Aloha … from BethC Gifford raises money for March of Dimes
Menig nursing home to receive quality awards from governor
RANDOLPH, July 6, 2010 – Gov. James Douglas and other state officials will present Orange County’s only nursing home with two prestigious state awards for quality later this month.
For a sixth consecutive year, the Menig Extended Care Facility at Gifford Medical Center in Randolph has earned the Nursing Home Quality Award from the Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL) and received a Gold Star Employer from DAIL and the Vermont Health Care Association.
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Menig Activities Director Terry MacDougal helps |
In addition, Menig has been awarded a 2009 Excellence in Action award from My InnerView, which is a national organization that surveys families of residents regarding their satisfaction. Lastly, Menig is the recipient of the maximum five stars on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Nursing Home Compare Web site, medicare.gov.
Gov. Douglas, acting DAIL Commissioner Brendan Hogan and Vermont Health Care Association Executive Director Laura Pelosi are all expected to be on hand to present the two state awards to Menig staff and residents on July 14 at 4 p.m. in the Menig living room.
“With the second oldest population in the United States, Vermont has an obligation and a duty to provide quality care for our elders. Menig is an example of a nursing home that is doing it right, and one we can look to as an example for the type of care all of our elders deserve,” Gov. Douglas said.
Menig was first constructed in 1998, following the closure of a larger, privately owned Randolph nursing home, Tranquility. In 2005, a 10-bed addition was added to Menig, growing it to a 30-bed facility that is modern, clean and well ventilated.
As the only nursing home of its kind in the county, the waiting list for care is long. About 90 community members are hoping for placement at Menig soon or in the years ahead.
Menig Director of Nursing Cindy Richardson said the facility’s high quality, and consequently, the quality awards, are a result of staff members hard and caring work.
“The nursing staff, namely the licensed nursing assistants who provide direct care and the licensed nurses who expertly guide that care, make Menig the quality, caring home that it is. Each resident is treated like a member of the family here. The love our staff puts into providing care is evident,” Richardson said. “In addition, the hospital’s housekeeping, food services and maintenance staffs make Menig a clean, appetizing and well-maintained place for our residents to live.
“It is a privilege to be a part of that work and an honor for staff to be recognized for it.”
It’s a recognition that is “well-deserved,” noted Dick Allen of Bethel. Allen’s mother Della, his sister Barbara Reynolds and his brother-in-law Stuart Reynolds are all residents of Menig.
“I think they’re getting excellent care up there, and they’re treated with respect and dignity,” said Allen, who visits almost everyday. “They’re treated as if that is their home. The staff makes them all feel that way.”
Menig residents’ family members like Allen and media are invited to the July 14 awards presentation.