It’s been open for more than four years, but still many may be unfamiliar with who they are and what they do.
Pine Tree Place, a purpose built home for the frail elderly, reverses the trend of regional and national conglomerates.
“We are not an assisted living facility; we are an assisted living home,” said owner Sandy Mabery, who along with his parents and sisters opened the home in February 1999. “Rather than calling it ‘home-like,’ we refer to it as a home.”
And Pine Tree Place has redefined what “home-like” should truly represent.
Visitors won’t find huge dining halls, sitting areas or commercial kitchens here. There are no apartments connected by long corridors; it isn’t located along a busy road and 50 to 100 elderly residents won’t be seen sharing a building.
Instead, nestled on a residential street, is a home with 18 to 20 people who have become like a family. There are nicely appointed bedrooms, opening into short hallways that lead to the living areas of the home.
Mabery’s sister, Crystal Carrier, is the Director of Operations and a Licensed Practical Nurse with more than 20 years emergency room experience.
“On most days you will find my brother or father doing maintenance jobs, or my younger sister, Kim, volunteering in the office,” said Carrier, who has a degree in Human Resource Management with a specialization in Gerontology and previous work experience with the elderly at senior centers in Macomb County. “We have some great employees who have been with us since we opened. Pine Tree Place is truly a family business.”
Combining the features of a traditional home with the amenities of a modern assisted living facility, the 9,500 square foot ranch-style home has 18 bedrooms, all with private baths, with a licensed capacity for 20 residents.
Monthly fees for the basic level of care ranges from $2,375 to $3,300 and includes three home cooked meals per day, weekly housekeeping, weekly laundry, cable television and medication assistance and activities. A therapeutic bathing tub is also available as well as a small beauty shop and smoking room for use by residents.
The exterior design features cozy front and back covered porches, and the 4.6-acre site is beautifully landscaped and includes a private pond.
The building is equipped with state-of-the-art fire suppression, smoke detection and door alarm systems to provide a safe residential environment.
There is also a wireless paging system that allows staff to closely monitor a resident’s emergency calls. Call transmitters are located next to the resident’s bed and in bathrooms. Pendant transmitters can be added for residents with limited mobility. The system eliminates the need for the institutional call lights above bedroom doors as all staff members carry pagers, and a back-up display monitor is installed in the kitchen.
The kitchen design enables staff to view all major corridors and common areas without leaving the kitchen and no resident room is farther than 60 feet away. This helps staff to hear calls for help, when residents are unable to use the emergency call transmitters. The building is also specifically wired for a generator to operate critical functions during power outages.
Pine Tree Place has a high staff to resident ratio and Carrier is on call 24 hours a day to assist the staff.
Residents are encouraged to treat Pine Tree Place like their own home.
“If a resident is having trouble sleeping and wants to come out for milk and cookies at 2 a.m., that’s fine, Carrier said.
“The midnight shift loves to visit with the resident’s whenever possible.”
Their first priority is the customer, but Mabery said they strive to make Pine Tree Place an enjoyable work environment for the employees also.
“We realize that happy employees are critical to the success of a business, they are the front line that keep the customers satisfied,” he said. “We don’t necessarily look for employees with previous long term care experience, but more importantly we look for caring, compassionate individuals who like working with the elderly and train them on-site.”
Pine Tree Place is located at 5480 Parview in Clarkston. For more information on living or working at the assisted living home, contact Sandy Mabery at (248)815-7975 or (248) 620-2420.