The skilled nursing cottages at the Billings West End Campus offer long-term care in a home environment, providing care for those who are in the first stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s. The Cottages are staffed with licensed, skilled nurses and two servant partners. These residences meet all applicable federal and state regulatory requirements while maintaining personalized routines that facilitate independence. These residents have priority access to all offerings along the St. John’s United continuum of care.

Up to twelve residents can share a long term care cottage, each with a private bedroom and full bathroom. Each cottage floorplan includes community common areas including a comfortable living room, open kitchen and dining area, as well as an outdoor patio. Family-style meals take place at the shared dining room table and offer long lasting fellowship and familial community.

St. John’s United Servant Partnership Structure

As a mission directed organization, St. John’s United fosters the sharing of God’s healing presence in inclusive community settings. At The Cottages, this is achieved using a Servant Partnership structure, by which living, and recreation is built around the resident, or Elder. In Hebrew, sharath means “to attend, to contribute, or minister unto, to serve, to wait.” The Sharaths at The Cottages are universal workers that tend to the daily needs of the Elders and promote the nurturing safe environment for residents. Assisted Living Coordinators supervise the Sharaths and direct the quality of care that Elders are receiving. The final piece of our Servant Partnership structure involves the support team, composed of nurses, culinary staff, and administrators who ensure that the needs of Elders are met.

In addition, a clinical support team includes nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech therapists, dieticians, pharmacists, pastoral care staff, activity coordinators, and nutrition service professionals. These professionals work under the direction of a physician and in collaboration with the Elder, the Elder Sharath, and the family. Nurses serve each long term care cottage on a 24-hour basis. Other clinical professionals on the team visit the cottages on an individual on-call basis.

The collective team collaborates to create a daily routine that meets the individual needs of each resident, ensuring their independence and advocating for their personal wellbeing. Our long term care cottages prioritize a philosophy of care, providing encouragement and support. By engaging residents in daily decision-making, we support their independence. Our staff ensures a safe environment and fosters opportunities for residents to achieve personal goals and enhance their independence. The Cottages’ long term care team respects residents’ dignity and prioritizes their privacy through community promotion and family ties.