2012 Award Winners Announced

Each year we bring our team leaders to Hutchinson for an educational conference.  During our winter conference, we announce those who won awards during the previous year.

Last night, we announced the winners of the 2012 awards.

 

*Pictured above, L to R: Dean Bloemke, President and Roman Bloemke, Director of Operations

Our first award announced was for the Resident Choice Award.  This award goes to the community who achieved the highest score during our annual resident satisfaction surveys.  The 2012 Resident Choice award was given to Excelsior Place Assisted Living in Baxter, Minnesota.

As their Director of Resident Services, Loree Besser, accepted the award, she gave all of the credit to her team.  ”This year, like many, presents each of us with challenges.  All of the credit for this award goes to my team back at Excelsior Place.  Without a solid foundation, you have nothing.  The team that I work with is absolutely phenomenal and we couldn’t have done this without them.”

Our next award presented last night was the Great Places to Work award.  This award is presented to the communities who achieve a high satisfaction level.  This year’s award winner was River Pointe of Moorhead.

While accepting the award, Ron Bervig, Director of Resident Services gave credit to the team in place at River Pointe, commending them on doing a great job.  ”I really have to thank the staff for the wonderful job they do every day.  They are what makes us successful!”

Our next award goes to communities who have reached a list of achievements and have a high level of excellence in senior living. Criteria for the award include employment best practices and employee satisfaction, resident and family satisfaction, resident and staff safety, financial performance, matching resident needs to care plans throughout a resident’s stay, and overall occupancy.  Each of the performance objectives is to assure the proper and desired level of service is provided.

The 2012 Best Community Awards go to:

Orchard Hill Assisted Living – New Ulm, Minnesota.

Potter Ridge Assisted Living – Red Wing, Minnesota.

Excelsior Place Assisted Living – Baxter, Minnesota

River Pointe of Moorhead – Moorhead, Minnesota

Our final award of the night was the North Star Leadership Award.  This award goes to the person who was nominated by their peers and residents who live in the community.

The 2012 North Star Leadership Award goes to Paulla Perry from Thomas Landing Senior Living, in Rice Lake, Wisconsin.

Paulla was unaware that she had been nominated, so the surprise on her face was great to see when it was announced that she had won.  Paulla thanked each of her peers and the resident’s back at Thomas Landing for making her job a joy to be a part of.  ”I’m at a loss as to what to say.  I need to say thank you to everyone at Thomas Landing for being such a great team to work with.  It’s because of them that it is a joy to go to work everyday.”

Congratulations to all of our award winners!

You continue to inspire us and others to do great work. Thank you for everything you do!

2011 Welcome Home Award Winners

Each year, Welcome Home gives out several awards for excellence in our senior living communities.  Awards for Resident Choice, Employee Choice, Best Community Award, and the North Star Leadership Award were given to communities and individuals who qualified for the awards.

Our teams did such great work in their communities and they need to be honored for doing great things.  All communities really did some amazing things this year, but a few stood out.

The Employee Choice Award is given to the community who scores the highest in employee satisfaction.  Our employee satisfaction surveys are done once per year with our team members.  This year’s award winner, with a score of 90% was River Pointe of Moorhead.

The Resident Choice is the award for the highest resident satisfaction scores among all of the communities.  This year’s totals were really close which shows what a great job all of the communities are doing.

This year’s award went to Potter Ridge with a score of 92%!  This is the 4th time that Potter Ridge has won this award.

The next awards presented were the Best Community Award.  This award goes to the communities that showed excellence in 10 separate categories ranging from overall occupancy, adherence to budgets, resident satisfaction and employee satisfaction survey’s.  Communities must attain a high level in all categories to receive the award.

This year’s recipients included the teams at Potter Ridge Assisted Living (3 time recipient),

Twin Town Villa (3 time recipient),

Orchard Hill (2 time recipient) and,

Excelsior Place (1st time recipient).

Our final award is the North Star Leadership Award.  This award exemplifies those individuals who work in Welcome Home communities for the work that they do with the residents and with their team members.  This award recognizes those team members in our communities who show great leadership qualities.  This award is open to any team member at a property managed by Welcome Home.  Anyone can nominate, from family, to team members, to residents.

