CAREERS IN NURSING
“BE SELFLESS”: COPPER LAKE ESTATES ASSISTED LIVING IN EDMOND
by Vickie Jenkins – Writer/Photographer
Edmond, OK is where you will find Copper Lake Estates, Assisted Living. There are 34 acres of serene, park-like scenery nestled around a lake. Here, both Independent Living and Assisted Living are offered to suit the residents lifestyles. With a calm and natural setting plus a short distance from the city, every resident finds something to love about Copper Lake Estates.
“It’s such a quiet area and the scenery is beautiful,” comments Leigh Park, LPN at Copper Lake Estates. Park is in charge of the nursing staff and Jeannie Proctor is the director, over the facility. “Our purpose here is to have the residents be as independent as possible and whatever they need if they need assistance,” says Park. Residents come from all over to be here. We have residents from Kansas, Texas, New York and New Jersey,” she adds. “We have about 32 residents at this time.”
“Copper Lake Estates Assisted Living has been here for 15 years and Independent Living for about 30 years. Asking Park if she had any challenges when it came to Copper Lake Estates, she replied, “The biggest challenge is making the resident happy and I don’t consider that a challenge,” Park says with a grin. I consider it a real privilege to be around these residents,“ she adds.
The greatest reward for Park is when she bonds with the residents as they share their stories from the past. “There is so much history to tell. If you think about it, some of the residents were here before television and that amazed some of the grandchildren,” she replies. They can’t imagine life without television,” she laughs.
“The residents have multiple activities to do here. We have a clubhouse where they can invite their families and have parties. There is a swimming pool plus we have a guest suite when out of town family visits. The men love the fact there is a pond for fishing. Family night is every third Tuesday of the month. This is when the residents invite their families and we have a dinner for them, served by the care staff, nursing staff and directors.”
Inside activities are popular for the residents too. Residents can be found playing Wii bowling, bingo and board games. “The Wii bowling and the bingo are definitely the most popular right now,” Park said. “The residents have so much fun with the Wii. We also have Happy Hour on Fridays where everyone can gather and have sparkling cider and finger foods. There is dancing and we have individuals that come and play different kinds of music. The residents love the music.”
“The residents also go to different places during the week. They have Lunch Bunch where they go to different restaurants. We take them to the casino and the horse races if they want. The women do a lot of arts and crafts so they like to take a trip to Hobby Lobby or Michael’s,” Park says with a smile. “We have made baskets, hats, birdfeeders and we just cater to the month. We love the arts and crafts.”
When Park came to Copper Lake Estates, it came with a lot of responsibilities yet Park continues to stay positive in every way. “Being around the residents is so rewarding for me. I love the residents here,” she continued. “It’s such a nice and warm feeling. I get so attached to these sweet people,” she added.
Park has been a nurse for 16 years and has been at Copper Lake Estates for 5 months. “I am the only nurse here, with plenty of ACMA and CMAs. There are 2 facility Physicians that come in to see the residents and examine them once a month. Of course, we can call the doctors anytime if we need anything. We have Podiatrists, Ophthalmologists and 2 Physicians that visit the residents also.”
Asking Park if she had any words to live by, she said, “Give what you want to get back. The more you give, the better return you will get. Be selfless.”
