Weekly Update March 29, 2024
March 29, 2024
To: Solheim Employees, Residents, Family Members and Stakeholders
From: Sam Oden, CEO of Solheim Senior Community
This week, faith communities everywhere are observing Holy Week and Passover. For Christians, the Easter story reminds us that death is not the end, and that there is still tremendous joy and hope even after suffering. For the descendants of the Hebrews, Passover remains an important story of liberation and promise. And for secular folks, this is always the sheer beautiful season of the natural world, which is returning to life and inviting us to shake off the cold of Winter. A family member of a resident recently mentioned to me that this is his favorite time of year – a time for new beginnings and fresh starts! Indeed, I think for all of us, there is somehow about this time which leaves us feeling rejuvenated and motivated to make our lives, and the world, a better place. Regardless of your beliefs, I hope that you all have an opportunity to enjoy the goodness of this Season!
I am thrilled to announce yet another exceptional milestone that Solheim Senior Community has achieved - our Skilled Nursing Facility has earned a “5-star rating” based on our 2023 performance outcomes. This rating, administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), places Solheim among the top echelon of skilled nursing facilities nationwide (top 10%). It is a testament to the dedication, skill, and compassionate care provided by our staff, aligning seamlessly with our mission to offer abundant living for older adults in a caring faith-based community filled with love, peace, dignity, and security.
Achieving a 5-star rating is a challenging endeavor – reflecting measurable excellence across multiple dimensions of care, including health inspections, staffing levels, and quality measures. Only a select group of facilities ever meet the rigorous standards required to attain this level of recognition. Thank you all for your ongoing support and commitment to Solheim. Together, we can and will continue to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our residents and their families and friends.
It is also my pleasure to announce that our new Dining Director, Perry Burge will be joining our Solheim team starting Monday April 1st! Perry has over 20 years of experience in the dining services field, and we are excited to have him join our team. During his first week with us we will be helping him get acclimated with our Solheim family, so please help us welcome him with a friendly greeting when you meet him!
For the last couple months, our USC Occupational Therapy students have also been joining us here at Solheim -- and I’m sad to say that next week is their last week. We will have farewells all week for the students, and please be sure to share your well wishes with them throughout the week.
Yesterday, a group of residents went to the downtown flower market to pick out beautiful flowers for our Easter event this Sunday. Next Tuesday, April 2nd, we will be heading to Descanso gardens to see the 30,000 tulips in full bloom! Be sure to sign up to join us! We’re also gearing up for a SUN-sational social to view the solar Eclipse on Monday April 8th. Finally, April is “National Volunteer Month,” and we will be honoring our volunteers on Thursday April 25th.
Masks are strongly recommended for visitors. Staff who are not vaccinated with both the influenza and COVID -19 vaccines for 2023- 2024 winter season are still required to wear a mask in the Health Center/ Skilled Nursing campus. Masks will be provided at the Front Desk. All Solheim visitors and staff members must continue to conduct self-screening for symptoms of possible COVID-19 infection prior to entry.
If you have any specific questions, please direct them to Tina Antypas at 323 257-7518 X225 or tantypas@solheimsenior.org.