A recent CNN story featuring a local Portland non-profit based around lamas and alpacas with healing powers highlights the Emerson House and their use of therapy animals to benefit residents in a memory care setting. View Video

West Hills Village Senior Residence has been recognized with a 2016 Best of Senior Living Award from SeniorAdvisor.com, the largest ratings and reviews site for senior care and services in North America. This exclusive designation places the winners in the top one percent of senior care providers according to those who matter most, the consumers.

The annual SeniorAdvisor.com Best of Awards celebrates the best of the best in senior living and home care across the United States and Canada, drawn from the online reviews written by seniors and their families. Of the nearly 100,000 providers currently listed on SeniorAdvisor.com, slightly more than 1,000 were recognized with this award.

West Hills Village Senior Residence is one of only four winners in Portland, Oregon, and regularly receives highly positive reviews from their families like this one:
“The facility was refreshing, clean, and bright. The residents looked happy and upbeat. The staff was very pleasant and helpful. They are very attentive, and they have plenty of good activities. The food is just great. It’s a clean, well kept, nice looking community, and the staff have all been very friendly and professional.”

– Family from Portland, Oregon

“We think our beautiful environment and compassionate team members combine to make our community one of the premier senior living centers in Portland, and we are glad that the consumers of SeniorAdvisor.com agree,” said Executive Director Lindsay Schroeder. “For 27 years, our caregivers and team members have committed themselves to making our residents healthy, happy and secure, and we are proud to be recognized once again for our efforts.”

“Families are increasingly looking to online reviews to find out who truly delivers great care for our seniors, not just who claims to deliver great care,” said Eric Seifert, president of SeniorAdvisor.com. “Our SeniorAdvisor.com Awards program is all about celebrating the exceptional people who do just that. We’re honored to spread the word about these organizations whom families can entrust with the care of their senior loved ones.”

To qualify for inclusion in the Best of 2016 Awards, providers must have maintained an average overall rating of at least 4.5 stars while receiving three or more new reviews in 2015. Additional details and a complete list of award winners can be found on SeniorAdvisor.com. To see the full list of award winners by state, visit www.senioradvisor.com/awards/best-assisted-living.

Howell, Edwards, Doerksen Funeral Home and Dignity Memorial are privileged to honor 2 homeless/unclaimed veterans through the Dignity Memorial Homeless Veteran Burial Program.

Army Veteran, Ronny Dean Rattray, served during Vietnam. He received an honorable discharge earning the rank of Private. He passed away on February 12, 2016 at the age of 71.

Army Veteran, Richard Lawrence Hill, served during Vietnam. He received an honorable discharge earning the rank of Specialist. He passed away on January 31, 2016 at the age of 70.

Both Veterans will be honored with a public memorial service on Tuesday, April 5, 2016 at 3:00 pm at Howell, Edwards, Doerksen Funeral Home, 1350 Commercial Street SE, Salem, Oregon. Committal services with Military Honors will be on Wednesday, April 6, 2016 at Willamette National Cemetery 11800 SE Mount Scott Blvd. Portland, Oregon. Mr. Rattray at 10:30 am and Mr. Hill at 11:00 am. Participants include: Chaplain Bob Weinberger (Army Veteran), Flag Recipient Ron McFadden (USAF Retired, Vietnam), American Legion Post 180 (Milwaukie), Patriot Guard Riders, Veterans Color Guard (Jefferson, OR) and Oregon Military Funeral Honors.

The public is invited and encouraged to attend these services to help us honor our nations heroes; Veterans who have no family to pay a final tribute. A guest book will be available in the funeral home lobby starting Thursday, March 31st for those who wish to pay their respects.

Questions regarding the services or the Dignity Memorial Homeless Veteran Burial Program may be directed to Mindy Barella at (503) 581-3911.

Hillsboro — Judith Gillen, RN, a nurse with Care Partners Hospice was named the 2015 Oregon Hospice Dream Team Nurse of the Year by the Oregon Hospice Association at its recent Professional Practices Exchange Conference in Bend.

“I am overwhelmed. This is such a surprise and such an honor,” said Judith, who has had a long and varied nursing career that informs her daily practice in caring for diverse patients and families experiencing the crisis of advanced cancer and other serious illnesses at Care Partners.

“At Care Partners, I am just one of many professionals who deliver great care to our patients and families – and they inspire me every day to be the best I can be,” said Gillen.

Each year, the Oregon Hospice Association honors individuals who exemplify the best in quality hospice care by naming the Hospice Dream Team, which is made up of a physician, nurse, hospice aide, social worker, chaplain/spiritual care provider, volunteer and a professional staff member.

Judith works the evening shift at Care Partners, a role that allows her to be involved in admitting patients and attending to families with the most urgent needs.

“A wise manager once said, ‘Your star employees are those who invite you to sigh deeply with relief when they come to work,’ remarked Andy Kyler, CEO of Care Partners. “At Care Partners we know that Judith is capable of effectively navigating troubled waters with the most complex clinical skills to create order out of chaos and to assist patients and families make successful transitions at end of life.”

For many years, Judith practiced as a nurse mid-wife assisting patients/families to make the transition to parenthood. An Oregon native, her adventurous life led her to work in the United Kingdom, Ecuador, and diverse locales across the continental U.S. Judith utilizes her fluent Spanish language skills to serve the Latino population and to mentor staff members in the care of our Spanish speaking families. As a member of the diversity committee at Care Partners, Judith has helped our organization enhance capabilities to serve immigrant communities of all types. While no longer a midwife to those entering the world, Judith serves as a compassionate, skilled midwife to the dying.

The Oregon Hospice Association (OHA) is a statewide public benefit organization helping to ensure Oregonians have access to high quality hospice and palliative care as they near the end of life.

Care Partners has been encircling patients and their families with exceptional hospice care for over 32 years. Formerly Hospice of Washington County, Care Partners has grown to serve the tri-county Portland area as a community based not-for-profit whose mission is to provide compassionate palliative, end-of-life care with focus and distinction to support the quality of life of the patients, families and community it serves. www.carepartnersor.org

Conference Vendor Space Still Available

West Region Chapter of the Aging Life Care Association

(formerly the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers)

November 5^th – 7^th

Red Lion Jantzen Beach, Portland

• You have two full days to access these influential professionals
• Geriatric Care Managers are the Influencers and Decision Makers for Elderly Clients
• Each Care Manager represents multiple Private Pay Older Adults –

Needing Your products & services

For more information contact:Ruth Cohen 503.701.2184