Residents and patients who live at The Orchard are enjoying the nursing facility’s new exercise program. Many of the participants think it’s fun.
What they may not know is it’s actually a creative strategy to tackle falls, a serious safety issue that affects older adults across the country.
“A fall can be devastating at this stage,” said Orchard Administrator Pam Doshier. “This is a very focused program that gets to the root of the problem, geriatric balance, by strengthening the core, quads and glutes.”
The Orchard was recently recognized for its efforts with a Bronze – Commitment to Quality Award. It’s the second Riverside facility to win this distinction. The Gardens at Warwick Forest became the first nursing facility on the Peninsula to win the Bronze Award in 2015.
“This represents a year of hard work on the part of our whole team,” Doshier said.
The Bronze Award is given by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, which represents more than 13,000 facilities nationwide. The awards program has three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Facilities begin at the Bronze level by demonstrating an ability to implement a performance improvement system.
As a recipient of the Bronze Award, The Orchard can now move forward in developing approaches and achieving performance levels that meet the criteria for the Silver – Achievement in Quality Award.
“I applaud the women and men of The Orchard for their commitment to improve quality care,” said the Christine Boldt, chair of the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Board of Overseers. “I encourage The Orchard to continue their quality journey.”