By Gerri Miller
EAN Staff Writer
PRATTVILLE – It was August 10th when Greensprings Assisted Living’s new administrator David Huggins started his job, right in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. The 31-year-old had just moved from Huntsville to Prattville and Greensprings had already started implementing safeguards to keep its residents and staff safe.
“We were doing porch and window visits,” he said. “We were also keeping our families updated on a regular basis.”
Lunches are still served in dining halls with social distancing in place and residents are able to do activities.
“We took them for a ride to see the Christmas lights,” Huggins said. The residents will have a Christmas party next week. One difference this year has been that families are not allowed to participate.
“One of our family members who is a professional photographer took Christmas pictures of the residents and we are sending them out to families,” he said.
“I know it is tough for our families this year, but we must do what we can to keep our residents healthy and safe,” Huggins said.
In September, a COVID-19 wave swept through the facility and it was quarantined until there were no positive cases. “We had an employee test positive in the end of October and we had another 10-day quarantine,” he said.
Huggins is originally from Birmingham and still has family there. Most of his experience has been in nursing homes and this is his first assisted living position. He worked at Huntsville Health and Rehabilitation and Valley View Health and Rehabilitation where he was assistant administrator.
He said he enjoys working in an assisted living facility versus a nursing home because residents are more independent and the atmosphere is less chaotic. “I like the fact that I can focus more on the residents by interacting with them and getting to know them,” Huggins said.
He said the Greensprings facility also has more of a small-town feel than most facilities. “It is more like a country home than buildings,” he said.
Huggins said he became interested in nursing facility management after a friend of his who is a nursing home administrator let him shadow him. “It really got me interested in this work and wanting to do some good in these residents’ lives,” he said.
Huggins went on to get his degree in Healthcare Management from the University of Alabama, and he is a licensed skilled nursing facility administrator. He has experience in a variety of senior living settings, and oversees the daily operations of the community.
He said he loves Prattville, has made friends and has a new church home with Prattville Church of Christ. He said he is going hunting with one of his friends this weekend. He also enjoys hiking, fishing, weightlifting and traveling.
“David is a quality individual who knows how to balance the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of community members, and we are proud to have him in a leadership role on the team,” said Doug Wright, president and CEO of the company.
Huggins said the facility currently has five openings for new residents. Virtual tours are available of the facility. He said there is a booth set up outside the facility with information. Those interested can set up appointments to Facetime with Huggins, who will give them a virtual tour of the facility.
For more information on Greensprings or to set up a virtual tour, call David or Ernestine at (334) 365-0681. The facility has a Facebook page at Greensprings Aging with Elegance.
