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Activities
Administration
Dietary
Chaplain
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Maintenance, Housekeeping & Laundry
Nursing
Other Information
Social Services
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Our staff is simply the best, as they go beyond the duties of their professional positions and provide the atmosphere of a family and home.
The nursing staff works closely with families, physicians and hospitals to provide the care and services that residents need.
Daily activities range from exercises, crafts, field trips, and bingo to religious services, seasonal celebrations and annual events.
Other services include food service, housekeeping, laundry, maintenance and social services. |
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"We’re happy here. We have a good camaraderie with both staff and administration. They allow us to have our computer in our room. This is our family.
We don’t think of them as our hired help—they are our family. We treat them as our own. We get hugs and kisses from them."
- Vern & Edith Heldt, residents |
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Chaplain |
Here at the Evangelical Free Church Home, we recognize and embrace the concept that spiritual needs are a daily part of many of our resident’s lives, and offer full-time spiritual support. A chaplain offers regular pastoral care for our residents, their families, and staff. The chaplain also serves as a liaison for our local clergy/residents pastors in addition to serving as a contact for the facility within the local community.
At the EFCH, the chaplain makes regular rounds of the facility visiting with our residents and family members, offering encouragement, prayer, Scriptural support, answering questions concerning spiritual issues, and friendship. The chaplain also conducts Sunday and mid-week worship services on-site, special holiday services, Bible studies, mealtime prayers, hospital visitation, and prayer meetings. Additionally, the chaplain can assist with the planning and conducting of funeral/memorial services if needed.
Pastor Jeff McDowell serves as our full-time Chaplain. He joined the staff in January of 2009 after serving several Evangelical Free churches. He has 5 units of Clinical Pastoral Education obtained through service at Iowa Health Systems in Des Moines. He is a graduate of Iowa State University and Masters Divinity School in Indiana, and is a credentialed minister through the Evangelical Free Church of America.
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Activities |
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Our cheerful activity staff plan fun, interesting and educational programs for our residents. We focus on the physical, spiritual, social and mental well-being of each resident. Large group activities, small groups and one-to-one's reflect our monthly programming. A variety of activities keep residents involved each day: exercises, music, mind stimulating challenges, birthday parties, holiday parties, games, arts and crafts, chapel, Bible studies, educational presentations, shopping trips and community participation.
A large group of volunteers assist with group and individual activities that allow many offerings.
Our large activity center/chapel is the location of most group activities. This includes a full sound system, stage area, 10 x 10 drop down screen, electronic piano, organ, resident computer lab, large screen projector and kitchenette.
Our Activity Director has over 20 years of experience and is assisted by three additional Activity Aides. The Home also has a full-time Chaplain on staff to assist in meeting the spiritual needs of the residents. |
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Administration |
Most resident rooms are semi-private with a few private rooms available. Admissions are based on availability, needs and individual requests, regardless of race, color, creed, sex or national origin. All applications and forms can be obtained from the business office during regular hours. Families are welcome to visit the home and ask questions. The transition to a care facility is often a hard adjustment. We want to help make it as smooth and pleasant as possible.
The administrator works under an eleven member Board of Directors. The Board is elected from the Central District of the Evangelical Free Church. |
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"I worked at EFCH for 11 years so it’s almost like coming home to me. I think they do a marvelous job.
The choice is ours to go and join in or not. I couldn’t ask for anything any better and I mean that from the bottom of my heart—and my family feels the same way.
I get out and participate in activities and help others when I can."
- Lucille Sterner, resident |
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Dietary |
The EFCH offers residents delicious and balanced meals in a relaxed environment. Diets are served in accordance with physicians orders according to regulatory and accepted nutrition guidelines.
The Dietary Department consists of 24 employees including a certified dietary manager as well as a consultant dietician.
We strive to assure our residents or loved ones receive foods in an appropriate form and nutrient content to meet their individual needs, yet provide the least restrictions at this time in their life.
The Dietary Department offers a five week select menu cycle that is geared to offer a wide variety of taste choices to our residents. Our meals offer high quality nutrition and are prepared and served restaurant style by our friendly dietary staff to our residents, employees and visitors of our facility.
Our kitchen is open from 6:00 AM to 7:45 PM. Guest meals are available for each meal.
Food and nutrition services is our #1 priority.
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Maintenance, Housekeeping and Laundry |
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The objective of these important departments is to provide a safe, comfortable, hygienic and attractive environment at the Home.
It is our pleasure to serve the residents and staff at the EFCH. We strive to make the Home surroundings as pleasant as possible. Our staff enjoys the interactions with the residents as we go about our daily routines.
Resident's clothing are laundered, sorted and returned to resident rooms usually within a day.
Housekeeping is provided daily.
The maintenance staff keep the physical plant of the Home in good working order as well as maintaining the grounds. |
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"I get good care. They are so polite to me. All I have to do is ask for something and I get it. I’ve been here 4 years and I’ve made it my permanent home.
The Staff is really nice and I like to give them hugs. I like to be involved with them. You couldn’t ask for better help."
- Betty Lindgren, resident |
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Nursing |
| We take a team approach to providing the best care and service possible. The nursing staff is on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including weekends and holidays. The Nursing Department also has access to physicians 24 hours a day, 7 days a week as well as access to send residents to the local hospital for assessment if their condition warrants. The nurses and aides are a special group of people that adhere to the philosophy of the Evangelical Free Church Home to not only treat the physical but also the emotional and spiritual needs of the resident, taking a holistic approach to their care and well-being. The staff are professional and well trained individuals but also welcome the residents into our homelike atmosphere. Longevity in the nursing staff is also a plus with longevity of staff ranging from 5 years to 25 years. The nurses and aides are not only there to help the residents with their cares but also become involved in daily routines of the facility encouraging residents to participate in activities and also will spend time with the residents fixing their rooms up, reading to them, going on walks with the residents, etc. The nursing staff welcome and encourage family involvement in residents care and social involvement. |
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Social Services |
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The Social Services Department consists of a Social Services Director and a Social Service Designee. Our services are provided to residents and families/significant others to promote social and psychological well-being. Some of these services included adjustment to admission, resident advocacy, assessing, planning, documenting, assistance with financial papers, assistance with advance directives, referrals and all the in-betweens. We also offer information and guidance about many long-term care issues. |
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"I am treated so good! The staff is so kind. They say, “We are here to serve you and we want you to be happy here.”
I didn’t really want to come because I didn’t think they would be able to take care of me and all my needs, but I’m a believer now! The building is so clean even the floors.
From Dietary, Activities, Social Services and Nursing—they have been eager to do whatever I need—be it ever so small."
- Bernadine Staley, resident |
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Other Information |
- Owned and operated as a non-profit corporation affiliated with the Central District Conference of the Evangelical Free Church of America
- Licensed by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals as a Nursing Facility (NF)
- Member of the Iowa Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (IAHSA) and the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA)
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