February 27, 2024
Dear Village Families and Residents,
With 2024 well underway, I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on important plans for The Village in the upcoming year.
Recently, as many of you may have heard, The Dominican Sisters announced they will be closing the Akron Motherhouse this year. Our thoughts are with the Sisters who will transition from their current residence as part of this process. The Village family is especially saddened by the news as Sr. Marilyn, who has loyally served the Village and its residents for nearly 10 years, will be impacted by the impending transition. Her service over the years has been a true blessing to the Village.
Sixty years ago, The Village was brought about by the work of the Dominican Sisters and ever since the Dominican presence has filled our communities. As we have entered the Lenten Season, we are each reminded of the importance of reflecting on God’s presence in us and deepening our relationship with Him. As an organization, we are also called to action and aware of our responsibility to ensure that we continue the work of the Dominican Sisters providing for the spiritual needs of residents.
Our team is working to recruit additional Spiritual Care personnel, who will work with Father Stock, Father Sal and Deacon Adair. Sr. Marilyn has graciously communicated that she will be staying with us through Easter. We will be holding gatherings at both the Wadsworth and Green Communities to express our thanks for her work and wish her well on her next journey. Further information will be available at each Community as plans are finalized.
The Village continues to focus on efforts to improve the services within our Communities as our top priority is always the quality of care for our residents. Though labor challenges in prior years required the temporary use of contracted agency staffing, the Village’s staffing and recruitment efforts have successfully reduced the need for agency services. Agency staff may be used occasionally to ensure proper staffing levels, but we are committed to working to minimize that use as we know that our Village staff is best equipped to provide care consistent with our mission and values.
VillageLIFE has been working on exciting events for the upcoming year to provide residents with unique opportunities for engagement. Additionally, our Volunteer Program continues to welcome community and student volunteers who help with existing programs and new activities.
We have also focused efforts on continued capital investment at our Fairlawn Campus as we know that we have been challenged by aging systems. Notably, we recognize that the elevators throughout our campus have been troubling to many residents and visitors. Through work with an outside consultant with significant experience, we have selected a contractor for the replacement of the Independent Living Elevators which will begin later this year as equipment becomes available. The part that was required to repair the Assisted Living elevator has been installed and the elevator is back in service. Repair of the Nursing Care elevator is currently being completed. The Assisted Living elevator is expected to be modernized with updated mechanical systems in 2025. We are thankful for the Fairlawn Fire Department, who has been actively involved to ensure the safety of Residents is maintained for emergency transport.
The focus on our Strategic Vision, which centers around our commitment to remain an independent faith-based senior living provider with an emphasis on quality, also remains an important piece of our future. Underlying that vision is the principle that The Village is strengthened through a strong presence in the local area providing a full range of options for older adults. We have all heard a great deal in our surrounding communities of sales, mergers, and acquisitions of both for-profit and not-for-profit senior living organizations. We want to assure you that our growth over the past years, and continued focus on the future, will ensure our legacy and secure our future for years to come.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me or any of our management team with questions.
Sincerely,
Danielle Maur
President and CEO
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