Harrogate

Organist, George Wesner, from Radio City Music Hall came to Harrogate this past week.  Over 125 of the lucky folks who call Harrogate home enjoyed a concert in our Clark Auditorium.  George played music from “Phantom of the Opera”, “Rhapsody in Blue”, “The King and I”,  “South Pacific”,  and “The Sound of Music”.  The crowd was completely wowed when this talented musician asked if there were any requests… a lovely lady asked him to play his favorite song.    George thought a moment, walked from the organ to the piano and began to play “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” with one finger.  To  the  surprise and delight of the audience, he then went into a full melodious, personal rendition of the song that brought pure joy and goose bumps to everyone!

From:       Joan Suter, Apartment B135 at Harrogate 

To:            Mr. Don Johansen, Executive Administrator Harrogate

Dear Mr. Johansen:

Once again, I was in need of help and Luke Tarandola appeared.  This time it was about 10 am rather than 3 am, as at Thanksgiving (remember?).  I volunteer with Caregivers of Central Jersey and was on my way to pick up a lady to take to the hospital for chemotherapy.    While trying to connect my seat belt, I hit the curb on Locust Street, right in front of Harrogate, and blew out a tire.  A nice gentleman on a bicycle saw it happen, so he rushed over and said he’d change it for me.  I had already started to call AAA, so I accepted his offer and cancelled AAA.  I also called the lady I was to pick up and asked her to call Caregivers.  The man and I got out the spare tire and jack and he went to work with perspiration streaming down his face.  Very quickly the jack bent and became useless.  Several residents stopped to offer to help, but no jack.  Then along came Luke (our Security Guard)!  He called Harrogate looking for a jack.  One of our drivers appeared with the jack and things began to happen.  Luke also did his best to keep us all out of the street and at one time I saw him under my car.  Joe Kamsar, Harrogate resident, came along and said I would need to get air in the tire right away, so once it was on the car, he accompanied me to the Exxon station and after several starts, we accomplished our mission.  Once home, I called my lady and Caregivers.  Everything had been handled gracefully.

I know that at least 4 Harrogate employees were involved in my saga, but I was so upset, I have forgotten all the ins and outs.  At any rate, I will be eternally grateful to Harrogate and its employees.

Sincerely,

Joan Suter

Our Dining Services Department recently conducted a “Flavors of Harrogate” Recipe Contest.  Favorite recipes of the people who make Harrogate their home were prepared by our chefs, placed on the menu as specials and a vote ensued.  Our Blog photo shows the winners and runners up… 

• Soup Category:   Lee Calabro -Tortellini Soup
• Salad Category:  Charlotte Kuttner - Sensational Salad
• Entree Category:  Constance Houle - Best Tasting Lamb
• Side Dish Category:  Marie Bradley - Sweet & Sour Onions
• Dessert Category:  Evelyn Artale - Marsala Cake

…. and the 2010 Grand Prize Winner was Constance Houle when her recipe for lamb chops was voted the “best lamb ever!”

Our Chef Joe Alonzo, along with a group of about twenty of the fun people who call Harrogate “home”, have been working on a project off site… they have been making Harrogate’s very own wine!  Not only did they crush the grapes, make the mixture and seal it away in its barrel… this past week they bottled and labeled about 20 cases.  This red wine has a soft, mellow taste with a hint of sweetness.  Another Harrogate endeavor that was truly a labor of love to be enjoyed by many in the months to come!!!

We meet so many interesting people here at Harrogate, not only the people who make Harrogate their home; but those looking into LifeCare living for themselves or family. 

Recently, Gail Paul, of Berkley Township, came for a tour of Harrogate.  Gail was researching retirement options for her parents who live nearby.  She had been to so many Continuing Care Retirement Communities, but none, she said, could compare to Harrogate!  Gail said she learned more during her visit here than in all of her other tours combined; and that she told her husband when she got home “Someday, WE are going to live there!!”  On a scale from one to ten, Gail would “…give Harrogate an eleven!!”   Walking into our bright, airy and elegant lobby, Gail felt right at home and when she saw the apartment homes, she was “blown away” by the upgrades and beauty of every style she saw.

After 22 years of being in the heart of it all… we now are home to second generations of Harrogate family!    Hopefully, one day, Gail Paul will also be second generation!!

Based on the results of our most recent survey, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has awarded Harrogate an across the board five star rating!    This Overall Quality Rating is based on its ratings for Health Inspections, Quality Measures and Staffing.  Ratings for each domain and the overall rating range from one star to five stars, with more stars indicating the highest quality.   Of 359 nursing homes in the State of New Jersey, Harrogate is one of only two to receive five stars across the board!!

On June 1, 2010, Harrogate received a congratulatory letter from the State Department of Health and Senior Services stating:

“Congratulations on successfully completing the advisory standards survey conducted at your facility on May 13, 2010. I am pleased to enclose a report of the findings.

As you know, advisory standards represent ways that facilities can strive to go beyond the minimum requirements to provide their residents with excellent care.  We appreciate your efforts to provide your residents with a high quality environment, and we hope our recognition of this effort is helpful to you in continuing to achieve a high standard of care in your facility…..”

Licensing standards for New Jersey nursing homes include both mandatory standards, which facilities must meet, and advisory standards, which are optional and voluntary.  Compliance with Advisory standards represents a commitment by a nursing home to exceed minimum requirements in the provision of services to its residents.  A facility claiming to meet advisory standards self-reports its alleged compliance to the Department.  A random sampling of that information is inspected by the Department’s surveyors during regular nursing home inspections.  Any facility that proves to be in compliance with at least 90% of the randomly selected standards are credited with overall advisory standards compliance.

Clyde Sutton, Harrogate’s Associate Executive Director and Nursing Home Administrator credits his strong team in achieving this monumental accomplishment.  Rose Ann Woronkewycz, Director of Nursing and Mary O’Hara, Assistance Director of Nursing are exceptionally proud of this survey because, for the tenth year running Harrogate has also complied with Advisory Standards.  These Advisory Standards are more rigorous than the usual State and Federal standards on which all nursing homes, across the country, are surveyed.  Along with this outstanding inspection, Harrogate is proud of its overall Five Star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in Washington, DC.

Fitch Ratings, a global rating agency that provides independent opinions, research and data to the world’s credit markets, has rated Harrogate Incorporated, Ocean County, New Jersey, an upgraded BBB- investment with a Stable Outlook for the future. Harrogate is a LifeCare community serving adults ages 62 and over, since 1988. Fitch ratings is based on several factors, including Harrogate’s 335 days of operating cash on hand, its low debt position, and Harrogate’s ability to implement effective controls in the current soft economy.

According to Ziegler Capital Markets research, only 19% of the 1,850 communities nationwide have their debt rated by either Fitch Ratings or Standard & Poor’s.

May 2010

Spring is in the air at Harrogate, a beautiful “Front Porch Neighborhood” designed for mature adults in the heart of Ocean County, New Jersey, the home of the “Jersey Shore”. Our 275 thoughtfully designed apartment homes are located on 47 private, wooded acres. The landscaping is lush with mature trees, flowers and shrubs. As you can see, one of our weeping cherry trees is displaying its splendor for our residents to enjoy. It is located right outside of our dining room and provides a beautiful backdrop for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Please check back often, as we will be talking about Harrogate and the many activities, community events, lectures and programs offered. Of course, it is difficult to paint a picture of the wonderful lifestyle at Harrogate, but stay tuned, we will do our best to present an informative and captivating canvas.

 Harrogate is pleased to introduce our new “Blog”!  Please bookmark us and check back often for updates as we introduce you to LifeCare Living at its Very Best…. Harrogate!