By Dan Rowland
Director of Marketing, Windsor House Inc.
GIRARD, Ohio — Like many businesses, 2020 was a challenge for those in the senior living industry.
For Windsor House Inc., the past year has been a roller coaster of emotions – we have cried when residents passed and cheered when residents ‘Kicked COVID’s Can.’
Our employees, the frontline heroes, are our greatest source of pride. Despite concerns for their own families and loved ones, they tirelessly take on the frontlines to protect the health and well-being of our residents. We are truly grateful for our employees’ commitment, dedication and perseverance during this time. They are heroes!
Windsor House is also grateful for our residents and families. We truly appreciate their support as we continue to make challenging decisions with the best intentions for our residents. We know it can be difficult to trust in others, especially during such a critical time, but we also know that caring for our senior population is a great privilege that we take very seriously.
In addition, Windsor House would like to thank the community and businesses for their daily thoughts, prayers and acts of kindness. Because of the Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization of two COVID-19 vaccines, our staff and residents received an early Christmas and New Year present: a vaccination. Although there is still work to be done, Windsor House is looking forward to going on the offense after being on the coronavirus defense for 11 months.
Windsor House has made many investments relative to COVID-19 to reinforce our communities as being safe for our staff and residents. One upgrade was the installation of the iWave and Novaerus air-purifying systems. These state-of-the-art systems reduce pathogens, allergens, particles and odors in the air, creating a healthy environment without producing any harmful byproducts.
These air purifiers create equal amounts of positive and negative ions. When these ions are released into the air, they convert pollutants and gasses into harmless compounds like oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water vapor. When these ions come in contact with viruses, mold, or bacteria, hydrogen molecules are removed causing the pathogens to die.
Recognized by the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber as one of the largest employers in the Mahoning Valley, Windsor House continues to hire qualified individuals that enjoy working with the elderly.
In order to meet the ongoing demand for health care workers, particularly state-tested nurse aides, or STNA, the company operates the Windsor Training Center on Churchill Hubbard Road in Liberty Township, which offers STNA training at six different locations. During this two-week training taught by licensed nurses, students gain clinical experience with actual residents of a Windsor House skilled-nursing home.
After the completion of the STNA class, students have the opportunity to meet with representatives from the human resources department to learn about available positions.
With all the challenges of COVID and heroic efforts of our staff, Windsor House is committed to caring for our elderly and vulnerable adult populations and serving our communities. The pandemic serves to inspire us to be better and create positive change out of one of the worst years of our collective lives.
Windsor House looks forward to the challenge and opportunities that 2021 will bring. Windsor House, headquartered in Girard, owns and operates 12 skilled nursing and five assisted living communities with locations throughout northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. Additional information can be found at WindsorHouseInc.com.