By Rick Banas of BMA Management, Ltd.
The start of a new year provides the perfect opportunity to reflect on all that we were able to accomplish in the previous year.
Here are a few of our highlights:
- National Leader
- Hero Award
- In ALFA’s “Best of the Best” Spotlight
- 100% Occupancy
- Outstanding Caregiver
- Honoring Excellence
- New Memory Care Community Opens
- 10th Anniversary Celebrations
- Best of Senior Living
- Bowling and Trivia Contest Trophy Winners
- New Community Coming to Chicago
- Assisted and Senior Living Conference Speakers
BMA Management continued to rank as the 16th largest provider of assisted living in the country, according to information published in Senior Living Executive & Provider magazines. We rank as the national leader in developing and operating affordable assisted living communities.
In 2014, we served nearly 5,000 residents in the assisted living, senior living and memory care communities that we operate.
Elizabeth (Beth) Dreas, a cook at Heritage Woods of Centralia, was honored by the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) with a 2014 Hero Award. The award recognizes individuals who are ideal representatives of the hundreds of thousands of people who serve in senior living communities. Beth was one of only five individuals to be honored by ALFA at its 2014 national conference in Phoenix, Arizona.
ALFA placed BMA Management in the spotlight in its 2014 “Best of the Best” awards program for the Managed Care Quality Measurement Compliance and Automation technology program that BMA developed in partnership with Caremerge of Chicago.
Three more BMA communities hit the 100% occupancy mark for the first time during 2014. They were Grand Prairie of Macomb, Heritage Woods of Gurnee and Heritage Woods of Huntley.
Overall, average occupancy of our nearly 3,600 assisted living, senior living and memory care homes and apartments increased by more than 3% in 2014.
Cathy Dickerson, who has been cooking and caring for residents of Heritage Woods of Flora for the past ten years, was honored with the Outstanding Caregivers Award at the 2014 Illinois Governor’s Conference. The award is presented by the Illinois Department on Aging and the Affordable Assisted Living Coalition to a direct care worker over the age of 55 who serves seniors in Illinois seniors housing.
Two front-line staff members at affordable assisted living communities that BMA operates and a BMA Management staff member received 2014 Honoring Excellence Awards from Leading Age Illinois (formerly Life Services Network).
Bonnie Miller, a housekeeper at Heritage Woods of Charleston, was a recipient of the Rising Star Award. The award honors individuals who demonstrate an extraordinary performance during their first 12 months of employment. Recipients demonstrate a strong work ethic, commitment, initiative, leadership and the ability to be a team player. They routinely go above and beyond what is expected.
Roy Pfingsten, Director of Maintenance for BMA Management (shown right with Resident Willie Knowles), was honored with the Hearts and Hands Award. The award recognizes individuals who embrace person-centered care and service through efforts that go above and beyond the scope of their positions. Recipients recognize opportunities to create personalized experiences for residents and act on those opportunities to enhance their quality of life.
Rita Richter, a staff nurse at Cambridge House of Maryville, was presented with the 2014 Strive and Thrive Award. The award recognizes individuals who are committed to excellence and use innovative, creative thinking to benefit residents.
In November, BMA opened White Oaks at Spring Street, a Memory Care community designed to serve older adults with Alzheimer’s and related dementia. Located in South Elgin, Illinois, the community houses 30 private apartments. The focus is on purpose and belonging through all the stages of dementia.
Four affordable assisted living communities managed by BMA Management celebrated their 10th Anniversaries this past year. The communities are Churchview Supportive Living in Chicago, Heritage Woods of Benton, Heritage Woods of Watseka, and Prairie Living at Chautauqua in Carbondale, Illinois.
BMA was selected as a Finalist in two categories in the SeniorHomes.com 2014 Best Senior Living Awards contest. The categories were Best Blogs by Organizations and Social Media Rockstars – Organizations.
A team of residents from Heritage Woods of Charleston finished in 3rd Place and a team from Heritage Woods of Bolingbrook brought home the 4th Place Trophy in the statewide 2014 Wii Bowling contest sponsored by the Affordable Assisted Living Coalition (AALC). A team of residents from Cambridge House of Maryville garnered 4th Place in the 2014 AALC Trivia contest.
BMA began taking reservations for a new affordable assisted living community that is being developed in Chicago. The New City Supportive Living community is scheduled being developed in a historic Goldblatt’s building on S. Ashland Ave.
Representatives of BMA Management spoke at a variety of national and state conferences in 2014, including the Assisted Living Federation of America’s Annual Conference, the Aging in America Annual Conference, the Leading Age Illinois Annual Conference, and the California Assisted Living Association’s Fall Conference.
All affordable assisted living communities managed by BMA Management, Ltd. are certified and surveyed by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. All assisted living communities are licensed and surveyed by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
“BMA Management, Ltd. is the leading provider of assisted living in Illinois
and one of the 20 largest providers of assisted living in the United States.”
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