About Greenhurst
Our philosophy has always been that superior care is best achieved through a single-owned, family-operated facility. Margaret "Maggie" Schaffer served as Administrator for the first 16 years of operation and set the "standard" of care. Her sons Archie III, Fred Schaffer, Erich Zed, and Martin C. "Kriss" Schaffer have served with the same caring, community-oriented standards that their mother instilled. The family tradition has now been passed to Maggie Schaffer's grandson Jonas Schaffer, and his wife Halie Schaffer. Robin Allen is Greenhurst's Director of Nursing, and remained so for 21 years. The staff includes many employees that have worked 10 years or longer and several over 20 years continuously.
Greenhurst provides in-house Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy to our residents in our own therapy room. A large dining room adorned with brass chandeliers is conveniently located in the center section of our facility. All resident rooms have spacious bathrooms, built-in closets and dresser drawers, cable TV, phone jacks, as well as individual heating & air conditioning units. The beauty salon is staffed two days a week by a licensed beautician and is located next to the dining room. East and West sunrooms on each end of the facility provide bright visiting areas, as does the comfortable front lobby with a 125 gallon fish tank. The Center has 46 semi-private and 5 private rooms. The private rooms cost an additional $500 per month.
Greenhurst accepts Medicaid, Medicare, most insurances and private pay residents. The Department of Human Services' office is in Ozark, Arkansas. Their staff can assist and answer questions relating to the possibility of requiring Medicaid assistance when placed in a nursing facility. Our staff is unaware of the financial requirements of their residents as all are treated the same. Out-of-pocket expenses include only beauty salon charges and medications for private-paying residents.
Weekly Bible study, Sunday School and Church services are provided by our Community Ministerial Alliance group. Communion is offered monthly by the First United Methodist Church and weekly by the Catholic Church. Project Compassion works closely with the facility to provide volunteers that sing, dance, and entertain often. Our Activity Program is second to none! Bingo is played twice weekly and 3 to 4 activities are scheduled and supervised daily by Activity Director Dona Sosebee and her assistant Peggy Harris. We publish a monthly newsletter for residents and family members. The grounds include a beautiful pavilion and fishing dock located around a stocked fishing pond, also populated with geese and ducks.
Greenhurst boasts an excellent Family Council Group that actively participates in all areas of the Center. These are volunteers from the community, many of which have family members residing in the facility. Their goal is to make sure all residents are receiving the best of care and actively participate in many special events at the Center throughout the year. This Council has yard and bake sales to insure that each resident receives a Christmas present during the holidays, and any special needs one might have during the year.
The Medical Director for Greenhurst is Dr. James Schmitz, of Charleston Family Clinic. If hospitalizations are required, you are given the choice of four hospitals to select from Paris, Booneville, Sparks or Mercy in Fort Smith. Charleston has an active EMS system. Mobile x-ray and lab are available in order to eliminate the need for runs to clinics and hospitals.
Greenhurst was a finalist for "Arkansas Business of the Year Award" in 1998 and the recipient of the Federal Home Loan Community Investment Program Award in the same year.
Greenhurst was recently reviewed by Arkansas Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (AANHR), an organization dedicated to improving the conditions in all nursing homes throughout the state. A copy of their review is available upon request. The opening paragraph from their review: "It is possible to give good care to nursing home residents and it gives us great pleasure to recommend such a home. It is Greenhurst Nursing Center in Charleston, Arkansas." Charleston is a town of approximately 3,000, located 25 miles east of Fort Smith. The closing paragraph states: "Greenhurst is a good example that good care can be given in a nursing home and that it is cost effective to do so. As you can imagine, there are no vacant beds currently at Greenhurst."