Parkview Nursing & Rehabilitation Center will celebrate reopening on Thursday, October 7th, from 3pm – 6 pm with a ribbon cutting at 4 pm

After more than seven months of being shutdown Parkview will be celebrating their Grand Re-Opening next Thursday, October 7^th from 3 PM to 6 PM on the grounds of the facility.  There will be a ribbon cutting at 4 PM that same afternoon. All are invited to come enjoy free food and learn more about what makes our team and residents so special to the community.  There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony and a gratitude recognition to emergency personnel that assisted with the evacuation.

The resilience of a small population located here in Lockhart, Texas has a story that can only be told by those who lived it.  The story of Parkview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center has had many obstacles to overcome.  America along with the world has suffered a pandemic that has caused the most vulnerable members of our communities to be left isolated and protected for fear the Covid -19 virus could cost loss of life.  After almost eleven long months of restrictions and policies to protect our elderly, keeping them away from the families, Parkview residents suffered yet another blow to their lifestyle when the ice storm of 2021 took them from their physical home.

Monday, February 15th, 2021, water pipes in the ceiling of a resident room busted.  The only resident in the room had been there a short time and was quickly transferred to another room. Water ran out of those pipes for 5 ½ hours because due to the shutoff valve being encased in a block of ice outside. Emergency personnel attempted to shut off the main valve, despite being called to another emergency they returned two hours later and were successful in shutting the water off to the building.

During this time, staff and able residents tried to keep water out of the resident rooms. Blankets, sheets, and anything that could be found were put in front of the resident doors and the staff used brooms and squeegees to move the flowing water towards shower drains. Since the pipes from the sprinkler system had burst, this affected the fire alarm going off every few minutes.

Once the water main was shut off, heat was lost because the building ran on a boiler system. The saving grace was that there was never a loss of power. Residents and staff were able to remain in place that first night. Through the night and the next day, water contained in the pipes continued to burst causing even more flooding. Trash cans were used to gather water to flush toilets. By now waterfalls from several locations throughout the building, were becoming greater than the number of staff trying to stop one flow prior to another one starting.

Tuesday, February 16^th, while dealing with the seemingly constant water leaks, evacuation options were in the works. Families were called that might be able to take their loved one’s home to be cared for. Only four residents were able to go home to their families. Most families voiced that they were without power, water, and heat as well, and therefore were unable to care for their loved one at that immediate time.  Finally, two nursing facilities in San Marcos, relatively close together, were located that could take residents and nursing staff. Due to road conditions, transportation could not safely transport until the next day. That last night in the facility, residents were taken from the coldest areas of the building and lodged them in the dining room with space heaters lent by staff and resident families.

On Wednesday, February 17^th, staff packed up the most basic items the residents would need and waited for the ambulances and transport vans to arrive. The crews from Southern Cross, relocating the residents were amazing. They took 28 residents that first day and only stopped when it started snowing again and the roads became too dangerous. The transportation crews returned the next day and were able to transport the remaining 45 residents to safety. By the afternoon of the 18^th the halls and rooms of Parkview Nursing and Rehabilitation where empty.

Much of the staff could not make it to the building, but the ones that could, were absolutely amazing! They worked tirelessly to take care of the residents and keep them occupied. The residents were amazing as well.

All expectations were that it would take two to four weeks for repairs to be completed.  However, once the construction crews evaluated, it became clear that it would take much longer than previously thought. Everything in the building was packed up and stored in portable storage units in the parking lot, fencing lined the parameter as contractors worked to secure the structure for safety reasons.  The further into the repair process that the building was recovering from was delayed due to Covid restrictions, lack of laborers, and other extenuating factors.  Every deadline that was presented to the building and staff were not able to be met.  An estimation of 80 percent of the building had to be repaired and practically every space received some sort of cosmetic upgrades.

The staff had initially worked at the other facilities that helped with transfers, but they eventually had to be furloughed while waiting for the repairs to be completed. Most of the staff collected unemployment, while some got other jobs. Once it came time to return, most staff members returned to Parkview anxious to welcome their extended families back to the facility.

Construction was finally completed enough to start the transition process on August 18^th, 2021. The storage pods were emptied, and the resident rooms and offices were reset.

The staff of Parkview welcomed their first Resident back into the building Wednesday, September 8^th, with cheers and tears.  Over ten days, most residents returned to the home that they safely evacuated over 200 days prior.  Again, the halls and rooms of Parkview continue to become home to elderly in the community that need the services of nursing care in Lockhart.

At this coinciding time, the facility changed management companies as well.  The previous corporation relinquished association at the facility the first day that residents returned to their home.  The new corporate consultants of Parkview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is Eduro Healthcare LLC.  Based out of Salt Lake City, Utah, it is in the process of building its market in Texas with five acquired facilities at this time, and more to come.