Oak Hills front entrance: Oak Hills Living Center, located at 1314 North 8th Street, was again voted best nursing home in The Journal’s Reader’s Choice tab. Oak Hills continues to broaden services to area seniors and serve as advocates when legislative issues impact the senior community.

NEW ULM — Oak Hills Living Center has consistently been voted The Journal’s Reader’s Choice award for best nursing home each year since The Journal began taking votes. No matter how many times Oak Hills receives the top spot, the award is always cherished.

“It is quite an honor,” Candas Schouvieller said. “We’re really fortunate to have the support of the community. We work really hard to have good quality and good customer service.”

Schouvieller believed it is the quality of service that is the reason readers continue to vote for Oak Hills. The living center never rests on its laurels, but continues to expand services.

Oak Hills is currently working on a project to improve the interior of the building. This includes upgrades to resident rooms, better lighting and an improved HVAC system. In the near future, Oak Hills is looking to expand into more independent living facilities.

Oak Hills has 84 residents in the skilled nursing side however, ten rooms are left open to accommodate the remodel. In assisted living, there are 16 private pay apartments and 16 independent HUD apartments.

Schouvieller said Oak Hills is always seeking new ways to expand services.

“We would like to have more of a continuum of care. We are heavily weighted in skilled nursing,” she said. “We have a very small assisted and independent living. We would like to grow those services.”

Within the last year, Oak Hills has partnered with Rebound Real Estate to increase the number of independent living apartments on the campus.

Last fall, Rebound Real Estate purchased two Garden Terrace Apartment buildings that neighbor Oak Hills.

“We are partnering with them to build an independent living facility that Oak Hills would manage and eventually purchase,” Schouvieller said. “This will help broaden our services.”

Currently there is a great demand for more independent living options for seniors. Many seniors want to downsize, while remaining on their own.

“There is a desire for having a place where the maintenance is taken care of but you still have independence,” Schouvieller said.

The new Garden Terrace building will have a mixture of one and two-bedroom apartments. Construction of the new building could begin this fall if design plans are complete.

Schouvieller believed this expansion would help Oak Hills remain viable, but also provide other services to the community.

In addition to direct care to residents at the living center, Oak Hills has worked to better the lives of seniors across the state through the staff’s advocacy work. In the last five years, Oak Hills has championed nursing home funding at the state capitol.

Rural nursing homes in Minnesota are two years behind the metro nursing homes in expense reimbursements. Oak Hills has loudly fought to fix this funding delay. With recent cuts to Medicaid, Oak Hills will continue to fight for senior care across the state.

“We are constantly fighting for older adults,” Schouvieller said.

In addition, Oak Hills partners with different companies to provide therapy to people. There is a lot happening at Oak Hills with residents keeping active and maintaining a high quality of life.

“I think the reason so many of our employees stay is because we know we are making a difference in people’s lives,” Schouvieller said.