County offers array of health services
This listing is current as of June 2007.
Nursing Homes
Four facilities in Ellis County offer 24-hour skilled nursing care -- two in Hays, one in Ellis and one in Victoria. Waiting lists vary with each facility.
* The Good Samaritan Society-Hays, 27th and Canal, has 77 beds that are both Medicaid and Medicare certified.
Residents generally apply through hospital discharge planners, or contact can be made by prospective residents or family members.
There is a 16-bed Alzheimer's disease wing that accepts Medicaid or Medicare.
* St. John's of Hays, 2401 Canterbury, is a 60-bed facility that accepts residents using the Medicaid or Medicare programs.
Most residents are introduced to the facility through physicians and hospital discharge planners. However, contact can be made by the family. For more information, call (785) 628-3241.
* Located at 701 Seventh, Victoria, St. John's of Victoria offers the same amenities as its Hays counterpart and offers 90 beds that are Medicaid approved. For more information, call (785) 735-2208.
* The Ellis Good Samaritan Center, 1101 Spruce, Ellis, is both Medicare and Medicaid certified. Outpatient speech, physical and occupational therapy is offered to residents and others in the community.
Most residents come from a hospital stay through the recommendation of a physician or discharge planner.
Assisted Living
Assisted living typically is geared toward an individual having problems keeping up the daily chores of life due to physical limitations.
Services usually include help with medication, assistance with bathing and help with special diets.
Unlike nursing homes, contact for assisted living usually is made through the resident or the resident's family. Waiting lists vary with each facility.
* St. John's Assisted Living, 2225 Canterbury, has 41 apartments, both single and double.
The fee includes maintenance, housekeeping, meals, utilities, laundry service, cable television and medical transportation. The facility also offers an on-site chapel and Catholic/Protestant religious services. Telephone service is extra.
For more information, call (785) 628-8742.
*Alterra Sterling House, a 33-apartment licensed assisted living facility, is located at 1801 E. 27th and offers individualized services.
While there is no skilled care available, residents can contract for rehabilitative services. The facility has added adult daycare and respite care. The facility is now certified to accept Medicaid patients.
*¬Meadowlark Place, 1101 Spruce, Ellis, has nine units that are part of Ellis Good Samaritan Center. Included in the monthly fee is housekeeping, laundry, meals, assistance with bathing, transportation to and from medical and dental appointments and cable television.
No physician order is needed and contact can be made through families or the prospective residents.
*Cedar View Assisted Living, 2929 Sternberg, has studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units available, some with patios. Amenities include housekeeping, laundry, three meals per day, a private dining room, activities, some personal care services, restorative aid therapy, a courtyard, Protestant and Catholic church services, and emergency call systems.
For more information, call (785) 628-3200.
Independent Living
* Garden Terrace is a 12-unit, private pay, apartment complex offering independent living apartments for seniors at 2710 Canal and is part of Good Samaritan Society-Hays.
Included in the monthly fee are all utilities except phone service; security system; one meal per day, seven days per week; scheduled transportation; structured activities; exercise room; bimonthly housekeeping; 24-hour emergency response and laundry facilities; $500 damage deposit; no long-term leases.
Senior Housing
Several apartment complexes in Ellis County cater specifically to senior residences. Rent typically is based on income.
* Wyndam Place Senior Residences, 2734 Hall, (785) 625-5757.
* Centennial Towers, 2502 Sherman, (785) 625-6242.
* Epworth Towers, 2800 Augusta Lane, (785) 628-6825
* Hays Plaza Apartments, 1005 W. 28th, (785) 628-2660
* Spruce Villa, 1201 Spruce, Ellis, (785) 726-4746
* The Elms, 612 Grant Street Terrace, Victoria, (785) 735-2620.
Home Health and Therapy
Home health is for people who do not want to leave their homes for medical assistance, but require daily visits from medical professionals.
Home health visits are ordered through and directed by a physician. Medicare, Medicaid and other insurances have specified qualifying criteria for this type of service.
It is not necessary to be hospitalized to receive these services, but hospital care-coordinating staff of physicians can answer questions about these services.
* Professional Home-Health Services provides part-time and intermittent services. Services available include, but are not limited to, skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and home health aides.
Services are provided by individual referral. Services may be provided within a 100-mile radius of Hays, and service requests are considered on an individual basis.
For more information, call (785) 625-0055.
* Outpatient Rehabilitation Services is located in the Center for Health Improvement, 2500 Canterbury, (785) 623-5691. Services include, but are not limited to: physical therapy, occupational therapy, High Plains Sports Medicine, speech therapy and ergonomics.
This allows patients the opportunity to work with clinicians with specific knowledge and skills to best treat their injuries. Services require a physician order and are conducted on an outpatient basis.
