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Enhanced Senior Living Community is Evolving to Meet the Healthcare Needs of Area Residents
LITTLE EGG HARBOR, N.J. (June 28, 2023) — Local dignitaries, staff, residents, and their families raised glasses of champagne and enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and live music at the 10th Anniversary party hosted recently by The Terraces at Seacrest Village. And on the heels of that celebration, The Terraces has received a 2023 Bronze – Commitment to Quality Award from the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL).
It was a fitting commemoration – followed by a timely testament to quality – for the senior living community, which has become a valued assisted living option for the residents of Little Egg Harbor and surrounding neighborhoods.
“Every day is a party here, but marking this milestone called for something extra-special,” said Community Relations Director Wendy Becker, who also is serving as interim executive director while Kelly Reilly is on maternity leave. “We have a lot of longevity with our staff and have built close relationships with residents and their families, many of whom we have known for years. We have a great deal of respect for each other, and really are like a family.”
Becker and Reilly, along with Wellness Director Hope Zaleski, began welcoming residents to The Terraces at Seacrest Village in May 2013. All three had been employees of Seacrest Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center (then Seacrest Village Nursing and Rehabilitation), a skilled nursing facility built in 1985. The community’s prior ownership, the Holloway family, recognized that the addition of an assisted living residence nearby would provide the area’s aging population with a full continuum of care services to meet their evolving needs.
The Terraces at Seacrest Village offers 74 well-appointed apartments and a choice of three care options: assisted living, memory care and respite care. All residents enjoy a worry-free lifestyle with a host of amenities, including gourmet dining, exceptional common areas, beautiful grounds, and an engaging mix of social, educational and recreational programming and activities. Access to the services they need is available when they need them – including onsite rehab care.
CONTINUING A LEGACY
An ownership change in early 2022 ushered in a new chapter for The Terraces at Seacrest Village. With that transition, consulting organization Marquis Health Consulting Services came on board to support Seacrest. The company is providing operational guidance and spearheading a modernization of the community – enabling leadership to offer the best possible resident experience.
“The Holloways had exceptional standards and designed a grand space that was ahead of its time, and that commitment to excellence continues today,” said Becker. “Under our new ownership, and with Marquis’ support, we are evolving our resident services and programming as well as deepening our connection with the Little Egg Harbor community.”
Notable changes include the addition of a full-time Life Enrichment director, Bianca Sutlovich. She actively solicits resident feedback to plan activities, which range from museum outings and baseball games to an upcoming Fabulous 50s event featuring the popular Doo-Wop group, Joey D & Johnny B Rockin Oldies Band.
Becker noted the community also has embraced the use of technology to expand resident engagement. One example is the Rendever virtual reality platform, which allows residents to travel the world. “They can visit Greece, go parasailing and even visit the street where they grew up,” she said. “We are working on projecting the images in our movie theater so residents can share these experiences.”
Sutlovich is focused on developing unique programming that brings seniors and their neighbors together. “We have supported Girl Scout cookie drives and attended events at the library and American Legion,” she notes. “Currently we are partnering with a dance studio to have their students perform for our residents before their recital.”
A TESTAMENT TO QUALITY
What has not changed is the community’s commitment to providing a quality of life that is unsurpassed – as evidenced by the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award. The prestigious program includes a rigorous three-level process that is reviewed and judged by trained experts against a set of nationally recognized standards for organizational excellence.
“The care and well-being of our residents is always #1,” said Becker. “Families are trusting us with their loved ones, and it is a privilege, and an honor, that they have chosen us. And we look forward to continuing that legacy for decades to come.”
Brick N.J.-based Marquis Health Consulting Services provides administrative and consulting services to skilled nursing facilities and senior housing communities along the Eastern Seaboard. The organization’s operational guidance enables its client facilities to overachieve their quality and customer service goals by embracing a progressive, multi-specialty approach to healthcare.
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PHOTO CAPTION (L-R): The Terraces at Seacrest Village’s Amy Horton, Dan Thomas and Wendy Becker (with Nugget); Little Egg Harbor Mayor Blaze Scibetta; and The Terraces’ Kathleen Johnson, Kelly Reilly (with baby James) and Kimberly Hoffman.
About The Terraces at Seacrest Village
281 Mathistown Road, Little Egg Harbor, NJ 08087
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Media Contact:
Sandy Crisafulli / David Wilderotter
Caryl Communications
201-796-7788
sandy@caryl.com / david@caryl.com