Candas Schouvieller, Administrator
New Ulm is a wonderful community and I enjoy every interaction with our community members. Recently, we spoke to a community group who gave us some great feedback. They would love to support Oak Hills and are very excited for the expansion. So, if they move into our assisted living that is different than the nursing home, right?
Yes, Oak Hills is licensed for skilled nursing and assisted living. The services, while on the same campus, are very different. Assisted living is apartment style living for those people, typically seniors, who need assistance with one or more activities of daily living. Some activities of living include bathing, dressing, cooking or medication management. The cost of assisted living is also less than skilled nursing. Assistedliving.org provides statistics on long term care costs in Minnesota. They say, “In Minnesota, assisted living is the least expensive option of residential care at an average of $4,000. In-home care is much more costly at an average of $5,529, but nursing home costs more than twice as much, at $9,125 a month on average for a semi-private room.”
We are excited that the addition of enhanced assisted living and memory care; as well as the remodeling of our private pay studio apartments into 1-bedroom apartments, all fall under our assisted living licensure. This expansion helps us to diversify our offerings to provide the right amount of care to each individual. Prior to choosing Oak Hills Assisted Living, an RN Case Manager will complete an assessment to determine your needs and which level of assisted living will best meet your needs. In 2011, the State of Minnesota enacted a law requiring all seniors entering any assisted living to call the Senior Linkage Line at 800-333-2433 to receive an approval code prior to admission. The Senior Linkage Line is an advocacy line intended to educate seniors and their families on all aspects and options of senior care before making any decisions. You can call the Senior Linkage Line for more than assisted living admissions, they also assist with Medicare and other senior needs such as aging in place or caregiving.
All assisted living residents receive an updated assessment from an RN Case Manager every 90 days, and changes to recommended services or levels of care are communicated with families through a care conference. We are excited to continue to evolve and grow to meet the needs of our community and welcome your questions. When you have a question, you can be sure someone else does too!
Assisted Living Expansion
Thank You Donors
Thank you to all of our generous donors who have helped us reach $993,061.11 in pledges and gifts as of 5/26/2022. We give a special thank you to the Oakwood United Methodist Church for choosing us as the recipient of your spaghetti supper proceeds and the New Ulm Lions for choosing us as the recipient of a $1,000 donation from your raffle. Donor recognition levels and acknowledgement are now available online. A permanent donor wall will be installed upon completion of the project. Your commitment to Growing Our Tomorrow at Oak Hills Living Center is appreciated.
Come and join us for an evening of music, food, and fellowship on June 15th from 6-8 pm at Oak Hills! Your free will offering will support Growing Our Tomorrow.
Thank You Nurses
In honor of nurses week, May 6-13, let’s all take a moment to thank all the nurses who care for others. We appreciate you! A few of our fabulous nurses made the digital billboard network throughout the St. Cloud region of Lamar advertising. This included any digital billboard in St. Cloud, Alexandria, Hutchinson, New Ulm, Willmar, Fairmont, and small markets in between. Congratulations to Barb Waibel, Carmen Broste, Carson Reed, Christy Simpson, Jen Sur, Deb Webster, Mandi Malcolm, Megan Meyer, Sabina Traulich and Sarah Reinhart who received this recognition.
Meet a Resident
Mary R. always has a bright smile and fun decoration on her wheelchair to greet you. Giving her a push to her room brings an invitation to grab a piece of candy each and every time! She recalls her favorite childhood memory playing ball with her 8 brothers. She joined the Oak Hills family many years ago when she worked in housekeeping at Highland Manor! A resident of both Oak Hills Assisted Living and now Oak Hills Skilled Nursing, her favorite activities are cards and bingo. She has a special place in her heart for staff member Michelle Aspelund.
June Employee Anniversaries
| Name | Hire Year |
| Jessica Christensen | 1999 |
| Genevieve Anderson | 2007 |
| Christine Lukes | 2012 |
| Emily Reding | 2012 |
| Michelle Aspelund | 2012 |
| Heather Meinert | 2012 |
| Megan Penkert | 2015 |
| Cindee Krzmarzick | 2015 |
| Connie Bestland | 2017 |
| Crystal Resendez | 2018 |
| Christine Wilfahrt | 2018 |
| Kailey Schultz | 2018 |
| Emmy Munson | 2019 |
| Sarah VanMeveren | 2019 |
| Brenda Isackson | 2019 |
| Amber Kretsch | 2020 |
| Emma Brudeile | 2020 |
| Makenna Lang | 2020 |
| Katherine Cournoyer | 2021 |
| Shaelyn Hauser | 2021 |
| Abigail Rathmann | 2021 |
| Aleigha O’Malley | 2021 |
| Halle Hinderman | 2021 |
| Melanie Merkel | 2021 |
| Kaydince Thoms | 2021 |
Jamie Kruggel, TMA/RNA celebrated 18 years of dedicated service in May! Working primarily on Eagles Point, she knows her residents like they are family and delivers person centered care everyday. Often going above and beyond to make sure their needs are met. Jamie likes to jump in and help where it is needed to ensure that things run smoothly. Thank you for being trustworthy and for your dedication and commitment!
Employee of the Month
Our employee of the month is Megan Meyer, LPN! Megan’s co-workers say she is always willing to come in early and/or stay late beyond her shift to help out. Megan is someone who truly cares about each individual resident who lives at Oak Hills!
