“I really recognized that there was a spot that needed to be filled,” said Karen Finney. “Nursing homes have their place and assisted livings have their place but so many people want to stay in more of a home setting.”
Finney is the owner of The Iris Residential Assisted Living, a facility on Mimosa Lane in Stephenville which recently celebrated its first anniversary.
The facility is located in a converted 3,000 sq. foot home from the late 1970s with five bedrooms, a large indoor swimming pool and a den with a fireplace. The bedrooms are also spacious with bathrooms which have been made ADAcompliant.
Finney said that she knew the homeowners, who put the house in the market in 2020, and it remained unsold for many months. Although the house may not have fit a traditional family, its features made it ideal when she began to see the need for a ‘homey’ assisted living environment, prompted by a friend who needed to exit a nursing home facility.
Finney has worked a nurse for more than 15 years (including many in the home health field) so she brings this experience on catering to the residents of The Iris. That said, she still has learned many lessons and made many improvements since The Iris opened in October 2021.
Initially, she thought residents would want to bring their own furniture and was surprised by how few people touring the property did. After a lot of scouring, she has it outfitted and “all dolled up.” Some of her greatest assets are the people around her with a staff offering expert care and the support of her husband, Jimmy and children, Keifer, Justin, Brea, Joel and Amelia.
“They have been such a big help,” she said.
Finney (who has worked as a Girl Scout leader for several years describes herself as a party planner person so she likes to really celebrate birthdays and special occasions, such as hosting trick or treating so resident who used to live in the country could experience it. The Iris has also hosted activities like art and Finney hopes to expand its offerings.
Finney said The Iris welcomes tours for anyone interested. For more information, visit theiris. info, call Finney at 254-5925521 or emailtheiris2021@outlook.com.