The Tillers Nursing and Rehabilitation Center sponsored their annual Trick-or-Treating event on Halloween and once again had an amazing turn out from the families in our community.  The Tillers has been hosting this safe Halloween for ten years and the event has grown each year with almost 600 people in attendance.   

There are typically about 30 residents that participate and hand out over 20,000 pieces of candy and small toys to the children that attend. According to Julie Dean, Director of Activity Therapy, “This is an event we love to do because it is a great service opportunity for our local families to brighten the day of our residents.  It does my heart good to see our residents who are normally in so much pain with a smile on their face when they see the children in their costumes.  Plus, it is a safe environment for their children to experience trick-or- treating and go home with a bag of goodies as well!” 

Special thanks to ALC Home Health, Bickford Senior Living, Harbor Light Hospice, Orbit Medical, and Newsome Home Health for sponsoring our event and donating candy to this event.  

The Tillers Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Celebrates Five Star Rating with Local Seniors

Earlier this summer The Tillers Nursing and Rehabilitation Center received the highest ranking of five out of five stars overall by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.  What better way to celebrate this accomplishment then with the area seniors who they serve on a daily basis.  The Tillers hosted over 180 local seniors for a party offering a free lunch and entertainment by Ethan Bell and Woody James. 

It was a wonderful turnout from many senior groups including the Oswego Senior Center, Friendly Center in Aurora, and the Senior Services from Yorkville and Aurora.  The seniors were served a tasty barbeque lunch with a Culver’s root beer float to top it off.  Many thanks to the vendors present who lent a helping hand and offered raffle baskets as prizes to seniors who attended.  Over 40 seniors walked away with a raffle prize offered by ALC Home Health, A Place for Mom, Bickford Senior Living, Fitzsimmons Hospital Services, Harbor Chase, Heritage Woods of Yorkville, Newsome Home Health, On Site R.T., Orbit Medical, Plum Landing, and Willow Home Health.  Special thanks to The Friendly Center for helping sponsor the entertainment as well.  

THE TILLERS NURSING & REHABILITATION CENTER

AWARDED ACCREDITATION AND CERTIFICATION FROM JOINT COMMISSION

The Tillers Nursing & Rehabilitation Center of Oswego, IL has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval^® for accreditation and certification by demonstrating compliance with national standards for advanced post-acute care services, health care quality, and patient and resident safety in nursing homes. The accreditation and certification awards recognize The Tillers’ dedication to continuous compliance with The Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art standards.

The Tillers Nursing & Rehabilitation underwent a rigorous on-site survey in July to obtain The Joint Commission’s Nursing Care Center accreditation and Post-Acute Care certification option. The Joint Commission expert surveyor evaluated The Tillers for compliance with standards of care for post-acute care services as well as those specific to the needs of all patients and residents, including infection prevention and control, leadership, and medication management.

"In achieving Joint Commission accreditation and certification, The Tillers has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its patients and residents that goes beyond federal and state requirements," says Gina Zimmermann, M.S., executive director, Nursing Care Center Accreditation, The Joint Commission. “Accreditation and certification are voluntary processes and I commend The Tillers for successfully undertaking both of these challenges to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves.”

The Joint Commission's Nursing Care Center accreditation program, formerly the Long Term Care accreditation program, was established in 1966 and accredits nearly 1,000 organizations offering nursing and post-acute care services. The Post-Acute Care Certification option became available as part of the Nursing Care Center accreditation program in July 2013. The Joint Commission’s standards address important functions relating to the care of patients and residents and the management of nursing and rehabilitation centers. The standards are developed in consultation with industry experts, providers, measurement experts and consumers.

"With Joint Commission accreditation and certification, we are making a significant investment in quality on a day-to-day basis from the top down. The Joint Commission provides us a framework to take our organization to the next level and helps create a culture of excellence,” says Robert Saxon, Administrator of The Tillers.  “Achieving Joint Commission accreditation and certification, for our organization, is a major commitment to maintain excellence and continually improve the care we provide.”

The Tillers Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Recognized by CMS as Five Star Facility

The Tillers Nursing and Rehabilitation Center has received the highest ranking of five out of five stars overall by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services making it the only rehabilitation facility in Kendall and Kane County to receive this award.      

The data behind Nursing Home Compare is a website run by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.  CMS sets and enforces standards for facilities that are enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid and define nursing homes as any facility that provides 24-hour care and other medical services.  The agency also collects information from states and individual facilities in order to assign a rating of one to five stars in each of the three categories: health inspections, nurse staffing, and quality of care.

An estimated 3.3 million Americans lived in nursing homes in 2013, which translates to 1 in 7 people ages 65 and up. CMS makes this information available on their website so families can find the best possible care for themselves or loved ones at facilities like The Tillers Nursing and Rehabilitation. To find out why The Tillers is rated the best facility in Kane and Kendall county and how they compare to other facilities in the area, you can find it at www.medicare.gov. 

“The Tillers will strive to continue the exceptional quality of care our community has grown to expect from us over the years”, said Bob Saxon, administrator.  “It is an honor for The Tillers to be recognized once again and it remains a privilege to care for the residents in our area.” 

