We are very excited and happy here at Evergreen Chalet to learn that we were ranked as the “Caring Star” of 2012. The Caring Stars of 2012 for Assisted Living is based on consumer ratings and reviews posted on Caring. Com – the web’s #1 source of senior care reviews, with nearly two million visits to the website monthly. This is a great honor for us especially if we consider that we are one of only 119 assisted living communities in 24 states across US and the only one in San Diego area receiving this ranking.

Here is what Andy Cohen, co-founder and CEO of Caring.com had to say in his congratulatory letter: “Our research shows that word-of mouth recommendations from others outweigh all other factors for caregivers choosing an assisted living community for a loved one. These first-hand testimonials are consistently cited as more important than anything else, including price and location, which are second and third in impact respectively.” In its press release, Caring.com also notes that “Characteristics consumers often discuss in a five-star rating for an assisted living community include care that is personalized and provided with a genuine concern, homelike amenities and décor, a wide variety of activities, and high level of cleanliness.”

Personally, I would add one more characteristic that in my opinion is just as important, if not even more important: a genuine love and respect for our residents; the conviction that they should be treated like they would be our parents. At Evergreen Chalet this characteristic is inculcated in all of our caregivers and it is the foundation of our organizational culture. I am convinced that, in our case, it was this characteristic, above all others, that earned us the high praises from families and residents.