A Top Rated Facility
For Greenwich residents, The Nathaniel Witherell’s short-term rehabilitation services are a “Town jewel.” But now that The Nathaniel Witherell has received one of the new and coveted short-stay rehab “top performer” ratings from U.S. News & World Report, residents across Connecticut will become aware of the high-quality care, excellent staff, and positive patient outcomes for which the Witherell’s short-term rehabilitation program is known.
This year U.S. News & World Report added the short-term rehabilitation ranking to its much-viewed nursing home ratings in response to increased demand for such services. The rankings are based on outcomes such as re-hospitalizations, discharge to the community, emergency department visits, staffing levels, resident complaints, flu vaccinations rates, and more.
“It’s rewarding to receive this recognition because it expands awareness beyond Greenwich and speaks to the dedication, quality, and compassion of our rehabilitation staff,” notes Allen M. Brown, Witherell’s Executive Director. “Within the Greenwich community the Witherell’s excellent reputation is well known.”
Low Turnover Rate = Continuity and Stability
Our low staff turnover rate is one of the principal reasons for the compassionate care environment that prevails at Witherell. It permits consistent assignments of nurses to specific residents. This fosters accountability and allows our nursing staff to detect subtle changes in the condition of a resident that can be addressed immediately. The staff can also build a rapport with family members.
The Witherell annual nursing staff turnover is 7% compared to an average for nursing homes Nationally of 46% as reported by AARP. Our staff turnover rate is more than 6 times lower than the National nursing home average. Many of the nurses at Witherell have worked there between 10 and 30 years. That says a lot about our stability and continuity.
Quality of Clinical Care
We measure the quality of clinical care at The Nathaniel Witherell by comparing Witherell’s scores to state and federal scores compiled by Medicare for 34 monitored outcomes. These include use of medications, presence of pressure sores, behavior and emotional patterns, accidents, pain management, infection control, nutrition, physical function and other measurable clinical outcomes. Witherell’s scores are significantly better than both state and federal results in most measured categories. In the areas where we don’t equal or exceed state or federal levels, we have in place action plans to better understand and improve scores.
Person Centered Care
At Witherell we are committed to a concept known as “Person Centered Care.” This term means that we respect our residents’ desires to determine their daily routine including the timing of services, menu choices, and dining times. It also means there are no set visiting hours. Family and pets are always welcome and snacks and drinks are available 24 hours a day. Our residents are able to keep in touch with the community through out trips for recreation, spiritual events, art shows, and music programs provided by our volunteers.
We have found that supporting individual choice along with providing consistent assignments and solid medical practices creates the kind of environment where our residents enjoy living and our staff wants to stay.
Following are some additional features of Person Centered Care:
- Complimentary Wi-Fi Internet Services
- Resident education program with physician
- Exercise classes
- Clothing store for resident shopping
- Chaplaincy and spiritual care
- Memorial services for residents
- Reflections in art and travelling classes
- Nathaniel Witherell Monthly Newsletter
Fine Dining
We believe that good food and optimal dining are a major part of enjoying your Witherell experience. To read about our person centered menus and dining services, click here.
Ownership
Owned and Operated by the Town of Greenwich
The Witherell is a 202-bed rehab and skilled nursing center serving the short-term rehab and long-term care needs of the Greenwich Community. As a not-for-profit municipally owned rehab and skilled nursing center, we have not been subjected to the frequent change of management companies and other demands that lead to high turnover rates. Equally important, Town ownership is one of the reasons we are able to attract hundreds of volunteers who contribute so much to the lives of Witherell residents.