This year, we again had fantastic nominees.

Our nominees were (l to r), Blaire Swinarski and Mickie Shutz of Potter Ridge Assisted Living; Judi Durkin and Sharon Humble from Twin Town Villa, and Sherri Schnacki of Thomas Landing.  Dean Bloemke, President of Welcome Home announced the nominations through our YouTube channel.

The 2011 North Star Leadership Award went to Judi Durkin, the Lead Care Manager at Twin Town Villa.

Congratulations to all the recipients of this year’s awards!

Day 1 of the conference is in the books

What a fun filled education day!  Can you say that in the same sentence?

There are times all of us go to conferences for our work and think, what did I get out of that?  We’ve all been there.

Several years ago, we decided that we needed to take some action and host twice yearly conferences that are devoted to our team so that we can continuously improve our product.  One of the key elements missing at conferences is timely educational topics in every session and networking opportunities.  When we set out to develop our conferences and workshops, we want them to be educational, yet have the ability to network with peers.

Wednesday was our first day of the Winter Conference.  Team members came in from all over Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Our Director of Operations, Roman Bloemke (@romanbloemke) led the day off with a conversation about working with multiple generations.  It’s a topic that is in every business right now with people from all four generations working in the workplace at the same time.

Lisa Lehmann (@lisajolehmann) led a discussion group on improving the move in process for our prospects and their families.  We want the process to be an easy and a “no stress” time for families and the residents as they transition to their new homes.  What a great topic and great discussion.

Jody Bertrum from Midwest EAP talked with the RNs about something we all strive for in life; better time management.  We can all feel like we are pulled in multiple directions at times.  All of us ate up the information.

Resident Rights are important to us as a company and as team members.  In the afternoon, members from the Office of the Ombudsman for Long-Term Care stopped by and led a wonderful conversation with lots of questions from the providers in our group.

Social media continues to be an arm of our outreach to families, residents, team members and other senior living professionals.  Roman Bloemke came back to finish up the day’s sessions to talk about social media’s influence in senior living communities.  We are very excited to begin rolling out some of the ideas that were generated in this discussion over the next year.  Keep watching here on our blog as those programs come to light.

Day 2 begins tomorrow in earnest.  We bring in other department heads from the communities; more outside speakers; and our awards program.

Thank you to all of our speakers at our Day 1 sessions: Dan Tupy, Mark Schultz, Jane Brink, Jody Bertrum, Lisa Lehmann, Sarah Work and Roman Bloemke

Tomorrow, be sure to tune in to our awards program, hosted by Roman Bloemke, Director of Operations at 2pm.  We are hoping to have a live feed of the presentation on our Welcome Home LIVE channel.  We’ll keep you posted as we learn more about our internet capabilities from our venue.

2012 Winter Conference is quickly approaching

Where does the time go when you’re having this much fun!?

This past year has been a fast paced one.  We’ve welcomed new faces to the organization and have had a great time getting to know them.  These new faces are getting ready to attend their first Winter Conference this week at Welcome Home.  It’s not only a great time to learn new things, but also an excellent time to network with other team members from our communities.

This year’s conference is packed and should offer great learning opportunities.

We’ve been planning this conference for almost two months, and this week, we see those efforts come to life!  With the opening session seemingly hours away, we are putting the finishing touches on the last minute details.

As with years past, this year’s awards program is going to be fantastic!  We will be awarding Best Community Award, Resident Choice Award, Employee Choice Award, and the North Star Leadership Award at the awards program.  The program will air live via our Welcome Home LIVE channel on Thursday at 2:30pm.

Can’t wait to see the whole team on Wednesday and Thursday!

Stars Among Us Team Member #3

This week, Aging Services of Minnesota will be showcasing people who work in the senior living industry at their annual Institute.  The goal of their program, called “Stars Among Us”, is ”to shine a light on the people who are the backbone of our support system for seniors in Minnesota.”

