Mental health facility moves into former Putnam Acres

Sept. 06--OTTAWA -- The building that housed the former county-owned nursing home in Putnam County has people rehabilitating inside it once again.

Oak Haven Residential Care LLC recently began leasing the building of the former Putnam Acres Care Center, providing residential mental health services there. The Putnam County commissioners own the property, outside Ottawa on Road 5H, near the Putnam County Airport.

"They have leased the building from us for a year," Putnam County Commissioner John Love said. "It's been vacant since Dec. 31, so it was more or less a turn-key situation when they got there. It was still equipped and everything was there."

Oak Haven Residential Care started more than two years ago in Cloverdale to address mental health care outside nursing homes, offering high-functioning individuals the chance to have structure and support while still living independently.

"When I talk about mental health, I'm talking about residents who are possibly in a nursing home that are higher functioning residents," founder Sherry Webb said. "Some of them do require therapy or some help with some of their basic needs, like showering or laundry."

While Oak Haven does deal with dementia patients, they cater more to those with such diagnoses as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, with residents ranging in age from 21 to 85.

"What we do is medication management," Webb said. "If they're out on their own, they may decide they don't need their medication. Then we get them here and get them stabilized on their medication, and then things start looking up for them. They're feeling better and they are able to do things that they couldn't do before."

Oak Haven plans to have a capacity of between 40 and 50 residents in the former 87-bed nursing home, giving residents a space to call their own while providing an environment where they can thrive.

"We have a very structured environment," Webb said. "They all have their own rooms, and we provide all three meals and snacks. We have lots of activities with them."

The facility currently houses two residents, with plans to bring in more once the facility's assisted living license is issued.

"They told me they have a waiting list, so I know they want to get this up and running quickly," Love said.

While the topic of mental health can often carry a stigma with it, Oak Haven's experience in Cloverdale has been very positive.

"They were very receptive to us opening it," Webb said. "We've had no issues with any of our residents with anyone in the community, and we're hoping for the same in Ottawa."

Reach Craig Kelly at 567-242-0390 or on Twitter @Lima_CKelly.

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