Forward Thinking, Positive Living

By Alexander Germanis

There is a power to positivity. Positivity can affect your emotional and physical health. It can even turn defeat into victory. So strong is the very idea of positivity, motivational speaking and self-help books have built up an entire industry on the concept.

Part of being positive is being willing to adopt new ideas, adapt them to your unique situation, and use them to improve you and the world around you. Saxony Court Senior Living in East Peoria has adopted the power of positive thinking by becoming a ‘Yes’ community. They have proven, by being open to any new and innovative idea, they can adapt and grow as a community in order to make senior living the best way to live.

Say ‘Yes’ to Ideas

Embodying the essence of positivity is Saxony Court Assistant Executive Director Bailey Kemp. Her personal positive attitude is just a sample of what she says makes the overall company a great one for which to work. “What led me to working at Saxony Court Senior Living was the forward thinking of this company,” she shares. “The vision of our parent company, Accolade Healthcare, has always been to empower and support our team by giving them the necessary resources to complete their job.”

One such key resource is modern technology. By implementing the latest in technological advances in the senior healthcare industry, Saxony Court is not only able to stay competitive beyond simply offering good rates, but they are also able to provide better care for their seniors. “We are working to bring the technology used amongst our skilled nursing facilities into our assisted and independent living communities,” Bailey declares. “We have already made big strides with implementing use of an electronic health record and launching a new communication system, Vocera.”

While being a part of a massive conglomerate can provide access to many assets, there is something to be said for the in-person intimacy smaller companies, like Saxony Court, enjoy instead. For instance, Saxony Court’s leadership team and president are present on a weekly basis to listen to the ideas presented by their team.

Bailey’s voice has certainly been heard, as she will attest. “I came up with the slogan that we are a ‘Yes’ community because I truly value the ability to give families what they would want in their own home. Most recently I was able to pitch the idea of adding a patio to our lower-level units.”

Say ‘Yes’ to Activity

Executives and employees are not the only ones who provide great ideas for the benefit of all those who call Saxony Court home. The residents themselves contribute whenever they can, another testament to how it really is a ‘Yes’ community. Once a resident pitched the idea of adding a dog park, Bailey’s team moved it on up the chain where it was finally approved. “It really shows how invested we are into making Saxony Court Senior Living a home to all,” she says.

“Pets can be great companions and at Saxony Court Senior Living we understand they are a part of the family,” Bailey continues. “We are excited to be creating a dog park for our fur families and have another curated space for socializing. Pet therapy is one of the best remedies for loneliness, depression, and boredom.” This, of course, illustrates how Saxony Court is a pet-friendly community.

While the pet park is a new social space addition, it is far from the only place the residents can enjoy. Saxony Court also offers a large library with a computer lab, a beauty salon and barber shop, café, a social room, theater room, courtyard with a gazebo, an exercise room, an activity and craft room, a private dining room, and the Fellowship Hall.

Of course, no home is complete without a good meal. Saxony Court is happy to offer five-star meals in addition to a menu chocked full of favorites that are always available to the residents. There is no need to wait until designated mealtimes for a loaded hot dog, a healthy salad, a freshly cooked hamburger, or a light and crispy BLT.

Say ‘Yes’ to the Future

Although a senior living community may not be the first place one may think of as a home to high technology, Saxony Court is proud to disprove that notion. Embracing and integrating the latest technology into their community not only allows the staff to do their jobs better, but it also makes the community safer for the residents and provides more chances for them to socialize with each other.

The Connect Care Hero application is an activity app families can download to give them a chance to ‘check in’ on whatever activities their loved ones are participating in.

“Most recently we have installed ‘Telly’ with the assistance of Connect Care Hero,” Bailey explains. “Telly is a showstopper, as it is comprised of nine, 55-inch televisions to create an experience any resident can enjoy. Telly allows our residents to always have on-demand activities that are engaging or participate in ‘live’ activities that other communities are also a part of.”

Also implemented at Saxony Court Senior Living is the aforementioned Vocera Solutions. Launched at Saxony Court about a month ago, this system allows for two-way communications between resident and staff for expedited assistance.

Moe Freedman, President of Accolade Healthcare, explains the importance of implementing the Vocera system, stating, “Technology use and staff efficiency have been key points for senior care operators during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Vocera solution will allow our staff to focus on resident care while leaving call light productivity and accelerated communication to the wearable devices. Our residents are happy to hear Vocera solutions will assist in lowering response times, which will create better customer service outcomes.”

Say ‘Yes’ to Saxony Court

Saxony Court may be a senior living community, but it is important to remember it is also home. And no home is complete without the presence of family. “The family atmosphere is generated at Saxony Court by all the families that are here for activities, visits, and meals,” Bailey states.

Although it is a small company based in Central Illinois, Saxony Court is proud to be locally accessible to employees and families. With the addition of two new patios (and two new happy residents as well), they are also actively working on renovating some of the more outdated spaces, bringing the rest of their community in line with their policy of forward thinking. The overall goal is to make Saxony Court feel like the home it is meant to be.

“As soon as families step in for a tour, they have mentioned the environment is comfortable and a place they could call home,” Bailey confirms. “It is a very homey environment. Our community is not commercialized. The staff take extra care of residents and treat them as family.” If you or your loved one is looking for a new place to call home, a place where your ideas are valued as much as your health, a place of positivity and forward thinking, Bailey has the best suggestion: “We make it happen here at Saxony Court Senior Living.”

Saxony Court Senior Living is located at 500 Centennial Drive in East Peoria, Illinois. If you would like to take a tour of our community, please give us a call at (309) 694-0022 or visit us on the web at www.saxonycourtsl.com. Saxony Court is an Accolade Healthcare company.