The campaign is their effort to share as many stories of individual caregivers and aging services professionals.  Officially launching on February 8th, they will create an online gallery to showcase the stars.  They will also be sharing them on their social media channels and lawmakers.

Here is a link directly to the Stars Among Us campaign page if you’d like to submit someone: http://www.agingservicesinstitute.org/starsamongus.asp

For the past three years, Welcome Home has honored an individual that shows leadership  abilities in their community or in the organization with the North Star Leadership Award.  With Aging Services of Minnesota’s program, we thought it would be a great opportunity to showcase not only our North Star Leadership award winner, but to all of those team members who were nominated throughout our company.

Our next Star Among Us is Linda from Potter Ridge Assisted Living in Red Wing, Minnesota.

Linda is the RN at Potter Ridge and was nominated by two family members, and she states:

“My parents have been residents of Potter Ridge since April 010.  I could fill a few pages of anecdotes regarding Linda and her interactions with my parents in meeting their needs.  Her positive attitude certainly trickles down to the Care Providers, who interact with the residents throughout the day and night.  Linda works at making things work out for the residents, if at all possible.  She has exhibited patience, upbeat good humor, compassion and such a caring attitude in working with my folks and other that I have observed on my visits to see my parents.”

As part of Aging Services Stars Among Us campaign, they asked the following three questions.  What inspires them, why do they serve, and what do they advocate for?

Inspire:

I desired to be with older adults from childhood on.  Older adults are beautiful inside and out.  I’m inspired by their strength, endurance, trust and their life stories. I have been encouraged and motivated by many over the years.  Previous directors, and co-workers, those that believed in my skills when I didn’t.  I have had challenges as many have, I’m able to keep going on tough days by using humor along with my faith.  My husband and grandchildren are an inspiration.

 

Serve:

My career serving older adults has truly been a blessing.  My life is richer because of those I have cared for over the past 30 years.  Taking care of older adults is my passion.  The most meaningful/rewarding part of my job is being part of a very large family.  Older adults desire to learn.  Hosting “Coffee with the Nurse” monthly has provided education and empowerment to our residents, which has been a joy to be a part of.

 

Advocate:

I advocate for attentive medical care for aging adults.  In the past few months I have experienced negative outcomes when sending residents that are ill to Urgent Care of Emergency Room.  Public policy makers need to realize older adults can make decisions for themselves.  The work we do is not work, it is all about serving one another as we age.  This is one of the most rewarding occupations.

 

Stars Among Us Team Member #2

This week, Aging Services of Minnesota will be showcasing people who work in the senior living industry at their annual Institute.  The goal of their program, called “Stars Among Us”, is ”to shine a light on the people who are the backbone of our support system for seniors in Minnesota.”

The campaign is their effort to share as many stories of individual caregivers and aging services professionals.  Officially launching on February 8th, they will create an online gallery to showcase the stars.  They will also be sharing them on their social media channels and lawmakers.

Here is a link directly to the Stars Among Us campaign page if you’d like to submit someone: http://www.agingservicesinstitute.org/starsamongus.asp

For the past three years, Welcome Home has honored an individual that shows leadership  abilities in their community or in the organization with the North Star Leadership Award.  With Aging Services of Minnesota’s program, we thought it would be a great opportunity to showcase not only our North Star Leadership award winner, but to all of those team members who were nominated throughout our company.

Our next Star Among Us is Amy from Potter Ridge Assisted Living in Red Wing, Minnesota.

Amy has been at Potter Ridge since it opened in 2005.  Amy was nominated for the North Star Leadership Award last year by her daughter Rachel and her son Spencer.

“While countless definitions of leadership exist, we firmly believe it describes an individual who helps others achieve their goals.  So when my brother and I first heard about the NorthStar Leadership award, we instantly though of nominating our mother, Amy Anderson.  She has dedicated her entire career to the care of seniors, and we could not imagine her in any other professional role.  While she holds a true passion for the field, she cares most for the residents and the others around her.  Not only does she have a great relationship with the residents, but with her co-workers as well.  She goes above and beyond her required role to make Potter Ridge an exceptional building to work in.  She makes sure all the work is done in a proficient and caring manner.  We can say with certainty she would admit it makes the job seem far less like a job.  Our mother has helped us achieve countless goals in both of our lives and we know she has impacted many, many others.  It would be hard to imagine where either of us would be today had it not been for the leadership and assistance of our mother.  For that and many other reasons, we wholeheartedly endorse her as a candidate for the award.”

