Healthcare changes, new nursing home discussed at recent Rotary Club lunches

By: HEATHER BOGARD
Lifestyles Editor

The following is a brief synopsis of two recent meetings of the Ville Platte Rotary Club.
July 14, Meeting
Rotarian Eric Gil, during the July 14, meeting of the Ville Platte Rotary Club, gave an overview on changes in healthcare insurance. He noted that healthcare is a “moving target” and new changes come about every day. He said insurance could only be sold between November 1 and February 15 each year, except when life changes, such as marriage, divorce or birth of a child occur. He stated that each state is different and the government is trying to nationalize health insurance, but is no where close to that goal. He cautioned to be careful when researching plans and not pick a plan solely based on price. He emphasized one needs to know exactly what their plan will cover so as not to be thrown a curve when an illness or hospital emergency occurs. He said most plans have some type of coverage for cancer, organ transplants, mental health and rehab. He warned that changes to the tax credits are coming and the government will take a person’s tax refund if they are not insured. Gil stated that it is worth spending a bit more on Medicare supplemental insurance in order to be fully covered. He also encouraged those with older policies to retain those policies as they may offer more coverage than many newer policies available, especially those with cancer riders, which are now harder to find.
July 21, Meeting
Rotarian Trey Prudhomme, administrator of Heritage Manor Nursing Home, addressed the July 21, meeting of the Ville Platte Rotary Club to share details of the planned upcoming construction project for a new nursing home facility. He said that he has been working on getting the “higher ups” to fund a new building for the residents since he first became administrator of the facility 15 years ago.
Prudhomme stated that the groundbreaking for the new Heritage Manor Nursing Home facility will be held August 3, and that the estimated completion date of the expected 18-month project is in the fall/winter of 2016. The approximately $16 million project will be overseen by general contractor Ratcliff Construction out of Alexandria.
The new facility will be located on a 13-acre site on West Main Street next to Tate’s Men and Boys. The estimated 66,000 square foot building will house 124 beds, and the Alzheimer unit will consist of private rooms with their own private baths. The rooms will have the space to be converted to a double occupancy for couples or parent/child wishing to share a room. Prudhomme noted that the new facility will be smaller than the current location, however, with the planned “wagon wheel” layout of the building, will be much more convenient than the “maze” they are in now. He added the new home will feature a gym wing with an outside entrance.
Heritage Manor currently has 101 employees, and once the new facility is ready, Prudhomme says, he would like to increase the staff to approximately 120 employees.
When asked what will become of the old location once they move out, Prudhomme stated that the owners of the building and property will have three options: donate the facility to a non-profit agency, demolish the building and sell the property or turn the building into an evacuation shelter for residents and staff in the event of an emergency, such as a hurricane. In closing, Prudhomme noted that the current location was constructed in 1963, when the facility was known as Maison de Sante’ and that the latest renovations made to the location were made in 1986.