Active Adventures Assisted Living

License: 756096

Specialty training: Mental Health, Dementia

About Heather Pahkala, RN

I have been a Registered Nurse (RN) for over 35 years, with experience in orthopedic and surgical acute care. Originally from Australia, I worked across three continents before settling down here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

I trained to be a nurse in 1988, when holding someone’s hand, washing their back, and simply sitting and listening were as precious to them as all the medical technology of today. While scientific progress has made leaps and bounds in healthcare, I have not lost that passion for the art of nursing.

The years of experience I’ve gained are more than just a collection of memories. They represent cumulative knowledge that allows me to identify illnesses that could be managed more effectively, recognize when medications and treatments should be adjusted for optimal health and wellbeing, and detect early signs of depression and loneliness before they silently take hold. I stay attuned to cutting-edge treatments and complementary therapies that enhance traditional Western medicine—and I have the courage and conviction to explore those alternatives when they serve the best interest of those in my care.

It is my desire to create a warm, safe home environment where caregivers with tender hearts and careful hands are personally overseen by a professional Registered Nurse. My caregiving staff, trained to my high standards of care, will leave no stone unturned to continually explore your loved ones’ individual preferences, encourage, engage, socialize, and help them rediscover their sense of purpose and joy.

As a Registered Nurse with extensive caregiving experience, I will professionally advocate for your family members in a variety of healthcare entities. Endeavoring to keep communication lines open and transparent, my vast nursing background will bring you the highest degree of comfort and confidence in the quality of your loved ones’ care. Through frequent reassessments, I can anticipate and offer proactive solutions to medical concerns before they escalate.

This is not just caregiving. This is nursing care with intention, heart, and a vigilant eye on the horizon of what’s possible.

What makes us different

Have everything that you need and more of what you want:

• Daily home-cooked meals and snacks
• Top-of-the-line caregivers
• Staffing ratios of 1-2 caregivers for 6 residents
• Electronic charting and medication records/administration
• Continuous RN assessments at no extra cost
• Free WI-FI
• Private TV’s in each room
• Daily activities
• Memory Care
• Regular podiatry and beautician visits in-home
• Staff fully awake at night for 24/7 care
• Daily housekeeping and personal laundry
• AED and generator on-site
• Emergency call system
• Personalized care
• We welcome and encourage your input in activities and menu planning
• Less than 1 mile to Legacy Hospital
• 1/3 acre with large back deck for outdoor recreation
• Hospice Care
• Ostomy Care
• RN on Staff
• Tube Feeding
• Speciality training: Mental Health
• Speciality training: Developmental Disabilities

2 years of private funds required before Medicaid transition*

Expert Caregivers

Our experienced caregivers assist each resident with dressing, bathing, eating, and other ADLs to help with their overall quality of life, both physically and emotionally. We encourage independence and focus on what skills are retained, not on what is lost.

Innovative Memory Care

Alternative therapies, exercise, balance games, and memory games all help maintain each resident’s cognition, and body/mind health.

Community Within and Without

Not only are we a home-like family of healthcare professionals and residents alike, we provide opportunities for your loved ones be involved in the community from the comfort of their new home.

Private Rooms*

Our home is able to accommodate up to six residents, four of which are private bedrooms. Two with private bathrooms, and one double room for a maximum of six residents.

*Our double room is perfect for couples or friends who wish to continue living together.

Exercise and Movement

Keeping physically active not only helps improve physical fitness and posture, it also helps improve balance and reduce the risk of falls.

Personalized Dietary Preparation

Our residents will enjoy 3 healthy, home-cooked meals every day, as well as nutritious snacks available at any time. Prepared by staff who love to cook, each meal is personalized to individual tastes, preferences, and medical restrictions.