Friendship House offers affordable adult care

Long before posh assisted-living centers began springing up in the early 1990s, Friendship House in Kalispell had carved its niche as the one of the first such centers in Montana.

For 29 years, the home - located since 1985 in the stately 1901 Miller Mansion on Second Avenue West - has provided care for people who don't need chronic or convalescent care. Although it's been overshadowed by newer and bigger assisted-living centers, Friendship House remains in a class of its own as the only nonprofit assisted-living center in the Flathead Valley.

The nonprofit status allows Friendship House to provide affordable adult care, director Sherry Panariello said.

"If they can't afford our rates, it can be a sliding scale," she said. "It's not like our people are poor. They've worked hard all their lives" but don't have the means to afford the newer, high-end facilities.

A public perception exists that Friendship House is always full, Panariello said, but that's no longer the case. Stiff competition in the assisted-living market has made it difficult for the nonprofit facility to fill to capacity. It's licensed for 23 residents and currently has 11. Most are in private rooms.

"Eleven is the minimum to keep us afloat," she said. "We'd be able to have 15 or 16 residents and still have nearly all in private rooms."

Maintenance of the 106-year-old home also is a constant struggle, board secretary Carol Warnes said. United Way cut its $1,400 annual contribution to Friendship House about seven years ago, and though that was a small part of the budget, "it kept our heads above water," Warnes said.

The three-story mansion retained its turn-of-the-century charm through numerous remodelings and improvements. Carved oak decorates the stair railings, doorways and windows, while bay windows create interesting nooks and crannies throughout the house.

Friendship House depends on grants for some improvements. Right now, the kitchen needs to be upgraded, worn carpet should be replaced, and a hardwood floor in the dining room needs to be refinished. Civic organizations have aided Friendship House greatly, Panariello noted.

Seventeen years ago, the Eagles remodeled the kitchen as a state project, and the Kalispell Rotary Club raised money to enable Friendship House to buy the Miller Mansion in 1985. Friendship House originally was on the east side of Kalispell.

A recently installed white picket fence around the property was funded through Flathead Electric Cooperative's Roundup for Safety program, and the Montana Conservation Corps erected the fence.

Friendship House was created as a novel concept in 1978, when founder Marion Finley searched for care for her mother.

"She wanted a place for her mom, like a day care, while she went to work," Panariello said.

Community need for adult care continued to guide Friendship House as it grew in time. In 2000, an addition was completed to offer rooms that can accommodate two couples or four single adults.

Through remodeling improvements, Friendship House gradually expanded services to include long-term care, short-term care and day care. Day care refers to care for fewer than 24 hours; short-term care lasts from 24 hours to a month; and long-term care is longer than a month. The schedule for pre-arranged day care is from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

To qualify for these services, adults must be continent, ambulatory and able to take medicine on their own.

"You can't need skilled nursing care," Panariello said. "This is the step before a nursing home."

The average stay for residents is about four to five years; some stay 10-12 years or longer.

The staff works hard to create a homelike atmosphere, and volunteers are likewise devoted to Friendship House's mission, Panariello said. Along with shared meals, residents enjoy crafts, bingo, card games, exercise, mall walking, memory stimulation, potlucks, picnics, birthday parties and other activities.

"They're our family," she said. "And we love them."

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.