* Northwest Kansas Area Agency on Aging, 510-B W. 29th, provides information and in-home services to help people stay in their homes and independent for as long as possible. For more information, call (785) 628-8204 or (800) 432-7422.
Hospice
Hospice/Palliative Care/Lifeline is a department of Hays Medical Center, located at 2220 Canterbury. Hospice provides care to terminally ill patients and their families, in Ellis and Rooks counties. Hospice consists of an interdisciplinary team of professionals and¬volunteers.
The department also offers free community presentations¬and bereavement services following the death of a patient.
Lifeline, a personal¬emergency response system,¬allows individuals to call for help¬ from their home with the push of a button when needed.
Call (800) 990-0731 or (785) 623-6200 for more information on Hospice, Palliative Care or Lifeline.
Mental Health
* Hays Psychiatric Associates is located at the Center for Health Improvement, 2500 Canterbury.
No referral is necessary, but the center will take referrals from doctors, medical providers or other mental health centers.
For information about fees, call (785) 623-6270.
* High Plains Mental Health Center, 208 E. Seventh, provides comprehensive mental health programs in northwest Kansas. In addition to the home-based services in Hays, the center serves 20 northwest Kansas counties from five branch offices.
Access to service can begin with a telephone call or a visit with staff. Crisis calls are handled immediately 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Requests for non-crisis services will be scheduled as soon as possible.
Sliding scale fee reductions for mandated services are offered to anyone who lives or works within the service area. For information, call (785) 628-2871 or (800) 432-0333.
* Catholic Charities Outreach, (785) 625-2644, or (877) 625-2644, is open to all denominations
It offers a variety of services, including individual, couple, marriage and family therapy; divorce support group; adoption services; and pregnancy counseling.
Staff therapists are licensed professionals, and services are confidential. Sessions are scheduled by appointment and can be arranged by calling the office.
Special Services
* LINK Inc. (Living Independently in Northwest Kansas) at 2401 E. 13th, in Hays¬is a consumer-driven, independent living center for individuals who have any type of disability. LINK provides services that include:¬information and referral, skills training, peer support, advocacy, deinstitutionalization, home- and community-based waiver services for the physical and traumatic brain injury waivers, adaptive equipment loan pool, recreational opportunities and transportation.
LINK also has a new independent home care program that provides help for individuals who do not qualify for Medicaid, but still need to obtain in-home attendant care.
LINK has six offices, located in Hays, Great Bend, Osborne, Hill City, Colby and Liberal to meet your needs.¬
*SKIL of Western Kansas, an independent living center in Hays, has an office at 1015 Centennial, and is a branch of the Parsons-based Southeast Kansas Independent Living Resource Center. The Hays office is staffed by Lou Ann Kibbee, Gia Scott and eight additional staff members.
Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., contact (785) 628-8019, or (800) 316-8019 for more information.
SKIL has branch offices in Independence, Chanute, Fredonia, Columbus, Pittsburg, Sedan, and Yates Center. SKIL is affiliated with South Central Assistive Technology for Kansans, based in Wichita.
It is a nonprofit, independent living center that works with people with all types of disabilities and all ages in assisting them to live in the community of their choice. Services include home and community-based services, assistive technology, Americans with Disabilities Act support, housing, benefits counseling, communication, job training, mobility assistance and transportation.¬
The five core independent living services are:
* Individual and systems advocacy
* Information and referral
* Peer counseling
* Independent living skills training
* Advocating with persons with disabilities and those who care about them by planning and supporting a life of dignity, interdependence and personal satisfaction in the community.
Call (785) 625-6942 or (800) 569-5926 for information.
* Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas Inc., with administrative offices at 2703 Hall, is a private, not-for-profit organization serving children and adults with developmental disabilities. DSNWK offers services to children ages birth to 3 years, youth and adults.¬
Services are available through a network of community-based and outreach programs and interagency agreements with other service providers in 18 counties of northwest Kansas.
DSNWK serves more than 500 individuals with mild to severe disabilities with programs such as The College for Living, Employment Connections, Business of My Own and more.¬
A variety of supervised and supported living alternatives are available as well as family support for children and youth services. For more information, call (785) 625-5678.
* Infant and Toddler Early Intervention Services are a community service provided by the Northwest Kansas Childcare Resource & Referral Agency.
Children under 3 years qualify for special services, including free developmental screenings, comprehensive evaluations and community services.
Special services include assistance with the development of speech and language, motor, thinking and social skills as well as hearing and vision screenings.
The program collaborates with Parents as Teachers, Early Head Start, Head Start, the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, Hays Medical Center, Ellis County Health Department, school districts and community partners.
Northwest Kansas Childcare Resource & Referral Agency, formerly the Hays Area Children's Center, has been serving young children with disabilities since 1966 and was one of the first programs of its kind available in the state.
For more information, call (785) 625-3257 or visit www.nwkccrr.info.