As part of Aging Services of Minnesota’s Stars Among Us campaign, they were asked the following three questions:  What inspires you?  Why do you serve? And, what do you advocate for?  Her are her responses:

Inspire:

My inspiration to help others, especially older adults, comes from how I was raised.  “Do unto others.”  My greatest mentors would by my parents.  I also work with an awesome group of people.  Tough days are what you make of them.  That day will never come again, so make the best of it.

Serve:

Helping older adults is my speed, my pace.  They look at the here and now. Make every day count.

Advocate:

Treat everyone fair.  Public policy makers need to understand everyone matters, no matter your lot in life.  It’s the day today that is what makes the biggest difference to most people.

We are extremely proud of all of the accomplishments and leadership she has brought to Potter Ridge and Welcome Home Health Care.

Thank you for being the person you are.

Roman Bloemke, Director of Operations

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North Star Leadership Award Nominee #4

This week, we are honoring team members who were nominated for our North Star Leadership Award.  We are also submitting those who were nominated to Aging Services Stars Among Us campaign.

As we continue to honor those individuals who were nominated for Welcome Home Management’s North Star Leadership Award, and who were submitted to the Stars Among Us campaign at Aging Services, we come to our fourth nominee.

Our third nomination and Star Among Us is Mickie.  She is the Community Life Coordinator at Potter Ridge Assisted Living in Potter Ridge, Minnesota.  This is her first nomination for the North Star Leadership Award.

Mickie was nominated by her fellow teammates at Potter Ridge.  They said:

“I would like to nominate Mickey for this year’s award because she exemplifies what it means to be a leader.  She is organized and has envisioned and made successful dreams of residents as well as her dreams for the residents.

She has the vision to look at the resident as a whole with the realization each human being needs much more than food, water, medication and sleep.  The residents need to give of themselves, to share their gifts, to be of value.  She recognized the strengths and desires of our residents, acknowledging that quality of life maintains the health of our residents.

Having her masters in Gerontaolgy has given her the insight and understanding of what the residents need and can do for an enriched life.  She encouraged them to try new things and tells them they “can do it”.  They listen to her and trust her.

Her leadership skills are a great asset to Potter Ridge and we are blessed to have her as part of our team!”

 Inspire - What inspires you to serve older adults? Is there a mentor or fellow caregiver who motivates or helps you? What keeps you going on tough days?

“For many years I have been serving older adults, volunteering and working areas of care giving for the elderly.  I was a primary caregiver for my mother and father before they died, and I guess I feel that they have inspired me to continue finding ways to encourage the elderly to stay active physically and mentally.  What keeps me going on tough days is first my faith in the Lord and second, realizing that I have the fortune of knowing so many 80 t0 90 year old people that have been through a lot more tougher times than I will ever know.”

Serve - What does a career serving older adults mean to you? What is the most meaningful or rewarding part of your job? The most challenging?

“As a gerontologist, I have chosen the career of serving older adults.  My current job is to provide activities for the residents at Potter Ridge.  I use each day as a learning experience and I am using this experience to enrich my educational goals as a future Doctor of Human Services.  The most challenging part of this job is having to say goodbye to my friends that have lived at Potter Ridge because they have either passed away or moved to another facility because of health deterioration.”

Advocate - What do you advocate for? What do you want public policy makers to know about the work you do?

“I am currently advocating for a Senior Playground to be built in one of our parks in Red Wing.  The Red Wing Area Seniors, Inc. and the Red Wing Public Works Dept. are both supporting my efforts in attaining a grant from one of the local foundations to be able to afford buying the playground equipment that is specifically designed for the elderly.”

Mickey has been an inspiration since joining the team at Potter Ridge and Welcome Home Health Care.  All of us at Potter Ridge and at Welcome Home congratulate her on her nomination.

