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.

Our New Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h38VcxuTKDA&feature=plcp

Tillers is Recognized by U.S News & World Report in 2012 Best Nursing Homes

The Tillers Nursing and Rehabilitation Center has received a high ranking of five stars overall in U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Nursing Homes, released today. U.S. News’s Best Nursing Homes recognizes top-rated homes in all 50 states and offers important guidance to families and healthcare providers caring for people in need of a nursing home.

“More than 3 million Americans will spend part of 2012 in a nursing home, and trying to decide under pressure which one is best isn’t easy,” says Avery Comarow, Health Rankings Editor. “Top-rated nursing homes are worth considering and deserve special recognition.”

U.S. News’s evaluation of nursing homes is based on data from Nursing Home Compare, a consumer website run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The government agency sets and enforces standards for nursing homes (defined as facilities or portions of facilities enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid that provide 24-hour nursing care and other medical services). Homes earn an overall rating of one to five stars, as well as up to five stars in each of three underlying categories: health inspections, nurse staffing, and quality of care. U.S. News updates each nursing home’s ratings data quarterly.

Of more than 15,500 homes rated and profiled on the U.S. News website, The Tillers Nursing and Rehabilitation was among the fewer than 1 in 8 that received a five-star overall rating in all four quarters of 2011.

“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 for the third year in a row and a privilege to care for the residents in our area.”

We Celebrate Years of Service

Sharon French and Kelly Chandler, long time residents in the Oswego area, are no strangers to what it takes to make a successful team. Both Sharon and Kelly have worked together caring for the residents of The Tillers Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Oswego as Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) for over 18 years. Sharon just celebrated her 38th year as an employee of The Tillers and Kelly Chandler is in her 23rd year of service. Where you see one of them, you will see the other. Through the years, these women have created systems that work to get the job done and give superior care to their residents.
Years ago when Sharon first came to the Tillers, she had no idea that this job would have such a great impact on other people’s lives. As years went on, she realized this was someone’s mom or dad potentially in their last stages of life, or maybe just needing a few weeks of care for rehabilitation after surgery. Either way, these residents need a caring hand, compassion, and someone to take care of them just as they were her own family. Sharon says, “I like to go home each day thinking I have touched someone else’s life. You see so many people in pain and it is rewarding if I can just put a smile on their face.”
According to Kelly, she says “many days being a CNA is a thankless job, but we get to spoil the residents and care for them in a way that families can’t. Our residents rely on us, so this is more than a job to me because we become part of their family.” One resident even told her that she was so afraid when she admitted to The Tillers because she had never been to a facility for rehabilitation before, but didn’t realize how fun a skilled nursing facility could be!
When asked why Sharon has stayed at The Tillers for all these years, she responded, “I love working for the Saxon family and I have no reason to go anywhere else. It’s personal, has a family feel, and it is an excellent place to work.” Tillers is known for their longevity of employees and even has an employee Wall of Fame for individuals that have been there over 25 years! Tillers has been family owned and operated for 39 years with the Saxon family on it’s premises each day. Such longevity of employees in this field is highly unusual, and along with the exceptional staff is something that makes The Tillers stand out from other nursing and rehabilitation facilities in the area.
To learn more about The Tillers Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, you can check them out on their website http://www.thetillers.com/ or follow them on Facebook.