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Hillside Senior Living, 2725 Four Mile Drive, Montoursville, has had a unique history in the assisted living industry, beginning life as Hillside Restaurant before its 1999 transition.
Today, the restaurant's original dining room continues to serve in that capacity for the facility's residents.
"I love what I do. I love seeing the residents smile, and knowing they're getting top notch care that makes them feel at home," said Sales and Marketing Coordinator Kelly Smith, who has a background in skilled nursing and came aboard in October 2024.
Smith previously worked at another facility as a medical records coordinator, before helping out in the admissions department at the insistence of an interim administrator.
"I loved meeting the families, assuring them everything would be okay and be taken care of. And I knew that's what I wanted to be doing," she said.
Hillside comprises two options with one being an assisted living area, where most residents still live independently, with the other one housing those afflicted with conditions such as Alzheimer's and dementia.
"Assisted living is for if you need assistance with your daily activities, like bathing, grooming, mobility or other needs," Smith explained.
The facility offers five levels of care ranging from those that do everything on their own to residents who are bed-bound.
"We do have an in-house therapy department with physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy," Smith said.
"Our activities aid and activities director, Aimee Reed, creates a monthly schedule and then they work with the residents on their fine and gross motor skills, and more," she explained.
"With memory care, you need to have more understanding of what is happening, like being aware of their disease and their cognitive impairment, so it's pretty much providing them a safe and nurturing environment because of the different stages of dementia or Alzheimers," she said.
Although they may have some difficulties, Smith stressed that memory care residents are included in all activities at the facility.
"We're one big family here. So they're still involved with the residents that are upstairs in personal care and assisted living. They still do activities together," she said, adding that they are able to go for rides and even picnics utilizing Hillside's transportation vehicles.
"We have a gated walkway. It's secured, but they're able to walk down a little walkway, and during the summer, they have a garden out there, and there's flowers they can water," Smith said.
"So, we keep them busy with many activities, and they're also getting therapy daily, as well," Smith said, stressing that Hillside strives to make the memory care residents feel as though they have as much independence as possible.
Due to the unique challenges associated with memory and cognitive impairments, Hillside takes extraordinary steps to ensure the safety of their memory care residents.
"Each resident wears a necklace, like a medical alert button, so we know where they're at, or if they fall, they just hit their button and we will find them," Smith said.
Additionally, each door in and out of the area is fixed with an alarm that goes off if anyone attempts to open them without entering a passcode.
Smith said that the dedication to meeting the specific needs of their residents sets Hillside apart from many other assisted living centers.
"We understand the profound challenges and understand the level of trust and responsibility because it's placed on us, not just by our residents and the families," she said.
"We really do strive here to meet and exceed the expectations of our residents," Smith said, adding, "our residents are truly great here."
"This is their home, and we want to keep it feeling like that for them," she said.
"We went to see a potential resident at their home in Laporte, and they just kept thanking us, and that's what we're here for," Smith said.
"I want you to feel at home and know that we care. That's truly what it's all about," she said.
"Hillside is a place where you can live to the fullest without sacrificing the comforts of your home," Smith said.
For more information on Hillside Senior Living, please visit their website at www.hillsideseniorliving.com, or reach out to them at 570-322-4436.