Published: September 21, 2008 09:22 am      

Providence Place to celebrate year

About a year ago, the Providence Place had a top-notch assisted living facility with 32 apartments and just one person enjoying it.

Now, nearly one year later, the facility is nearly full with only one room available and a newly started waiting list already begun, said Providence Place Administrator Debra Treadaway.

Treadaway said while there will not be any particularly large celebration to mark the one year anniversary, it is important to recognize what the facility means to the community.

“This was something the Health Services Foundation, after the hospital was sold, looked into and studied to see where they thought there was health needs in the community and assisted living was found to be a need here,” Treadaway said.

Some may not know that Providence Place is a non-profit arm of the Health Services Foundation and is a licensed assisted living facility by the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

The facility was constructed using a $5.5 million loan through USDA Rural Development funds, Treadaway said.

At present, residents who are part of the Providence Place community represent not only Woodward, Treadaway said, but also eight other Northwest Oklahoma communities.

The facility allows those who are retired and primarily able to move about themselves but perhaps unable to remain in their own homes, to live in an environment they may receive varying levels of assistance. Each can live in an individual apartment with private bathrooms and kitchenetts, Treadaway said.

That assistance includes housekeeping, laundering of linens, multiple activities and common area that allow the residence to feel like home and invite family members to see them in a home-like environment.

The residence, now nearing capacity is just now receiving requests to begin a waiting list for those who see that in their near future, they may want to reside there, Treadaway said.