Four Winds named top skilled nursing center in Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, a division of the Ohio Department of Aging, has released results of the 2017 Long-Term Care Resident Satisfaction Survey. Four Winds Community, a United Church Homes community in Jackson, ranked the 22nd best skilled nursing center in the state.

The survey, conducted through face-to-face interviews with residents of skilled nursing care centers and assisted living communities, gauges residents’ satisfaction with an array of focus areas related to their care and everyday life.

The statewide average score for resident satisfaction in nursing homes was 77.8 (out of 100). The statewide average score in assisted living facilities was 85.2 (out of 100). Full facility-specific satisfaction survey reports are available on the Long-Term Care Consumer Guide website (www.ltc.ohio.gov).

Four Winds received a score of 90.32 out of 100.

“For a decade and a half, the Long-Term Care Consumer Guide has helped older Ohioans and their families make one of the most difficult and important decisions in their lives or that of a loved one,” said Erin Pettegrew, acting state long-term care ombudsman. “The guide and its annual satisfaction surveys are also valuable resources for facility staff and leadership as they continue to reach toward a higher bar for quality.”

Four Winds Administrator Mary Casey said she was pleasantly surprised by the results of the survey.

“I know we do a good job, but it’s nice for that to be reflected in the survey and that our residents feel the same way,” Casey said.

The Love Thy Neighbor program is one unique initiative that takes place at Four Winds.

“All of the managers are assigned resident rooms,” Casey said. “Whoever is in that room is their ‘neighbor.’ They go out every morning before meeting and touch base with their neighbor. They make sure everything is OK in their rooms and address any unmet needs. We do that every day. I like to think that maybe that helped with resident satisfaction.”

Casey credited her entire team with fostering abundant life in residents of Four Winds.

“Our STNAs and nurses get to know our residents,” she said. “They know the residents they are working with. They are committed to person-directed care.”

Beverly Laubert, interim director of the Ohio Department of Aging, congratulated Four Winds for the honor.

“We sometimes forget that these facilities are ‘home’ for those who live there. Residents deserve their homes to be as responsive to their needs and reflective of their interests and values as possible,” Laubert added. “Scores in this and other surveys show us that person-centered care not only drives customer satisfaction upward but also leads to higher quality of life and better health outcomes.”

The 2017 Long-Term Care Resident Satisfaction Survey was conducted between July and December 2017 by Vital Research, LLC, through a competitive contract with the Department of Aging. Surveyors conducted structured face-to-face interviews with a random sample of residents in each facility. A total of 23,145 residents in 963 nursing homes and 12,849 residents of 687 assisted living facilities were interviewed. Slightly more than half of each type of facility (501 nursing homes and 357 assisted living) scored above the statewide average. In addition to overall satisfaction, the survey measures how well specific aspects of the facility meet the residents’ needs and expectations. Areas explored include environment, choice and quality of meals, safety, care and staff and how residents spend their time. In both types of facilities, residents were most satisfied with the environment (e.g., cleanliness, privacy) and care. Lower satisfaction was reported with meals and how residents spend their time.

For more information about Four Winds Community, visit fourwindsjackson.org.

###

About United Church Homes: United Church Homes, headquartered in Marion, Ohio, has been “Celebrating the Spirit” of seniors for more than a century. The faith-inspired nonprofit organization is one of the nation’s largest providers of senior living services, with more than 1,800 dedicated staff serving nearly 5,000 residents of all faiths in 74 senior living communities throughout 14 states and two Native American nations. UCH is in covenant with the United Church of Christ and welcomes residents of all faiths.

Media Contact: Alissa Paolella, Communications Coordinator, 740.382.4885 or apaolella@uchinc.org