Happy New Year Residents, Families, Staff and Friends!

2011 has certainly been an active year for our organization. Our remodeling project is well underway and many of the improvements are being enjoyed by our residents, visitors and employees. I sincerely appreciate the patience and cooperation of EVERYONE throughout this process as I know, areas “Under Construction” are not always the most convenient, efficient or enjoyable to be around. And if you thought 2011 was full of activity, just look what we have planned for 2012!

As we step in to the first quarter of 2012 we are ready to begin remodeling resident rooms on unit one and plan to update two rooms a week beginning in mid-January. We have submitted the documents to the State for their approval to renovate the nursing station, and the area across the hall, for the new dining room and resident kitchen. State approval will take some time but we hope to begin the renovation by March or April. New interior directory signage has been ordered and should arrive any day. We are finalizing our new menus and completing installation of new kitchen equipment that will allow us to implement our enhanced dining program. A dedicated activity room is being set up in what some of you know as the “Old Therapy” room, located on unit 2; C-Wing. We received a trust from the Helen Godfrey Estate that will allow us to create a sensory room for our residents with memory impairment.

In addition to the physical changes being planned for the first quarter, we have several procedural changes in the works. We have decided to bring our laundry back in-house, which will allow us to better control quality and cost. Our nursing department is implementing “consistent assignment,” which means that whenever possible, the same nursing assistant will care for the same resident daily. The benefit to this structure is that both the resident and the CNA become more familiar with each other and service is more individualized and efficient. Lastly, in an effort to enhance our resident dining experience, we have hired an Executive Chef, who comes to us with hotel management and restaurant experience.

All this in just the first quarter!! I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am to have the
opportunity to work with such a dedicated and caring group of individuals. Our Employees, our Board of Directors and our Foundation are committed to providing the best quality care possible for our residents and our community!

Sincerely,

Pauline Darling
Administrator/CEO