvest get underway. There are activities at the center as well including religious services, card games, art, birthday parties and holiday themed parties. Several residents have accounts for making purchases, and they provide their shopping lists and the staff make arrangements for purchases for them. There is also internet access and online shopping is becoming more popular.

On Sunday the open house will include a program that looks back on the history of the Vonderlieth Living Center in greater detail. Kinkade and Martin have a stack of historical items including copies of the Mt. Pulaski Times with news stories about the center, and other mementoes.

For the center, the first 50 years have been an overall great experience, and the board members are looking forward to continually adapting to the needs of the citizens and the community so to provided a bright future for the next 50 years.

The community is invited to attend the open house on Saturday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The day will begin with a short presentation, then there will be food and drink and opportunities to get to know the center, its staff, and some of the residents.

Please make plans to attend and enjoy that grandma’s house feeling that makes the Vonderlieth provides on a daily basis for its residents.

[Nila Smith]