Nestled in Framingham, Massachusetts, Oak Knoll Healthcare Center is a 123-bed skilled nursing center that also offers respite and hospice care to the local community. Oak Knoll residents enjoy a relaxing lifestyle, alongside a full range of the most modern, innovative therapies available.
For Thanksgiving we hosted a “rolling dessert buffet.”
“We make a point of really catering not only to the patients but their families,” says administrator Brook Bearse. Brook began with the Whittier Health Network as an intern in her final year of college at the former Whittier Pavilion. In her time interning, she also helped organize many processes at the then-newly-opened Westboro Rehabilitation Hospital’s Transitional Care Unit. She later spent time at Hannah Duston Healthcare Center in Haverhill while simultaneously playing an instrumental role assisting with opening the Bradford Rehabilitation Hospital’s Transitional Care Unit. Shortly after that, she worked at Port Healthcare Center and transferred to Oak Knoll, where she has been leading the team here ever since.
“It’s the staff,” she explains. “I’ve learned so much from them here; they bring such positive and diverse ideas to the table. I’ve learned from them how to improve my communication skills, how to listen more actively and adapt to each individual depending on their background. There are so many people here who are passionate about their work, providing for those entrusted in our care… between residents, the loved ones of residents, and the staff, it takes time to earn trust, but once you’ve earned their respect, they are so incredibly loyal.”
Barbara A. receiving a hand-written card from a family member of one of our staff.
The community is another big part of why Brook and others love their jobs at Oak Knoll. Recently, a local church’s donation for the employee activity fund was unsolicited, and volunteers in Marlborough surprised the Oak Knoll team with hundreds of handmade cloth masks for the residents.
There’s a lot of good news coming out of Oak Knoll these days. In addition to being named a Top 3 finalist for Best Nursing Facility in the MetroWest, they’ve partnered with a new medical director group, Essex In-Patient
Physicians. They are also in the process of acquiring a dedicated respiratory program with a physician in the facility.
With COVID-19 restrictions, there are still good times to be had for residents at Oak Knoll. A musician, who historically has performed for a large crowd of Oak Knoll residents, offered to partake in COVID-19 laboratory diagnostic testing just so that he could brighten the resident’s day from a safe distance. Upon laboratory and medical clearance, the entertainer spent 45 minutes on every unit, playing music from the nurses’ station to the residents down each hall. A Thanksgiving-on-Wheels traveling cart offered glasses of sparkling red grape juice and desserts to celebrate the holiday. A mobile Photo Booth, including holiday decor and props, was brought to each resident’s room to celebrate the season – the photos then sent to their loved ones as a surprise gift.
For more information about Oak Knoll Healthcare Center, visit our page.
