When walking the halls of Village Shalom, one will typically encounter an abundance of smiles and sincere greetings from the retirement community’s staff and residents. Following a June 9-15 survey by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS), one can now find an abundance of “0” signs — a tribute to the rare “zero deficiency” score the community received on its annual KDADS survey.
“A ‘zero deficiency’ score is pretty uncommon,” said Village Shalom President & CEO, Matt Lewis. “It’s a very in-depth survey that reviews nearly every aspect of a community’s operations.”
According to the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, less than three percent of Kansas facilities surveyed are deemed “deficiency-free.” The annual KDADS survey tests a facility’s compliance with federal and state regulations. The survey delves into everything involved with resident care and quality of life. Facility visits are “unannounced” so surveyors may have a true representation of daily life in each community. Surveyors also interview residents, family members and staff to gain a full understanding of community culture and procedures.
“We kept hearing from the surveyors that we have very happy residents and staff,” said Karin McCrary, Village Shalom chief operating officer. “These surveys are a big deal, so the surveyors are used to encountering nervous staff members — which is certainly understandable. They made several comments on how they were impressed with how friendly and accommodating everyone was throughout the process.”
In 2014, Kansas facilities averaged 10.8 deficiencies per survey. Deficiencies vary in degree from minor infractions to major deficiencies with accompanying fines. Village Shalom has historically been on the low end of the state deficiency average, but this is the first year the community has been deemed “deficiency-free.” Surveys are typically broken into two visits — one for skilled nursing and another for assisted living. This year’s visit was extended to inspect both areas during the same survey.
“This is a big year for our team,” said Tanya Leaming, Village Shalom assistant director of nursing. “A ‘zero deficiency’ score requires amazing attention to detail, and this year’s results are truly a testament to the hard work our staff puts in on a daily basis.”
Village Shalom honored its staff with catered celebrations for each of its shifts.
“This isn’t just nursing,” said McCrary. “There’s not a department left untouched in the survey. The entire staff has a part in this honor.”
