When first meeting nursing director Marianne Wohler and nursing home administrator Jeff Krutzsch, their passion for serving with a smile and providing peace of mind to those receiving skilled nursing care at The Village at Valle Verde, a continuing-care retirement community in Santa Barbara, is evident. But those aren’t the only things that help make The Village’s program such a success.
The perfect combination of Wohler’s passion for people and Krutzsch’s detail-oriented style is a big reason why The Village is the only health center in Santa Barbara County to receive an overall five out of five-star quality rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The overall rating is based on separate ratings in the categories of health inspections, staffing and quality measures.
“It’s something that we’re very proud of because we take great satisfaction in providing our very best when serving our residents every day,” Wohler said. “Jeff and I work well together, and it’s something that trickles down to every team member in our program. We share a philosophy of being both inspirational and demanding, and view the residents we work with as family. Our goal is for them to get the most out of what we’re offering and live life to the fullest.”
The Village provides the active residents of Valle Verde the opportunity to receive daily medical care, if ever needed, and still enjoy the comforts of home, activities and amenities that promote happiness and well-being. It offers a full range of therapies, including physical, occupational, speech, respiratory and IV therapy, as well as memory care.
One of the areas where The Village’s team members excel is working with residents undergoing rehabilitation. Therapy is focused on range of motion, flexibility, gait and balance, and progress is carefully tracked.
“Residents typically see a 20 to 25 percent improvement in these areas,” Wohler said. “We feel it’s very important for both residents and their families to be able to see tangible evidence of what has been done, and what may be left to do. Meticulously tracking results provides a great yardstick for measuring improvement and is a great motivator for everyone involved. It’s just another example of how we’re constantly striving to offer the very best in therapies and techniques — something we’ll continue to do in all aspects of our programs to meet not only our high expectations, but the expectations of the valued residents we serve.”
Click here for more information about The Village and the Valle Verde way of life, or call 805.687.1571, or visit the campus at 900 Calle de los Amigos in Santa Barbara.
— Anne Bassett is a publicist.