For the past three years, Welcome Home has honored an individual that shows leadership  abilities in their community or in the organization with the North Star Leadership Award.  The North Star Leadership Award winner will be announced at Welcome Home’s Annual Winter Conference on February 23rd.  Watch for more details on our live presentation as our conference date approaches.

Roman Bloemke, Director of Operations

North Star Leadership Award Nominee #3

This week, we are honoring team members who were nominated for our North Star Leadership Award.  We are also submitting those who were nominated to Aging Services Stars Among Us campaign.

As we continue to honor those individuals who were nominated for Welcome Home Management’s North Star Leadership Award, and who were submitted to the Stars Among Us campaign at Aging Services, we come to our third nominee.

Our third nomination and Star Among Us is Sharon.  She is a care provider at Twin Town Villa Senior Living in Breckenridge, Minnesota.  This is her first nomination for the North Star Leadership Award.

Sharon was nominated by a resident of Twin Town Villa.  She writes:

“I nominate Sharon H. for her duties and presence.  She goes way beyond getting her work done and in my eyes, you never see her idle.

She is always friendly and very helpful – always with a smile!”

Inspire - What inspires you to serve older adults? Is there a mentor or fellow caregiver who motivates or helps you? What keeps you going on tough days?

“Their sincere appreciation for whatever you do for them.  The compliments you receive for doing your best when caring for them and assisting however you can at the time.”

The people who help motivate me is the compassionate nurse to learn from in how to care for our residents.”

“What keeps me going is the smiles and greetings as you meeting in the hall and being asked “How are you today?” from the residents.  The fact that they really care about you when you answer is the best.”

Serve - What does a career serving older adults mean to you? What is the most meaningful or rewarding part of your job? The most challenging?

“It means so much to be around people that I can learn as much from, as they have a lifetime of living experience.”
“The most rewarding part is knowing what I do for them on a daily basis makes a difference in their life, even if it just makes them smile or laugh.”

Advocate - What do you advocate for? What do you want public policy makers to know about the work you do?

“I advocate for older adults to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their health or disability.”

“I want our public policy makers to know that the work I do as a care provider makes their quality of life much better, especially for the resident’s who call our community home!”

Sharon has been doing an outstanding job since she came on board four years ago.  All of us at Twin Town Villa and at Welcome Home congratulate her on her nomination.

For the past three years, Welcome Home has honored an individual that shows leadership  abilities in their community or in the organization with the North Star Leadership Award.  The North Star Leadership Award winner will be announced at Welcome Home’s Annual Winter Conference on February 23rd.  Watch for more details on our live presentation as our conference date approaches.

Roman Bloemke, Director of Operations

Welcome Home honors North Star Leadership nominees by submitting them to Aging Services of Minnesota’s Stars Among Us campaign.

Next week, Aging Services of Minnesota will be showcasing people who work in the senior living industry at their annual Institute.  The goal of their program, called “Stars Among Us”, is ”to shine a light on the people who are the backbone of our support system for seniors in Minnesota.”

The campaign is their effort to share as many stories of individual caregivers and aging services professionals.  Officially launching on February 8th, they will create an online gallery to showcase the stars.  They will also be sharing them on their social media channels and lawmakers.

Here is a link directly to the Stars Among Us campaign page if you’d like to submit someone: http://www.agingservicesinstitute.org/starsamongus.asp

For the past three years, Welcome Home has honored an individual that shows leadership  abilities in their community or in the organization with the North Star Leadership Award.  With Aging Services of Minnesota’s program, we thought it would be a great opportunity to showcase not only our North Star Leadership award winner, but to all of those team members who were nominated throughout our company.

Over the next few days, we will honor those individuals who were nominated for Welcome Home Management’s North Star Leadership Award, and who were submitted to the Stars Among Us campaign at Aging Services.

Nomination time – North Star Leadership Award

What does it mean to be a leader?  A leader has the ability to inspire his/her “fold” to achieve the “un-achievable”.  A leader is very self critical and always seeks to improve. A leader has wisdom, courage, and integrity.