Work

By Diane Penning

While growing up in the small Minnesota community of Morristown, Melanie Hopman was close to her grandmother, Ruth Hopman, as she spent many hours with her and got to know her close friends as well. But when her grandmother’s health became frail and she was unable to care for herself or her home, she had to leave Morristown to receive the kind of care she needed. Melanie also saw the same thing happen to many of her grandmother’s friends, as there was not a facility that offered support and care for the elderly in their small community.

Melanie inherited some valuable traits from her mother, Carolyn Hopman, who took care of physically and mentally handicapped individuals during her own career. Those traits included kindness, caring and compassion for others, which Melanie took seriously and wanted to be an important part of her life and career. Carolyn was also a working mother who showed her daughter the ability to work and raise a family, which Melanie certainly took to heart.

“I always knew that I wanted to be a nurse, but it took me quite awhile to get that accomplished,” Melanie says and she hoped to move forward with this career path following her graduation from Morristown High School. Her thoughts of becoming a nurse were important to Melanie and the many traits her mother, Carolyn Hopman, had modeled for her, along with a strong work ethic, were the perfect combination for Melanie who wanted to help individuals in need of assistance.

Though Melanie’s dream remained the same, her active pursuit of obtaining her nursing degree would wait for a later time, as she soon got married and started a family of her own. Her educational aspirations were still in the back of her mind, but for now her family came first.

When Melanie later divorced, she decided to return to Morristown, raise her children and move on with her own life. In 2001, she attended South Central College in Faribault to pursue her Licensed Practice Nurse (LPN) degree and began thinking of ways she could use her skills to benefit others in her own hometown.

After spending a few years working as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in a nursing home, “I started thinking about opening an assisted living facility for elderly persons in Morristown,” she explains. “I grew up here and knew so many people who spent their whole lives here, but when unable to care for themselves or their homes, had to leave Morristown.

“I wanted to offer a wide-range of services, at an affordable price, so they did not have to leave town for a nursing home or rely on other personal care options,” she continues.

Melanie’s extended family was supportive of her goal, particularly two of her siblings, Michael Hopman and Alyssa Weber, who live in Pennsylvania and California, respectively. They both thought her idea was so good that they decided to back her financially and became owners of the large, corner lot building (previously a triplex).

“I was surprised that my sister and brother had the faith in me to actually open this business. They had proven themselves successful in their own careers and I was just a nurse,” she laughs. “I knew plenty about taking care of people and nothing about running a business, but the confidence they placed in me, bolstered my own,” Melanie says.

They would soon begin to remodel and turn this building into a nine-bedroom, five bathroom, assisted living facility with several roomy, common areas that could be enjoyed by all of the residents.

“My brother is very business savvy,” Melanie says. “The total renovation of the entire home took us two to three years, as we wisely budgeted our funds into our investment.”

“We wanted to keep it home-like, but we needed to provide handicapped accessibility and an elder-friendly environment with grab bars, walk in tub and plenty of room in the hallways and living quarters for walkers and wheelchairs.”

On November 1, 2004, the Plum House opened its doors to those persons in need and has remained filled to capacity over the past five years. It was a difficult time combining the work schedule her personal life, but with the help of her parents, father Darrel Hopman, who became her business manager, along with mother Carolyn, the Plum House was up and operational, with the valuable help of 12 other caregivers. An LPN and other trained staff provide just the perfect touch to make the facility a place where family members would be comfortable visiting their loved ones and assure them they were getting the best care possible.

“I knew the commitment to starting this business was going to be huge,” Melanie says. “I am a single mom and didn’t realize how hard it was going to be on my family, especially my teenagers, because it took all of my time and energy away from my children to provide care and manage the home.”

“Initially, I moved my four children into the house, as I was working nearly 24 hours a day for the first few months that we were open,” she continues. “I was also grateful to the understanding residents of The Plum House and the staff who tolerated having me and my small children under foot, all the time!” she laughs. “Having my kids around the assisting living facility was also a great experience for them, as they see me treating people with care and respect. At a young age, they are already empathetic and say that they want to be nurses when they grow up. My children have also gotten to know the resident’s families well and we have all become so close.”

“The bonds the Hopman family has formed between residents, staff and our own families have been very important to the success of the facility – we are all like family!” And indeed Melanie’s four children – Adam (now age 19 and in the Army), Anna (age 16 and attending Waterville-Elysian-Morristown High School), Carly (age 6 and also attending WEM school), and Gina (age 4) have come to know The Plum House as their home away from home, as it has become an important part of their lives over the past five years.

