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LUTCHER — The Louisiana Nursing Home Association announced that Chateau St. James Rehab and Retirement in Lutcher was found to be deficiency free in a recent survey from the Louisiana Department of Health.

Annual relicensure surveys include a full-spectrum audit of all programs, processes and resident care practices in the facility. The first day of the assessment also includes interviews with residents, allowing them to share their experiences at the facility.

Chateau St. James delivered a high standard of care in every area from procedures to overall management, infection control, grievances processes, social services and much more.

The deficiency free rating is a big accomplishment given most facilities average four to six low-level deficiencies on an annual survey, according to administration.

Located at 1980 Jefferson Highway in Lutcher, Chateau St. James is a newly renovated, 116-bed skilled nursing facility providing physician directed care with a broad range of nursing and rehabilitation services. This includes but is not limited to short term rehabilitation; physical, occupational and speech therapy services; long-term care; outpatient therapy; dementia care; respite care; and hospice and palliative care.

Residents benefit from 24-hour nursing care services provided by licensed nurses and certified nursing assistants. Marketing Director Anna Hionakis said that families with loved ones at Chateau St. James have peace of mind knowing wound care, podiatry, dentistry, dialysis, in-house x-ray and lab services, and psychological services and counseling are available to residents.

Residents also benefit from new, state-of-the-art equipment used for rehab.

“We have a lot of residents who come in just for skilled nursing and go home successfully,” she said. “We have a caring staff, and we are more like a family here rather than a facility.”

Chateau St. James has demonstrated a commitment to safety throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The facility became COVID-free relatively early in the pandemic, and life is slowly returning to normal.

Hionakis said the Chateau St. James staff and especially Activities Director Samantha Hodgeson have done a tremendous job of keeping the residents’ spirits high under difficult circumstances.

“Having activities has been a big deal during this time of isolation. During the holidays, Samantha would take them one at a time throughout the neighborhood so they could see the lights,” Hionakis said. “We’ve done bingo down the hall and passed snowballs into their rooms. A lot of them stayed in their rooms for months, and that was hard, but now it is getting back to normal, especially for those who have been COVID-19 vaccinated.”

Vaccinated residents are once again able to have meals with friends in the dining room and leave the facility to spend time with family.

The Chateau St. James family came together this month to celebrate Skilled Nursing Week. Both staff and residents got into the action with a fiesta and carnival games. Other activities this month have included cooking classes, arts and crafts, trivia, dominoes and a live band.

Social Services Director Darnisha LeBlanc said all departments work together to give the seniors a good quality of life.

“We make sure they have fun and make sure they feel like they are at home. We’re in their home,” LeBlanc said.

For more information, call 225-869-5725, find Chateau St. James on Facebook, or visit chateaustjames.com.

To nominate Chateau St. James for the Best of the River Parishes campaign, visit lobservateur.com/contests and click on the “Health and Fitness” category.