Caretel Admissions

We want you to enjoy life with us and we believe that a variety of activities are important to your health and happiness. We hope you will participate in our continually varied programs. An activity calendar will be provided for you on a weekly basis. All regularly scheduled and special evening activities will be listed.

The administration is always available to talk to you. We would appreciate knowing any concern, recomendations or compliments you may have. One of our goals at Caretel Village is to have healthy relationships with our residents, their family and with their friends. This can be acheived when we work together as a team.

The admission application, medical information and appropriate paperwork must be completed prior to admission. Please make an appointment with the Executive Director to complete all necessary admission information. Medical information required includes: The medical diagnosis, current medication and dosages (from all of your doctors), type of diet, list of allergies, personal care information, a chest X- Ray or current TB test results, and any other pertinent information. There are specific forms provided by Caretel for the doctor to complete prior to admission. We would like to accomplish our admissions process as early in the day as possible. This insures a well-settled resident before the close of the day.

We provide assistance with a bath and/or shower on a twice a week schedule. A specific day and time has been arranged. Please ask for your personal bathing schedule. Your laundry will also be completed on these days.

Our licensed beautician provides services for our residents on a weekly basis. If you would like to make an appointment, please arrange for this with your Resident Assistant. The prices are as follows:

When residents or family members call a doctor to report something or ask questions, please tell the nurse a call has been made. It helps us to be prepared for a return phone call from the doctor and insures good communication between all of us.

A registered dietition plans all resident meals. We make them tasty, varied and attractive. Meal hours are as follows:

We also offer a hot breakfast buffet on Saturday and Sunday from 8:00am- 9:00am. This buffet includes pastries, a fruit plate as well as hot entries. If you would like to join your family members, please make a reservation in advance.

A special diet will be provided if it is prescribed by your physician. Please alert us to any food allergies. Individual food preferences may be given to the Dietary Coordinators. Also, if there is an item being served that you do not like, please let a staff member know a day in advance and a substitute will be provided.

Caretel Village can arrange for the rental of the following equipment: Wheelchair, walker, special mattress, oxygen concentrator, or any other appropriate medical equipment. Rental charges will be assessed and are the responsibility of the resident or the family.

If your children or other close friends move, please be certain to let us know their new address and phone number. It is important that we have accurate information in case of any emergency. If a family member will be away for an extended period of time, please notify the nursing department with a back-up contact person.

A staff member from the dietary department will spend time with you shortly after you move in to clarify special dietary needs, likes and dislikes. Please keep us informed of any special dietary changes. Tray service, in your room, is available only in the case of illness.

You may bring in your personal furniture as long as the environment remains uncluttered. We provide a bed, dresser, bedside stand, 2 lamps, and a fireside chair. We also provide the bed linen and bathroom linens.

We encourage and welcome mealtime guests to join residents at Caretel Village. All of our meals are prepared fresh and on a daily basis. And, when we have additional mealtime guests, we need to plan in advance. Please call (428-1111) a day in advance (at least the night before) if you will be joining us for a meal. The cost for a guest meal continues at $3.50. There are "special" meals, from time to time, (i.e. lobster, shrimp, or prime rib) which will be individually priced. The pricing for these "special" meals will be listed on the printed menu.

The food, which is stored in the Arlington House, Bristol House, and the Dover House sub kitchens, is used only for our residents. If, however, residents have a guest and would like to offer a snack, a hot beverage and cookies are always available. Food in the cupboard or in the refrigerator is for resident use only. There is also a vending machine in our service entry for guest snacks.

Your living accomodations are cleaned on a regular basis. Fresh linens and towels are furnished on an as needed basis. Bed sheets are changed on a weekly basis.

Ice cream is available for the residents any time, by request. If you are planning a family ice cream social, please call in advance. For health and safety reasons, please do not scoop your own ice cream. Please ask a staff person to serve it for you. For guests, a fee will be assessed $1.00 for a small dish and $1.50 for a large dish.

Laundry service is provided for you twice a week. The laundry is completed on the same day as the scheduled bath/ or shower. We will provide all residents with a personal laundry basket. If you would like to do your own laundry, please feel free to do so. Please label all resident clothing. If you have clothing you wish to have dry-cleaned, please call to make your own arrangements. Arrangements can be made for pick-up and delivery of your dry cleaning.

When medical or nursing services are rendered on an ongoing basis, a level of care charge will be assessed. This assessment will talke place 30 days after a resident has been admitted: unless there is an apparent assessed need, which requires additional care at the time of admission. Levels of care charges are reviewed on a monthly basis. Written notice will be given prior to charging any additional charges for a resident's care.

The Lincoln Township Library delivers books to Caretel Village each month. Books are located in the family room in Arlington and Bristol House Living Rooms. Please feel free to browse or check them out for a period of time. Please sign the card in the book and leave it with a resident assistant.

Mail will be delivered to you each day. For resident outgoing mail, please bring it to the Administrative Office.

Please do not hesitate to report anything in need of repair or replacement. We take great pride in the appearance of Caretel Village and hope you will too. It is your home and we welcome any suggestions that will make it safer and more attractive.

Please be certain that medications from all physicians are included on the Physician's Health Care Appraisal Form. We only administer medication (including over the counter medications) with a doctor's written order.