It was during this time that Melanie also became inspired by others to return to college and obtain her Registered Nurse (RN) degree in 2007, not an easy feat with her growing family to care for, as well as a business. Obtaining her RN license had always been part of her dream, as well as being an even greater benefit to the business as a way to provide higher levels of nursing care and expertise for the residents. Melanie also plans to continue her education by obtaining a bachelor’s degree.

“I don’t think anyone should ever stop learning. I intend to be here at The Plum House for many years, but I know furthering my education will not only benefit my career and business, but provide an even better service for the people we care for and the staff who work at The Plum House,” Melanie says.

She also feels the advantage of continued training will build an even greater trust and confidence in the residents and families, showing them they are being given competent and professional care at the facility.

The Plum House offers room and board to their residents, including private or shared bedrooms, with all utilities included. They serve three delicious home cooked meals each day along with two daily snacks. Weekly light housekeeping is provided along with laundry services.

The facility is registered with the Minnesota Department of Health as a housing with services establishment and also licensed as an assisting living home care provider. They accept Elderly Waiver/Alternative Care/Group Residential Housing funds to receive subsidies for portions of residents rent, board and/or services. Medicare eligible residents may also utilize the reimbursement option for some of their health-related services.

Activities and entertainment are scheduled for residents to participate in and community involvement is also an important part of the offerings in this handicapped accessible building with 24-hour on site staffing. Supportive services include assistance with activities of daily living, medication management, weekly assessments, transfers and transfers from wheelchairs/beds, arranging transportation to appointments or other visits, help with dressing and therapies for residents requiring rehabilitation from medical conditions or surgeries. The facility has worked closely with hospice, in order to provide end-of-life service to those residents wishing to stay at home rather than transfer to a nursing home or hospital.

“I think we’ve done well showing everyone that we can provide such care in a smaller setting, as an alternative to nursing home care. Our low overhead and high quality of care has kept our facility full and costs low, as word of mouth and working with the local hospital and Rice County Public Health (as a contracted provider) has allowed us to build a good reputation with the surrounding community – something that I’m very proud of!”

There is minimal staff turnover at this family-owned and operated business, as they offer competitive wages, a great working environment, a relaxed atmosphere and a one primary goal in mind – the quality care of each and every resident. Because the facility has such a family-oriented atmosphere, the needs of the residents and staff are met, being very flexible and understanding of any issues that arise during the general work day. Caregiving can be a demanding job and lots of hard work, “but we smile, we laugh, and most of all show mutual respect to each other. My staff say that being at work is just as comfortable as being at home, which is exactly the environment I have strived to achieve”..

“I am adamant about offering our residents choices and encouraging them to remain independent. Residents can sleep in any time they want. I used to have a plate on the wall that said ‘This is my home and I’ll do as I darn please!’ It is important to remember that this has become their home, not mine,” she firmly states.

“Respecting their personal routine and habits, while still addressing their needs for care is more important to me than maintaining a schedule that suits someone else’s needs.”

The Plum House was been slowly making many renovations of the past few years, including the addition of a large deck and handicapped ramp recently, which they celebrated in grand style with all residents and staff. They encourage family members to join their loved ones for activities and events, including the use of the common areas of the building.

“At one time, I had a resident whose daughter would come and visit and she felt comfortable enough to lie on the couch in our living room, (sometimes napping a bit) while holding her Dad’s hand as he sat in his recliner next to her,” Melanie says. “It’s a cool feeling to be able to help people feel that comfortable in this type of setting.”

“I’d like to expand The Plum House into another building which would specialize in memory care (dementia & Alzheimer’s disease residents), as I know there is a need and it’s something I can’t provide right now in our present building,” Melanie says. “I am proud that I am operating a successful business and providing jobs in my small home town. Elderly care is a need that must be filled and the opportunity to expand and serve others is certainly a possibility I hope to explore:”

Though there are still many hours of personal time invested in the operation of The Plum House, as well as many other sacrifices involved with the operation of the facility, Melanie emphasizes, “I would certainly do it again, as the wonderful bonds I’ve made with the residents, my staff, and families is something I did not expect, nor have I ever experienced with any other job. They continue to inspire me to strive for excellence in the quality of care we provide, and to look and learn more ways to really help people maintain a good quality of living, toward the end of life.”

Melanie has reached her dreams and goal of owning and operating her own business in her hometown of Morristown thanks to hard work, commitment and support from her family which provides a vital care for elderly residents and also much appreciated jobs for caregivers in their area.

The Plum House was created to be a true support to Melanie’s hometown, as she and her other five siblings grew up there and attended Morristown High School. The school colors at that time were purple and gold, which is (in part) is how the new assisted living facility got its name. Grandmother Ruth always loved the color purple and so the name of the residence was chosen, becoming The Plum House – a place where the elders of the community would receive loving care and support when they needed it most.