For the third time in seven years, a south Alabama skilled nursing center has achieved the highest possible rating on its annual inspection.
Evergreen Nursing Home earned a “deficiency free” health survey in October to go along with perfect scores in 2009 and 2012.
“It’s a great accomplishment, a validation that your staff does a great job on a daily basis and recognizes the hard work we do all year long,” Evergreen Nursing Home Administrator Kimberly Bush said.
Evergreen Nursing Home resident Mamie Stallworth and Activity Director Rosie Williams.
The annual inspections are conducted by a team of inspectors from the Alabama Department of Public Health. The nursing home does not know when the inspection will take place because the team arrives unannounced. The team spends several days reviewing all aspects of the nursing home’s operation and the care provided to residents. A nursing home is said to be “deficiency free” if it meets all of the more than 140 criteria outlined by the federal government.
“It’s a very comprehensive survey so that makes it stressful,” Bush said. “They look at all aspects of care from the dietary department to housekeeping to nursing and nursing assistants. They look through your charts. They observe the care you provide to residents. They also interview your residents to find out about the care that you provide. They will call family members and meet with family members to get their feedback as to the care you provide.”
While the inspection is stressful, the high level of government oversight gives the families of nursing home residents peace of mind.
“It should be a great sense of comfort that we’re surveyed as often as we are,” Bush said. “A lot of other health care providers are not as intensively surveyed as we are, and they’re not as frequently surveyed as we are. My mother lives here and other staff members have family living at this nursing home, so we know both sides of it. If I did not work here, it would be a great comfort to know the nursing home is as thoroughly inspected as it is.”
According to Bush, much of Evergreen Nursing Home’s success is directly related to its 90 employees.
Entrance to Evergreen Nursing Home.
“The surveyors recognized how well trained and knowledgeable our staff are, but they could also tell how much they love the residents and how much the residents felt loved,” Bush said.
About Evergreen Nursing Home:
Evergreen Nursing Home is a 61-bed skilled nursing care center located in Evergreen. Kimberly Bush is the Administrator and Liz McCaskill is the Director of Nursing. The center offers speech, physical and occupational therapy along with long-term health care services.