Our Nail Technician provides services for our residents one time per week. If you would like to make an appointment, please arrange one with a Resident Assistant. She will put your appointment in the nail technician's appointment book. The prices are as follows:

To arrange for Herald Palladium service, call 429-2400 and ask for the circulation department. Other newspapers (South Bend Tribune, Chicago Tribune) can also be delivered by calling the respective circulation department. We will deliver newspapers to you daily.

Decide which of your personal possessions you wish to bring with you to Caretel Village. We encourage you to bring items in order to make your accommodations personally yours. Family photographs, clocks, radios, paintings, favorite books, an afghan, plants, and a calendar are some of the things you may wish to consider. Also, bring your walker, wheelchair, hearing aid, and glasses. Please, do not bring heating pads, electric blankets, heaters or other electrical appliances. We are not responsible for misplaced items.

Caretel Village will have a designated pharmacy employed for obtaining medication as the physician may order. They will deliver medication 6 days a week in an individualized blister pack card system. This designated pharmacy participates with most insurance providers and is very price-competitive with other pharmacies. You will be billed monthly by the pharmacy for your medications.

We have made arrangements with The Nursing Home Group to handle podiatry services on a Bi- monthly basis. These services are provided by a licensed podiatrist. Federal and State Certification allows Nursing Home Foot Care Associate to do its own billing to Medicare and other private insurance. The Nursing Home Foot Care Associates will bill the balance not covered by Medicare or private insurance directly to the resident.

All rooms in the Arlington House Inn and the Bristol House Inn are equipped with both a refrigerator and a microwave. There will be no additional charge assessed for the use of the refrigerator and microwave.

All residents leaving Caretel Village must claim their personal belongings. If a resident requires discharge to a hospital, the family will be notified. Ambulance charges are the responsibility of the resident or their family. If Caretel Village is no longer able to provide the necessary care for a resident, we will give due notice and aid in the transfer (see formal admissions statement for details). All residents are evaluated monthly for appropriate placement.

A deposit of $1,000.00 will be collected when a room has been selected. This deposit will hold a room for up to 30 days. At the time of discharge, the security deposit will be applied to the final billing and the balance refunded within the normal billing cycle. This generally occurs within 4-6 weeks. A move-in fee of $500.00 will be collected when you move into Caretel Village. This fee is non-refundable. The move-in fee is used for investment and capitol improvements.

When leaving the building with family and friends, please sign out and state expected time of return. The sign out books are located in the dining rooms in each Inn. It is important that you sign out/in so all residents are accounted for. This would be especially important in the case of a fire or any other unexpected occurance.

Snacks are always available for residents in the Arlington House sub-kitchen. Also, beverages are available at all times in the refrigerator. Please ask for assistance, if needed.

Caretel Village welcomes and encourages special times with family and friends. The fireside room or the ice-cream parlor dining room is available for your use. Please make arrangements with the Administratice Assistant. If you would like us to cater food for your event, please speak to the Administrative Assistant. We would be happy to accomodate you in any way possible.

Caretel Village is staffed 24 hours a day by Resident Assistants, who we have trained specifically to implement high standards for your care. A registered nurse or licensed nurse is also on site during the daytime hours. Administrative and nursing staff is on call 24-hours a day for emergencies.

We have a television/VCR available in each living room. You are welcome to bring your own television for your own personal use. All rooms are cable ready for hook-up to your television. If you are in the Arlington House Inn or the Bristol House Inn, we bill you directly for this service, at the cost of $20.00 per month. If you are in the Dover House Inn and wish cable service, please call AT&T Cable at 429-3265 for hook-up. When identifying your room, please use just your room number. You will receive a bill directly from AT&T for this service.

A pay telephone is available in the Arlington House Inn. All resident rooms are individually wired for a telephone. To activate your telephone line, please contact Ameritech at 1-800-244-4444 (you will be left on hold for a long time). They will ask for your social security number and previous telephone number. The address for Caretel Village is listed at the Phone Company as 3905 Lorraine Ave., St. Joseph, MI 49085. Please tell the Phone company that this is a "new room installation". Please include your room letter and number (for example, A-1). When you know which day your phone will be installed, please tell the Administrative Assistant. Also, we would like to know your phone number. Ameritech assesses an installation charge and you will receive a bill directly from Ameritech for this service.

Each room is individually controlled for both heat and air conditioning. If you need assistance with regulating the temperature, please ask for help from your resident assistant.

Residents or their families are responsible to arrange for all transportation. If a family cannot provide transportation, please inform Caretel Village and we will arrange for the use of the Caretel Van or an independent carrier. If you would like a Caretel Village nurse to accompany on an outside appointment, you will be assessed at a rate of $25.00 per hour. This will be included in your monthly billing statement.

There are not set visiting hours at Caretel Village . However, we suggest that visistors arrive during reasonable daytime hours. The Arlington House Inn gazebo entry is open until early evening, and the Bristol House Inn front entry is available at all time by utilizing the Bristol House Inn access cards. All entry doors will be alarmed between the hours of 10pm and 7am.

Volunteers do much to make residents lives exciting and interesting. Being a volunteer gives a family member the opputunity to maintain close ties with their loved one. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact the Activities Directors.