Desert Knolls is real home for the elderly

A typical invigorating day for Dave (not his real name) at the Desert Knolls, a physical therapist, is treating eight to nine patients a day. He was, at the time this interview was made, helping an old male patient, who seemed to have wound in his stomach and who just had an operation, push his wheelchair at the lobby.

The railings all over the place are intended to protect patients from falling when walking to and coming from their rooms. Indeed, it is a patient-friendly convalescence center, recovery clinic, home-for-the-aged since you only see old folks around, or name it-- this is one of the best and cleanest nursing homes I‘ve seen with a ratio of almost one bed or person-is-to-one-nurse. There are 126 beds and a whole staff of 115.

These facilities in the United States are built to help families cope with their daily lives such that if they have jobs to attend to they may put their parents here yet visiting (the more frequent maybe the better) are encouraged. Should one be not too busy to fetch them from the center and finally nurse them home, great.

There are a lot of activities like Sunday service, coffee and pastry, bingo, sittercise or exercising from the seat because most patients are on wheelchairs, art and craft, movie, piano, board game, birthday party, and more. The activity centers are neat and clean. You will love the pastel ambience. It suits well nursing one to recovery. Visiting is usually at 1:30 p.m.

The story of Desert Knolls is a story of love having read its history. The founders, Kenneth and Marie Bechtold were moved by their dream of caring for the elderly in 1951 so off, the couple made a settlement at the Mojave Desert, California. Marie was a registered nurse. You can imagine how it expanded to 126 beds beginning from three patients. The family provided medical as well as personal care like preparing the patients’ meals, washing their laundry, and cleaning their rooms.

One of their four children, all males, Freddie Bechtold now administers the center/hospital located at the Apple Valley in Victor Valley, San Bernardino, California.

Government and private insurances provide for the bills.