Bivins Memorial Nursing Home sits about 4.8 miles from Amarillo, Texas, and is part of a campus that covers independent cottages and apartments, assisted living, and skilled nursing care, so folks can move through different types of care as their needs change, and that's something that's helped a lot of people over the years. The place traces its roots back to Mary Elizabeth Bivins, who started the Elizabeth Jane Bivins Home for the Aged, and it's now linked with the Mary E. Bivins Foundation, which tries to help seniors in the Texas Panhandle through food programs and community support. The building holds 120 certified beds, with about 102 residents living there lately, and it's non-profit with a mix of independent and assisted living, as well as long-term and short-term nursing care. The staff team has registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants, doctors, social workers, dietitians, and people who do activities, and they work together to help with daily living, health management, wound care, tracheostomy, colostomy, dialysis, general healthcare, and rehab like physical, speech, or occupational therapy for folks getting out of the hospital. There's also help for people with Alzheimer's or other memory problems, and folks can count on round-the-clock nursing and personal care, with short-term stays for recovery being an option as well.
Assisted living includes help with things like bathing or dressing, cleaning rooms, doing laundry, meals onsite, and some general health care, so people who need extra support can get what's necessary without feeling rushed or pressured. Staff get checked for any history of mistreatment or abuse, and the place has policies against neglect, theft, and other problems, and takes reports of any issues seriously. For safety, the building's fully sprinklered, and the team keeps equipment safe to prevent problems. The facility monitors for things like pressure sores, UTIs, pain, and weight changes to try to keep people healthier, and has both resident and family councils so people can speak up about issues or make suggestions.
Bivins offers both private and shared studio-type rooms, and there are activities for residents so folks can stay active and social if they want to. The care covers both custodial needs and skilled services, and they also offer hospice care when needed, along with general counseling for residents. The place works with Medicare and Medicaid, and it doesn't have a Special Focus Facility label or Quality Indicator Survey designation. While memory care costs can vary and sometimes there's help from federal or state programs, people are encouraged to ask what may apply to their situation. The campus tries to support a safe environment with regular flu and pneumonia shots and a staff mix that gives about 2.04 direct-care hours per resident each day, using a team approach aimed at helping each person reach their best possible quality of life for as long as they're there.
