Frequently Asked Questions About McKenzie Manor

Do you accept Medicaid? 
Yes, we do. We accept Medicaid straight into the community. Or, if someone is private pay, we allow them to roll over to Medicaid, without a minimum monthly commitment under private pay.

Do you have a full time Nurse? 
Yes. We have a full time nurse.

Do you have a good activity program? 
We sure do. 50 hours of structured activities weekly includes exercise, wonderful entertainment, pet therapy, spiritual activities, current events, and much more.

Do you have a secure courtyard where mom or dad can sit outside? 
Yes, we have a fenced and secure backyard that looks out over the south hills. The established gardens are lovely and we have a number of animals such as raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, and many types of birds that visit our courtyard.

Is there a beautician available? 
Yes, our beautician has been working with us for years.

What are your staffing ratios to residents? 
We generally have 8 residents per caregiver in our environment. This number can change as our census fluctuates. Caregivers are under the direction of two on-site nurses.

How is your staff turnover? 
We are very proud to have low turnover, with a few staff members that have been with us for over 25 years.

Are your staff drug tested? 
Yes they are, prior to employment.

Do you do extensive background checks on staff that you hire? 
Yes. We perform Criminal Record’s Checks through the state on all new employees that we hire. We also do thorough background employment checks on all staff. We only hire proven staff with good backgrounds. In addition, we also evaluate our staff’s physical functioning through an independent clinic to make sure that they are physically able to safely care for our residents.

Do you provide training for your staff? 
We have a very extensive and thorough training program that has been evaluated and approved by the state of Oregon. We actually go far above and beyond the training expectations with our staff. McKenzie Manor believes that properly trained and supervised staff are the key to exceptional care.

Does the Administrator of McKenzie Manor have significant experience managing this level of care? Our Administrator was a military brat and was raised with discipline to have respect for the elderly and to appreciate their wisdom. Her first job was as a caregiver on a military base hospital at 16 years old—she found that she loved making people happy and being helpful to those in need and in pain. She has been in the medical field for over 30 years and has worked in hospitals, doctors’ offices, nursing homes, residential facilities, and memory care facilities.  She has met many wonderful people in this industry that have helped her become a successful Administrator. Memory care is her favorite specialty and has humbled and impacted her life for her compassion to grow.​

Is McKenzie Manor owned by an Oregon business or is it owned by out-of-state or even out-of-country interests? 
We’re proud to say that McKenzie Manor is owned and operated by an Oregon Company that got its start right here in Lane County.

Has McKenzie Manor been in business awhile? 
McKenzie Manor was the first property in Lane County to offer secure memory care. McKenzie Manor was a nursing home back in the day when confused residents were physically and medically restrained to keep them safe from wandering away. McKenzie Manor was created with the idea that residents had a right to be free of restraint and be allowed to live in a secure home where they could easily explore without penalty. We continue to expand upon this idea as we learn new and better ways to care for our residents.

Can a resident stay at McKenzie Manor, even when they are end of their life? 
Yes. We believe in aging in place and we’ll continue to care for our residents until the end. We coordinate with numerous outside agencies such as hospice, physical/occupational/speech therapies.

Does your community offer transportation to MD and other medical appointments? 
We can arrange transportation for all of our residents. We also offer the service of a caregiver to accompany your loved one to an appointment if needed.

Can my loved one continue to use his/her same physician? 
Yes. We understand the importance of continuing long-term relationships with medical providers. We’ll gladly work with your family physician throughout your loved one’s care.

Are there visiting hours or can I visit anytime? 
There are no visiting hours and you can visit at any time. However, there are better times than others to visit the community because we have some amazing entertainment and lots of things going on. So, it may be wise to call in advance and ask what’s happening in the day and inquire as to when the best time to visit. This isn’t required, just recommended.

I’ve seen some environments that have multiple pods on a campus. I see McKenzie Manor has all residents living under one roof. What’s the benefit of your physical structure? 
This is a great question. The biggest advantages to our structure are socialization, safety, and oversight because staff interact with our residents throughout the day. All activities are available to all residents. The pod approach can be difficult to control food, activity, nursing, caregiving, housekeeping, and all other systems because a management team cannot be at all the pods at once. Under one roof our management, nursing, caregiving, and housekeeping team can hear, smell, feel, and observe almost everything that’s going on at all times. In this level of care, we believe this is crucial.

Is McKenzie Manor an older building? 
Our community has the advantage and disadvantage of age. The structure of our building is perfect for residents with memory care issues and the advantage of age is experience and solidification. We’ve heard from many of our families that our residents feel more “at home” in our environment than they would in a building that has a chandelier and marble floors. We think what’s really important is the care, experience, safety, and compassion that a program offers. We focus on our residents, staff, and our programming. We are thankful our community is comfortable and very homey.

Does your community offer a Memory Care and Education Support Group? 
We do offer Support Group meetings monthly. The education, experience and support that are presented and received at this group are immeasurable.