By Stacy Smith

In her past 16 years as the administrator at Westside Terrace Health & Rehab First in Dothan, Kristi Hughes had only known one Ms. Westside Terrace as a top 10 runner up for Ms. Alabama Nursing Home. This past year when she heard, “Sarah ‘Sally’ Scott of Westside Terrace is our Ms. Alabama Nursing Home,” she was thrilled and ready.

“We took Mrs. Scott to Ulta Beauty Supply, bought makeup and a bag for her crown and banner. I served as her makeup artist this year. We immediately had three media interviews,” said Hughes.

Mrs. Scott was also ready to take advantage of the exciting opportunity for the facility to put a best foot forward, and explain what they do best in skilled nursing.

“Mrs. Scott is a great spokesperson, and has been perfect in her role this year. As a registered nurse, Mrs. Scott knows the challenges of providing care for patients in all types of settings. She understands patient care, and was delighted to talk about the positive aspects of skilled nursing facilities,” said Hughes.

Sally Scott lives with her husband Randall together in a room they share. With her outgoing personality and his reserved personality, he was encouraging of his wife to have conversations across the state about nursing home care.

“My platform has been that the nursing home is a place to live. People enjoy life here, and there is a lot of living left to do while in a nursing home,” said Scott.

From left to right: Haleburg Senior Center Director Amanda Henderson, Westside Terrace Administrator Kristie Hughes, Ms. Alabama Nursing Home 2017 Sarah “Sally” Scott and Westside Terrace Admissions and Marketing Director Kelly Reinhardt.

True to her word, she did live this year promoting her platform. From speaking to a senior social circle, to participating in an Easter Egg Hunt, from riding in the Slocomb Tomato Festival Parade to speaking at the Alabama Nursing Home Association annual meeting, from dedicating the first pizza pie during National Pizza Day to speaking with federal and state elected officials, her wheelchair wheels kept rolling while her crown remained firmly in place.

Near the end of 2017, management at Westside Terrace recognized that nearby Haleburg Senior Center was experiencing financial trouble. The center provides an important resource for seniors to enjoy a hot meal, socialize and keep active and healthier longer. The center is not affiliated with the nursing home.

“We talked about the senior center, and went with Mrs. Scott to make a donation to help them meet their budget. We also donated some laptop computers and a Nintendo Wii. We were delighted to support another resource for our senior citizens. It is important that we work together. Mrs. Scott also thought this is a good idea for the overall health of the community,” said Hughes.

As Mrs. Scott wraps up her time as Mrs. Alabama Nursing Home, she enjoys spending time with her husband. They enjoy eating lunch and dinner with other couples at Westside Terrace.  Often after lunch, they go back to their room and watch Netflix. Appropriately enough, they recently binge watched The Crown.

Editor’s Note: Stacy Smith, APR, is a freelance writer based in Birmingham, Alabama.

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