July/August 2005 Featured Stories
Community Stars:
Bill Reed & Oatfield Estates

by Miriam Knight

I was really curious as to why the owner of a popular Portland restaurant would turn around and start a retirement home – and be getting such a buzz out of it! Bill Reed, the owner of Billy Reed’s in north Portland, could certainly afford to retire himself, but instead he felt that he wanted to leave a legacy, give something back to the community. He decided that elder care was an area that really needed a fresh approach, and so he and wife, Lydia Lundberg created a unique retirement community in Milwaukie, OR.

I asked Bill what guided him in the design and character of Oatfield Estates. He said he simply asked himself, "Where would I want to live now if I needed help? Someplace that makes me feel safe and loved." That is the vision behind Oatfield Estates, the cornerstone of an even greater vision of re-creating a multi-generational community where elders can feel safe, loved and respected, and most of all, still useful.

This, for Bill, is what gives meaning to life. He holds dear the memories of growing up in a large extended family where everyone had a responsibility. His Granny made dough for bread every morning, and one of his jobs from age 5 was to help her – taking over the kneading when her hands lost their strength. In rural families when parents were out working, the grandparents were the primary caregivers. Bill feels that it was their guidance and unconditional love that allowed the children to grow up to be stable, useful members of society.

As I walked up the path from the parking lot to the administration building of Oatfield Estates, I passed a series of flower and vegetable patches, all sporting stakes with neat white lables identifying the variety. Past a pond with enormous Koi carp, I stepped over a hose being wielded by an elderly gentleman happily intent on his task. A smartly dressed, white-haired lady was raking up leaves and twigs from the path. There was a sense of purpose and bustle as the bright-eyed residents and caregivers (who looked more like camp counselors) got ready for the regular Wednesday barbeque. One could see that the residents were engaged in the process of living, rather than waiting to pass on.

Bill passionately believes our elders are a national treasure and deserve to be cherished. Their natural role is to be honored for their wisdom and to mentor, love and nurture for the youngest generation. The pace and separation of todays society leads instead to isolation, loneliness and a sense of uselessness. He thinks it is no wonder that dementia is increasing. It is a perfectly reasonable response of a person forced to accept a passive role who responds by withdrawing inwards into the subconscious. One of Bill’s greatest rewards is to see a sparkle returning to the eyes of someone who came to them with a dull stare.

Oatfield is based on the Extended Family Residence™ model, where no more than 12 elders live together in a house. At Oatfield Estates there are six attractive residences in the complex, built specifically to create a "home" atmosphere for elders. The core of these homes is the a large, open kitchen and family style dining table where residents and staff eat together, cook and plan their menus with their house’s professional chef – often using produce from the estate’s own organic gardens. In each house there is a large, comfy living room with an enormous TV and a piano. There is lots of greenery everywhere, inside and out, lovingly nurtured by the elders and staff.

The elders have a central role in managing their daily life, from deciding upon menus and outings, taking part in tasks such as gardening and pet care, and even having representatives of each house on the board of directors. Bill says that the residents and their families are Oatfield’s second level of management, partnering with the caregivers. The high calibre staff at Oatfield has a very low turnover; they view their work as a calling, not just a job.

Everything in the Estate was designed with the physical and emotional comfort of the residents in mind. It supports a feeling of independence, while keeping the frail elder safe and cared for. Lydia Lundgren is particularly proud of the "smart home" technology that both supports residents to prolong their sense of independence, and allows staff to identify problems early. The online real time status reports give residents’ families, management and staff objective quality control measurements. The system is based on infrared transmitting chips in a "panic button" that residents wear to let them summon help from anywhere in the campus. This permits them to walk freely through leafy paths and gardens. They are also sensors under the beds to monitor weight, and sleep patterns and all the information is fed to computers at each nurse’s station.

Oatfield is at the leading edge of elder care, in the spirit of the Green House Project and The Eden Alternative, whose vision and 10 Principles are clearly reflected in Oatfield’s design. Eden’s vision focuses on the "three plagues" of loneliness, helplessness and boredom that account for the bulk of suffering among our Elders.

The Eden Alternative also suggests that, "Meaningless activity corrodes the human spirit. The opportunity to do things that we find meaningful is essential to human health." And, "Medical treatment should be the servant of genuine human caring, never its master."

Bill Reed’s work is his passion. He and Lydia are already at work on their next community in Tigard, which will include 14 houses for families with young children who can benefit from surrogate grandparents. Although Oatfield Estates may be the Rolls Royce version of elder care, the principles being pioneered here and elsewhere around the country should give everyone food for thought:

Where would you want to live now if you needed help?

Oatfield Estates, 4444 SE Oatfield Hill Rd., Milwaukie, OR 97267. TEL: (503)-653-5656
info@elite-care.com, www.elite-care.com/oatfield.html