At Village On The Isle we are so thankful for our wonderful nursing team!  They are the heart of our assisted living and skilled nursing facilities. It’s not surprising to see one of the nurses laughing with or hugging one of our residents.  Many of our residents feel as though our nursing staff is a part of their family. They are definitely part of the Village family and we honor them this week and daily!

National Nurses week begins on National Nurses Day, May 6th, and is celebrated through May 12^th.  May 12^th is also Florence Nightingale’s birthday, the founder of modern nursing. This week is celebrated to recognize the hard work and achievements of professional nurses, both active and retired. This week also raises public awareness of the value of nursing and educates others on the vital roles nurses play in meeting the health care needs of the American people.

The International Council of Nurses has celebrated national Nurses week since 1965, but the history of Nurses Day can be traced back to 1953.  An official of the U.S. Department of Health Education & Welfare, Dorothy Sutherland, proposed to President Eisenhower to proclaim a “Nurses Day” however, he did not approve it.  It wasn’t until 1974 that the decision was made to celebrate the day on May 12th and to also commemorate the birthday of Florence Nightingale.

In 1981, nurses in New Mexico started a resolution that May 6th would be announced as the “National Recognition Day for Nurses.” The ANA Board of Directors encouraged this proposal and in 1982, the United States Congress assigned May 6th to be the “National Recognition Day for Nurses.” Eventually it was expanded  into a week long celebration.

This year, American Nurses Association (ANA) has chosen the theme, “Delivering Quality and Innovation in Patient Care.“  A theme that this Continuing Care Retirement Community practices daily!

To all of our nurses here at Village On The Isle and to nurses everywhere, retired or still serving we honor you and we thank you for all you do!

Residents & Management working as a team in a Florida Continuing Care Retirement Community 

One sign of a successfully, well run Continuing Care Retirement Community, is when management and residents can all work collaboratively as a team to better the organization overall.  One area of a Continuing Care Retirement Community that interacts with the residents on a daily basis is the Dining Services Department.  Since we all have to eat and stay hydrated on a daily basis, “How is the food?”  is often one of our most commonly asked questions when folks consider moving into this Southwest Florida Continuing Care Retirement Community. 

At Village On The Isle we have monthly meetings with our Food & Dining Committee.  This group is made up of residents that represent each floor of each building here on campus.  The residents gather input from their neighbors as well as their own and report it at the monthly meeting to the foodservice Managers & Supervisors.  The topics discussed range from new menu ideas and suggestions for themed meals, to which items the residents like on the menu and any concerns they may have about the food and/or service.  It allows the managers & supervisors to directly interact with the residents.   We are able to make any appropriate changes or implement new ideas that the residents may have.

In addition to the monthly meetings, over the past decade, the resident Food & Dining Committee has met with the foodservice department to design new menus.  We meet for one and a half hours a week over a 2-4 week period outside of the normal monthly meeting.  We look at each day of the menu and have an open dialog and make changes and adjustments, as a group as we feel necessary.  Over the years many new menu items have been added that were actually given to us from a resident’s personal recipe.  For example we added a Kielbasa stew, a fresh broccoli salad, introduced a Vegetarian and a chicken pesto Panini sandwich that were all from residents’ suggestions.

Working with the residents ensures that their voice is heard! We make sure they are a part of the decision making process so that we choose the types of menu choices we know will please most all our residents here at Village On The Isle.

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Village On The Isle Celebrates National Nursing Home Week

National Nursing Home Week begins on Mother’s Day, May 13 and continues until May 19, 2012.  Here at Village on the Isle we know that nursing home residents are the people who nurtured our community and helped it flourish and grow.  They are the teachers, shop keepers, business people, civil servants, parents and others who have contributed so much to the city of Venice.  This week gives us a chance to recognize their sacrifices and contributions.

This year’s theme is “Celebrating the Journey.”  Village On The Isle will be holding many events to showcase this week and give residents and staff a chance to be the center of attention.  On Monday, May 14 at 10:15 AM we will have our Opening Ceremony with Mayor John Holic, VFW, Venice High Color Guard, to name a few.  Tuesday May 15^th in the afternoon from 1pm-3pm we will have an Antique Car Show along with local radio personality. Wednesday, May 16^th the residents will enjoy a Sock Hop with entertainment by Ray.  On Thursday, May 17^th we will conclude our “Baby Photo Contest” and enjoy ice cream floats and finally we will close the week on Friday, May 18^th  with a balloon and butterfly release & BBQ.

We invite you to be a part of our National Nursing Home Week celebration.  Come and meet some of the wonderful residents at Village On The Isle.

Retirement Communities in Florida focus on recreation

Mr. Webster tells us that recreation is “A refreshing of spirits as a change from work or study.”  To be sure, there’s a whole lot of refreshing going on at Village On The Isle!

Residents need only to peruse their monthly calendar to find an exciting event, varied stimulating activities, live and lively entertainment, a potpourri of shopping excursions and road trips to nearby and/or far away venues. All are offered for the recreation of the body, spirit and mind.

The fun and excitement of doing things with friends and neighbors can be seen in the residents’ happy faces – can be heard in the joyful noise of their laughter – can be felt as it is shared.

If one would like to join in a wicked game of Bridge or take in some leisurely laps in our sparkling pool, Village On The Isle can and does accommodate these and countless other activities.

Continuing Care Retirement Communities should be filled with happiness and a rich activity schedule.  When you choose to spend your golden years in our community we take on the responsibility of ensuring you enjoy all of your time with us. Independent Living, Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing all enjoy the benefits of our wonderful recreation calendar.

Village On The Isle’s Recreation Department’s simple philosophy is “My Time is Now!”

At Village On The Isle we pride ourselves in giving our residents the lifestyle they deserve throughout retirement.  We spend years working hard and retiring is something we all look forward to. These years should be filled with fun and an active lifestyle.

It’s important that our residents in Independent Living, Assisted Living and in our Skilled Nursing Facility be connected with our community in Venice, FL. We maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.  Residents are taken out on picnics, attend special performances, enjoy shopping and going to different local area restaurants. We even go to the beach to see the sunset; after all we are living in Paradise!

Our hard working transportation department drove a total of 17,865 miles (just in activities) in 2011, transporting all of our wonderfully active residents to their various activities.  Listed below is a detailed log of transportation department showing activity miles as well as miles for doctor appointments and fuel consumption.

2011:

Luke Haven: Activity miles 1,154

Doctor’s miles:     5,215

Fuel used:            1,002.8 Gallons

Mark Manor & Independent: Activity miles 16,711

Doctor miles:        38,142

Fuel used:            8,266.2 Gallons

Total Activities:   17,865 miles

Total Doctors:     43,357 miles

Total Combined: 61,222 miles

Total fuel used:   9,269.0 gallons