Kind words on a piece of paper turned into an award recognized nationwide. Avamere at Wenatchee received the 2019 Best of Senior Living award from SeniorAdvisor.com.
Residents at the community wrote down their stories and shared them with employees, who asked if they would share their touching comments on SeniorAdvisor.com.
All thanks to resident love
Deidre Galloway, Community Relations Director at Avamere at Wenatchee, believes it was these glowing reviews that helped them receive the honorable title of the Best of Senior Living.
“It’s our residents that won this award,” Deidre said. “They make us want to be the family that we are here at Avamere.”
Staff have created this culture of family at Avamere at Wenatchee. They strive to treat each resident as their own family.
“We’re a family,” Deidre said. “The residents, the staff, we’re just a giant family.”
Part of what makes their community a family is the bond the staff and residents share with one another. Avamere at Wenatchee has a welcoming committee of residents who deliver welcome baskets to new residents, invite them to meals and activities, and develop relationships.
These baskets come in four different themes: coffee, juice, tea, and wine. They choose the basket based on the resident’s personal preference. Inside is a mug or wine glass (depending on the basket theme), lip balm, a watering can, and Aplets & Cotlets candy, donated by Liberty Orchards in Cashmere, Washington.
The welcoming committee continues to grow as residents who get settled want to get involved. It’s their opportunity to give back, Deidre said.
Creating fun at Avamere at Wenatchee
The staff host many events to create a fun social environment for their residents. They hold carnivals, a Renaissance fair, and casino nights (just to name a few). Casino night is a free event complete with rented casino tables. Residents earn chips throughout the night, which go towards tickets for a prize drawing.
They have held one casino night to the theme Great Gatsby. It was such a hit that the residents asked for more! Deidre plans to plan more casino nights with hopes to hold it twice a year.
With about 27 residents who are veterans, Avamere at Wenatchee staff go all out for Veteran’s Day. They donate to the Honor Flight Network to send vets to Washington D.C. to see their memorials. And this Veteran’s Day, they’re unveiling a mural in honor of veterans.
They also get the local community involved! The Renaissance fair is open to the public, and they hold an annual Easter egg hunt with surrounding schools.
Deidre leads the events and truly cares about putting a smile on each resident’s face.
“I want to give them everything that’s possible so they’re happy,” Deidre said.
These activities are all part of keeping residents engaged.
“An active body and an active mind will keep us going for a long time,” Deidre tells potential residents and families when she gives them tours.
About the award
SeniorAdvisor.com is one of the largest ratings and reviews site for senior care and services in North America and Canada.
This is their sixth year choosing the Best of Senior Living awards. The winners represent the best of in-home care, assisted living, and other senior living providers based on online reviews by seniors and their families. This exclusive designation honors the top two percent of senior care providers across the United States and Canada.
To qualify for the award, care providers must have maintained an average overall rating of at least 4.5 stars while receiving four or more new reviews in 2018.
Avamere at Wenatchee is proud to be considered one of the best in senior living.