Joan Labonte, far right, receives a helping hand from Activities Director Amy Slater while playing Wii bowling on the community room TV at Harris Health Care North in Central Falls Monday. Watching the fun are, from left, administrator Chad Harris and residents Norman Breton and Terry Smith.  Times photo/Butch Adams 

By JON BAKER

CENTRAL FALLS  ---  It’s seemingly a secret, this Harris Health Care North, tucked in an old, refurbished home down dead-end Eben Brown Lane off Broad Street.

If one ever wondered its purpose, however, administrator Chad Harris offers a prime example.
“It wasn’t that long ago when an elderly woman came to us, the reason being she had been emotionally and financially abused by her family,” he said. “They chose to kick her out of the home — fend for herself on the street — and a retired Pawtucket Police sergeant found this woman and took her to a local hospital.
“The Department of Elderly Affairs sent her here, and she just loved it,” he added. “She was very independent, handled herself very well, and she wanted to stay, but we wanted to make sure she was in an appropriate environment with others of her own age and ability.
“That’s why we sent her to a local assisted living complex, and from what I’ve heard, she’s happy as can be.”
Harris, a 36-year-old native Seekonkian, revels in his staff of 46, and their desire to help 32 deserving residents deal with an array of afflictions, among them Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dementia, mental retardation, cognitive impairments and learning disabilities.
“What makes us so special? That’s easy,” Harris said with enthusiasm. “There’s our excellent staff ratio to residents; our compassionate caregivers; our focus on quality of life; our commitment to choice-based living; our extensive activity programs; our fine-dining services, our …”
At that point, Harris ran out of superlatives -- temporarily..
He was straightforward when asked why he called this newspaper in search of publicity. He admitted reading a feature highlighting the amenities of a similar local complex, and had wondered how that came to be.
“We all thought, ‘Hey, wait a minute: We do all those things and more,’” Harris said. “No, we weren’t jealous. We just wanted to share in the good news. I’m all for the industry getting as much publicity as possible, but it’s more important that people know there are good nursing homes out there who really care about their patients.
“We’re one of them,” he added. “It’s all about helping the human spirit thrive.”

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There’s no doubt Harris Health Care North, with a “sister facility” in nearby East Providence, has proven successful.
“We have 31 beds in EP, and 32 here, and we’re both skilled nursing facilities,” he stated. “We do long-term care, short-term rehabilitation, post-acute situations and psychiatric services. We also offer 24-hour supervision with on-site registered nurses, respite care for caregivers’ emergencies or vacations and all therapies, including speech, occupational, physical, infusion and inhalation.”
What sets his complex apart, Harris says, is the weekly meetings for residents.
“As soon as I took over (as administrator) in October 2004, I instituted new programs,” he said. “The first was to hire a wellness certified nursing assistant to supplement the nursing staff. The needs of the patients are very dynamic, meaning they change on a daily or even hourly basis, so she serves as an added resource.
“We also conduct those meetings, which have led to changing our dining service. It used to be the residents would be served one standard and one optional meal. Now there’s a selective menu which includes eight options, like sandwiches, salads and all sorts of entrees … Meals are one of the highlights of their day, and we wanted to make it more special for them. They’re not served on trays, but delivered to them by staff, just as if they were in a restaurant.
“The other change has been with those weekly residential council meetings,” he continued. “At those meetings, residents have the opportunity to choose what the standard meal will be for one day the following week. We just started that Feb. 1. It’s all about having more choices.”
He also introduced quality-of-life improvement meetings for staff members and those affiliated with it — medical director Dr. Michael Klufas; hospice company; laboratory; pharmacy; activity director Amy Slater; and his social worker (wife Rebecca); and director of nurses Cindy Grossi.
“That’s where I ask everyone to come in with new ideas pertaining to their specialty, how we can improve the quality of life for the residents,” he said. “It’s worked really well.”

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Slater, for one, has played a key role.
She said  residents adore a new 74-inch movie/TV screen, which is also used for therapy with the feature of an intricate Nintendo Wii gaming system, purchased in August. Those needing to improve strength, range of motion and hand-eye coordination may bowl, golf, box or play baseball, with their motions displayed on the screen and results noted via scores.
Just ask Theresa “Terry” Smith, a 52-year-old resident, how she feels about “bowling on TV.”
“I like the exercise, and obviously knocking the pins down,” she laughed. “I know it’s good for me, and I win more than Dave.”
That statement referred to David Goff, 54.
“No, she doesn’t beat me,” he chuckled.
Stated Slater: “We also offer painting classes, which not only helps fine-motor skills, but also calms them. It keeps their fingers and hands loose and mobile. The same goes for our cooking classes, where we make cookies and cakes , and also our mischievous ball toss. The residents can throw it, kick it, bounce it … It’s like a weird volleyball game, and everyone has a blast. It’s hilarious, watching their reactions.”
Slater also holds karaoke nights, mystery rides and restaurant trips, and conducts meetings with community groups: Boy and Girl Scouts, Ella Risk Elementary and Calcutt Middle school students, dance troupes, etc. Most recently, she set up a session with city canvassers so residents could vote via absentee ballots.

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How Harris Health Care North came to be is quite another story.
Turns out, Harris’ grandmother, Evelyn C. Harris, chose to open her home to a couple of sick friends when she lived on Somerset Street in South Providence back in 1954.
“My father (Charles L. Harris) remembers, when he was about four, that his mom would care for people during the day, and she continued to do that. Next thing she knew, there were people sleeping over because they needed that attention,” Chad Harris said.
“It didn’t take long for more and more people to seek care from my grandmother in her own house, but it became so burdensome to the family, they decided to move. She and my grandfather (Herbert) bought two homes in East Providence, so they could live in one and operate a health care center in the other,
“Back then, it was called an immediate care facility, and they called it Harris Nursing Home,” he added. “It didn’t take long for people to decide that’s where they wanted to be.”
It grew steadily over the years, and  in 1975 . Harris’ dad took control of the East Providence home. In 1994, Charles Harris decided to purchase another facility in Central Falls, and persuaded his brother, Peter (a nursing home administrator in Kissimmee, Fla.), to take the reins.
This version of “All in the Family” has flourished ever since.
“I love my job, watching these people smile, but it’s hard,” Chad Harris said. “One of the big problems is the governor’s budget cuts. It’s really tough for us, and all nursing homes. Last year, (Gov. Carcieri) wanted to cut $10 million for our cause, which, with a 100 percent federal match, would total $20 million. We were able to negotiate it down to a $6 million state cut, but it’s supposed to be cut again.
“With 86 nursing home and centers statewide, that’s brutal,” he added. “That could devastate us, but we’re going to try to continue offering the best care we can.”