Tillers Introduces Pathway of Care Program

The Tillers Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is proud to announce their new Pathway of Care program that is specifically designed to help patients prevent a return visit to the hospital.  The program is aimed at managing patients at a skilled nursing level who find themselves unable to cope at home and prevent both the hospital and the patient unnecessary emergency room expenses and hospital visits.   With the ever changing healthcare environment, The Tillers is working with area hospitals and residents in the local community to facilitate a streamlined process to admit to Tillers from home or the hospital emergency room for a short term rehabilitation stay utilizing their Medicare benefits.  The Pathway of Care program targets, but is not limited to those patients who suffer from chronic health conditions and would benefit from The Tillers’ Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programs.

Medicare offers patients a continued benefit period for 30 days from the day of discharge after a skilled rehabilitation stay, or an inpatient stay at the hospital for at least three consecutive midnights.  According to Doris Rex, Director of Nursing at The Tillers, “Often times a patient’s condition may change or decline once they have left the hospital.  Our goal with the Pathway of Care is to offer patients the extra help that they need to become stronger and return safely to home without readmitting to the hospital.” 

The Tillers Nursing and Rehabilitation is able to accept admissions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Rehabilitation services at The Tillers include physical, occupational, and speech therapies, as well as programs for wound care, cardiac, pulmonary, vision and joint replacement.  If you or a loved one may be a candidate for this program, call 630-554-1001 and follow your Pathway of Care at The Tillers Nursing and Rehabilitation Center today!  

New Wound Care Specialist Joins Tillers

William Asihene, MD, PhD, has joined The Tillers Nursing and Rehabilitation Center as our Wound Care Specialist. 

         Dr. Asihene has over 17 years of experience as a general surgeon, and is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.  He received his medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, and his PhD in Biochemistry from Howard University, Washington, DC.  Dr. Asihene is currently affiliated with the Kish Health Physician Group and joined the Valley West team in 2012. 

          Dr. Asihene will be working directly with Pam Davis, Assistant Director of Nursing, and will be will be rounding on a weekly basis to manage wounds and work with families in outlining realistic recovery goals.  According to Pam, “Dr. Asihene brings expertise to our wound care program, which translates into better patient outcomes.  He will provide our staff with ongoing education and be an excellent resource for best practice in wound care.  We have been thrilled to see the decrease in wound healing times with weekly physician oversight.”

          By joining The Tillers Nursing and Rehabilitation, Dr. Asihene will bring a wealth of knowledge that will complement the wound care efforts provided to our patients.  The Tillers has been family owned for over 40 years and known for exceptional care for the residents in the community.  At The Tillers, we continue to prove our reputation with the addition of experts and programs that enhance the care of our patients as if they were one of our own families.     

          According to Mr. Robert Saxon, Owner and Administrator of The Tillers, “With the addition of Dr. Asihene, our staff will be better educated in wound management and prevention, and therefore continue our ability to care for more complicated patients that would ordinarily have to remain or return to the hospital.  He will add to the excellent standard of care we provide to the adult and geriatric population that we serve in our community.”

TILLERS AT FOREFRONT OF VISION THERAPY FOR REHAB

            The Tillers Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is leading the industry in facilities with their newly added Vision Therapy Program.  Vision therapy is not a new concept, but it is very unique to the skilled nursing and rehabilitation setting and Tillers is the only facility in the area to offer this service to their patients.   

            Vision therapy works with patients that may have neurological disorders or trauma to the nervous system such as head injuries from a fall or stroke, and are experiencing a change or loss in their vision. Vision therapy trains the entire visual system which includes eyes, brain and body.  The goal of vision therapy is to improve visual fields, not just to compensate.  Therapy sessions include methods to retrain the brain’s ability to control eye teamwork, or binocularity, as well as the use of optical devices such as prisms or therapeutic lenses. 

            Dr. David Martin, O.D. oversees the Vision Therapy Program at The Tillers.  Dr. Martin graduated from the Illinois College of Optometry and received additional training in Vision Therapy and Vision Development at the Kansas Vision Development Center, the largest vision development center in the state of Kansas.

            Dr. Martin works in conjunction with two Occupational Therapists at The Tillers, Beverly Menniger and Kelly Frystak. Beverly and Kelly have specialized in vision therapy for eight years and provide consulting and education to support groups and families in the local area. According to Kelly, “When we are working with a patient, we are looking at the eyes because vision affects balance, activities of daily living, and can tell a lot about the way they are moving. Adding vision therapy to The Tillers has huge implications for improving rehabilitation potential in our patients.  Our vision is our dominant sense and guides every move we make.  When the vision is addressed sooner in the process, there is an increased ability for each patient

to improve mobility, self care, and rehab faster.”    Although the program is newly added to The Tillers Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, they have already seen results and success in the patients that have been followed by Dr. Martin and worked closely with Kelly and Beverly. 
            To learn more about the Vision Therapy Program at The Tillers Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Oswego, IL and how we can meet your rehabilitation needs, you can check us out on our their website www.thetillers.com.