Appreciation for Quality Care

At all our Southview Senior Communities, residents are the top priority. Anyone who has a loved one living in one of our 14 communities has likely seen our dedicated teams in action, working diligently to make sure each resident is living his or her best life. Once in a while, we receive correspondence from a resident’s family commending a facility or its staff.

Chris Fabel, Residence Director at The Willows of Ramsey Hill, recently received a letter of appreciation for quality care regarding a specific resident. We wanted to share that letter across all our communities as a testament to the work we do every day in our Southview Senior Communities.

A Thank You from Susan C.

First, I want to say thank you for the delicious, fun, and festive holiday party last night at The Willows (of Ramsey Hill). The spread was very generous and impressive. It conveyed the general tone of respect and care that The Willows extends to its residents and families on a day-to-day basis.

I would love for this letter to be shared with owners and Board members, as they need to know the kind of organization they are a part of. As an introduction to them, my brother, who has Lewy body dementia, has lived at The Willows for about a month. He is a retired architect, and when I brought him to tour the facility, the word he used when we opened the door to the third floor was “wow.” He had not lost his appreciative eye for quality structures.

“Wow” also continues to be my word to describe our experience over the past month. Prior to admitting my brother to the facility, my husband and I toured and assessed six other dementia care facilities in the area. The Willows stood out with its homey feel and clear message that “you belong here.” The floors are carpeted for the residents’ comfort, not vinyl for the staff’s convenience. The decorations are interesting and tasteful; the holiday decorating alone was impressive. The units are spacious, making room for the resident’s loved possessions. And the heart of the floor is the communal dining/activity room, with an accessible kitchen for the staff to provide a special meal or snacks and to make sure the food can be warmed if necessary. As in anyone’s home, the dining room table is where people connect and reaffirm who they are together. I can see that many of the residents feel comfortable being in this space, as it is warm and inviting. The smaller gathering places (on the third floor), like in front of the fireplace, in the TV area, and the lounging area, are all welcoming. You have circumvented the temptation to make everything institutionalized for efficiency and have attended to the details that are important to people.

Chris continues to amaze me with boundless enthusiasm and responsiveness to meeting the residents’ needs. It’s impressive to watch him so comfortably up on the unit flipping pancakes, giving a reassuring hug to a distressed resident, or making sure a resident gets in to get their hair cut while managing maintenance issues and overseeing staff and office responsibilities. Chris clearly recognizes the importance of balancing customer satisfaction and staff morale while maintaining high-quality service. It is that attention to detail that stands out, and it has obviously made an impression upon all the staff.

Nurse Nadia has amazed me with her immediate familiarity with my brother’s medication regimen and immediate attention to any need for changes or instruction to the aides. She greeted me by name the second time I was there, showing she is someone who pays attention to the details. The aides have all been kind, caring, and responsive. I see them doing nurturing things like braiding someone’s hair or making sure they are nicely dressed, and residents are treated respectfully. The activity director has won over my brother with her ever-present positivity. Last, but not least, I can’t say enough about how impressed I am with the food. The meals offer variety, and all the food is well-prepared, generous (sometimes too generous), and delicious. This is not an easy feat in an institutional setting.

Everything says loud and clear that residents are valued and are at the top of the priority list. It is obvious that The Willows—and, I bet, all the other facilities that are owned and managed by Southview Senior Communities—is committed to quality care that does not give lip service but actually lives up to its vision and values.

All of this has made a very difficult decision—that of stepping back from direct care of my brother—more freeing, as I have absolute confidence that he will be treated the way any of us want our family members treated: with genuine care, respect, and—dare I say—love.

Thank you, to the top of your organization from the bottom of my heart.

Dedicated to Resident Care

This letter of appreciation for quality care is an example of our team’s dedication to prioritizing comfort, safety, and well-being for residents. And that holds true throughout Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Memory Care across all 14 of the Southview Senior Communities. Visit the Southview location nearest you to learn more.