Bigfork’s Lake View Care Center reopens under new management

Lake View Care Center will house seniors in Bigfork once again after closing its doors in late 2022.  

The building, located off Grand Drive near the high school football field, served the community for many years before then-owner Lantis Enterprises decided to move its 19 residents at Lake View to Heritage Place in Kalispell.  

When Cottonwood Healthcare took over the old Heritage Place, now Kalispell Rehab and Nursing, they heard about Lake View and decided to reopen it. They acquired the building this summer, and new administrator Amber Gray began work to clean the place up.  

“There is a huge aging population in the Valley. Bigfork, Kalispell and even in our surrounding areas like Libby and whatnot; just generally in the entire world, the aging population is getting older and needs some place to go if they can’t live at home anymore,” Gray said.  

She quoted one of her volunteers who said, “If I don’t want to drive to Kalispell to get groceries, I certainly don’t want to have to drive up there to see my loved ones.” 

Gray holds a master's in healthcare administration with an emphasis in geriatrics and has been hard at work getting Lake View up and running. She moved to Montana after working at a small nursing home in Colorado and is excited to bring Lake View back to the community of Bigfork.  

One hall is already housing residents after updates to plumbing and drywall. The floors have been spiffed up after being striped and rewaxed. Another hall is still in the works, with several previous residents eyeing their old rooms.  

“People kind of have their eyes out for their old rooms, which is really special because a nursing home is someone’s home, so when they can remember exactly where their room was from even like four or five years ago, it’s pretty cool,” Gray said.  

Lake View officially reopened on Oct. 30, with five residents moving from Kalispell to Bigfork. There is still room for six in the open hall, with the building’s maximum capacity near 80. It is running on a small staff right now for the minimal residents, but Gray hoped that someday there would be opportunities for full-time housekeepers, cooks and activities directors. They are hiring nursing staff as needed.  

“I have a running list of the old employees to kind of, as we get going, encourage people to come back if they want,” Gray said.  

Volunteers are welcome, and Lake View is especially interested in getting another piano player for their commons room.  

The nursing home’s halls are decked for Christmas now, with donated wreaths on every bedroom door and a glittering tree decorated with the residents’ names. Carolers were expected to visit, and Gray was in the process of picking up Nerf guns so the seniors could have their own “hunting season” with her as the sacrificial deer.  

“I don’t have big visions other than good care, happy residents, a nice home...,” Gray said. “I know that this nursing home used to be really connected with the community... so I would like for it to be back at that stage again.”  

    Lake View Care Center in Bigfork reopened this October. (Avery Howe/Bigfork Eagle)