Signature HealthCARE of Portland (Portland, TN) held its grand opening for Ralph’s Country Store this past Friday, May 19th 2017. Ralph’s Country Store was named in honor of the long-time Portland, TN Physician Ralph Ruckle, who has served as a practicing physician at SHC of Portland for 40+ years. This resident-operated store used to serve as the Human Resource office and, with the help of facility staff headed up by Maintenance Director Terry Canter and Assistant Alex Cox, the old office space has now been revitalized into a community gathering place for the whole Home. General Stores and other Community gathering places are slowly being adopted and integrated into Long-Term Care Homes to improve the atmosphere for both Elders and Stakeholders. The Elder feels more empowered and able to make choices for themselves, as well as feel like they are less isolated from the outside community.
Ralph’s Country Store is opened to the public, families, and elders and has mostly all of the amenities that a country store traditionally has: cold drinks, coffee, snacks, ice cream, and a store associate whom happens to be an Elder at our Home! Anita Bullington, SHC of Portland Elder and Elder Council President, will be the first Store Manager in the store’s history, a role that she is very familiar with. Before her recent health issues, Ms. Anita worked at several country stores and restaurants in Sumner County, including Bullington’s Market in nearby Siloam, TN which was owned by her brother. Ms. Anita moved in our Home in December2016 from Sumner Regional Medical Center. Ms. Anita was at another Nursing Home prior to being hospitalized, but claims that she would have never got an opportunity like this to run a Country Store at the previous Nursing Home, and the atmosphere at SHC of Portland has really kept her spirits up.
Signature HealthCARE of Portland is a 112-bed Skilled Nursing and Wellness Center located in Portland, TN offering Physical, Occupational, and Speech therapy services, and is operated by parent company Signature HealthCARE, LLC. Please call 615.323.4629 for more information or visit our website www.SHCofPortland.com.