Exner speaks on care at Kiwanis

Tim Burchill introduced Tim Exner to speak on Basic Care facilities at the April 12 Kiwanis noon luncheon meeting in the Lantern Room.

Exner has spent his entire life in Jamestown. A contractor for 20 years, it was while doing remodeling at Rock of Ages for the owners, Eva Gross and Francis Schneider, that he had the opportunity to buy Eva’s share. It was expanded in about 1988 to 53 beds. In 1999 he bought Golden Years Living Center. Later he built the 20-bed Roseadele facility to accommodate residents with forms of dementia, bought the 41-bed Gackle Care Center and bought the rest of Rock of Ages from Schneider.

Rock of Ages is run like a nursing home with double or single rooms. Residents must be ambulatory enough to egress the building in 13 minutes in case of a fire, and they do have fire drills. An assessment is done before a resident is admitted to make sure they qualify. There is one level of fees for which they get three meals a day in the dining room (unless they are ill), three snacks, medication administration and activities. Residents are visited by staff every day in their rooms and encouraged to socialize.

Dr. James Johnson was inducted into Kiwanis membership by President Galen Rasmussen. Johnson is a dentist in the office of Dr. Kenneth McDougall. He grew up in Fargo and did his dental training at the University of Minnesota. He has been in Jamestown about four months. His Kiwanis sponsor is Kenrad Pederson.

Kiwanis members have tickets to sell for their Annual Pancake Day, Monday, May 3, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall. Ticket prices are $6 per adult, $20 per family, $3 per child ages 6-12 and pre-school and younger eating free. Proceeds go to support Kiwanis projects in the community.

Tim Burchill is the program chair for the April 26 Kiwanis noon luncheon meeting at the Lantern Room.

Tags: community, clubs, exner, burchill, kiwanis