Restorium earns Silver Award
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January 26, 2013 |
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Community
Restorium administrator Karlene Magee
(left) and assistant administrator Jeri
Witt proudly display the recently earned
Silver Star award. |
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One day in mid-September, a team of inspectors
from the Idaho Health and Welfare Department's
Bureau of Facility Standards showed up
unannounced at the Community Restorium to embark
on one of the most thorough inspections required
of state assisted living facilities.
Not long after they began, another inspector,
this one from the Idaho State Fire Marshal's
Office, showed up, likewise unannounced.
"That was a hectic day!" said assistant
administrator Jeri Witt without a trace of
irony.
The fire marshal's inspection went fairly
quickly and the Restorium passed with flying
colors. But inspectors from the Bureau of
Facility Standards stayed two more days, poking
into nooks and crannies, talking to Restorium
residents, examining records.
When that ordeal was finally over, Restorium
administrator Karlene Magee breathed a sigh of
relief, knowing she and her staff had passed,
but not yet knowing just how well.
"It was a very thorough inspection," she said,
"and if they find any major problems, you have
to fix it on the spot. They didn't find any,
just a couple of small things that we were able
to take care of easily."
A few weeks later, an Idaho Health and Welfare
official returned, not to do any follow up, but
to present Karlene and the Restorium staff with
a rare feat of excellence, their Silver Award
certificate of recognition for doing so well.
"These are pretty rare," Karlene said. "To earn
one, a facility that undergoes this inspection
can only get three or fewer citations. The
average number found is 15, sometimes as many as
30 or more. And they look at everything, patient
records, medical records, cleanliness, food
service. They talk to several of the residents
to make sure they're being treated well and to
see if they have any complaints. Because it's
unannounced, you can't prepare ... you just have
to be ready all the time. We were praised on our
cleanliness, and there were no complaints from
residents."
The Community Restorium received two citations,
both, as mentioned, minor and easily fixed.
Still, Karlene had to fill out the reports,
documenting the correction and assuring, to the
state's satisfaction, that steps had been
implemented to prevent recurrence of the
problem.
Much of the credit, assistant administrator Jeri
Witt said, lie in Karlene's diligence in keeping
up to date on ever changing rules and
implementing programs and policies so that the
Community Restorium is in constant compliance.
Karlene credited the accomplishment as the
result of everybody; administration, staff and
the Restorium Board, working together as a team
to ensure that those they are there to serve,
the Restorium residents, receive only their very
best.
She takes it a step further, too, praising the
500-plus members of the Friends of the
Restorium, who, she said, work hard and do so
much to keep the facility in top shape.
"We couldn't do it without them," she said. "We
are grateful for everything they do. We're all
very proud of this award."
To find out how you can be part of the Friends
of the Restorium, visit
http://www.boundarycountyid.org/friendsoftherestorium/index.htm. |
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