Business View - October 2015 151
Sawatzky: “The selling points at Chinook are the care we
take for the residents right from walking in the door. We
give them free meal tickets because we want them to
try the meals here. We have a tremendous reputation
in the community for our kitchen and our cooks and the
type of food that they put out. We have a full-time Rec-
reation Therapist, a Registered Nurse, Licensed Nurse
Practitioners, healthcare aides - we want to take care of
the residents and look after them in all capacities. Car-
ing and taking time is really important.” Sawatzky is also
quick to point out the benefits of Chinook Village’s prime
locale: “Medicine Hat is actually one of the warmest and
sunniest places in Western Canada. For seniors, that’s a
huge attraction. We attract from two different provinces
– Saskatchewan and Alberta - because of our location.
Sometimes the waiting list has been as long as two years
to get into Chinook.”
Kerr: “It takes special people to work with seniors . We
have a core group of Licensed Practical Nurses, who are
professionally trained; they’re very committed to our resi-
dents. We hear that every day from families and the resi-
dents. I think they are one of our biggest assets. I like the
way they treat our residents. We also have a very good
recreation department and activities for the residents on
a daily basis. And we have our own chaplain, here.”
Sawatzky also emphasizes the value of the Village’s
100-member staff: “As people come into our facility, they
say ‘This is the friendliest staff to work with!’ And many
people on staff say that this is like being part of a fam-
ily. When you have that kind of approach from your staff,
it rubs off on how you treat residents and how the resi-
dents feel about being here. We work where they live and
they live where we work. There’s open communication
and good rapport among people. It really does go a long
way towards setting us apart as a facility.”
As Chinook Village contemplates its future, it can be
confident that its 20-plus years of resident-focused care
and concern, combined with its exquisite amenities and
varied menu of leisure activities, has already ensured its
reputation as one of Alberta’s finest and most successful
over-50, senior communities.
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