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| Quarryville Presbyterian Retirement Community: A Higher Calling |
| Long Term Care | |
| Written by Eric Slack | |
| Saturday, 01 December 2007 | |
 Robert Hayward, Jr. leads this retirement community’s efforts to bring healthy, Christian living to the body, mind, and spirit.  Robert Hayward, Jr., President and CEO In fact, Quarryville’s mission-driven existence is one of its biggest selling points. Quarryville is a full-service provider of care services, from independent and assisted living to memory support and skilled care. But for people looking into retirement communities, finding a place with a like-minded philosophy is an important factor in decisionmaking. Hayward says referrals play a bigger role in recruiting new residents than advertising. Quarryville exists to proclaim its spiritual, eternal focus to the next generation. Its Web site and marketing materials highlight the Christian roots of the community. The residents agree to live by six community principles reinforced by quotes from the Bible. The significant difference between this community and other more secular institutions is that Quarryville actively promotes the community’s desire to reduce its residents’ cares in favor of using their time to both celebrate God and serve others. Hayward believes this is one of the reasons his residents come here. “People recognize the distinctive difference we emphasize. They say they want to be a part of that,” said Hayward, noting that his facility currently has close to 350 residents. “We’re in a rural setting, but people come here from all over the country to be a part of our community.” The rural setting also affects its staffing needs. Although some of the support staff has been with the community for years, Hayward says it is an ongoing battle to find and retain skilled nurses and other healthcare providers. Although turnover continues to be a concern, it appears that the Quarryville mission applies to the staff as much as the residents. “We haven’t solved the turnover problem, but neither have the 20 other retirement communities in Lancaster County. We are blessed, though, that some of our employees may go somewhere else but then ask to come back because they miss the mission-driven approach we take,” said Hayward. Building the future Like many healthcare organizations, Quarryville is under pressure to invest in facility upgrades. But taking those steps is something the board is not afraid to do. Some of the independent living apartments have been redesigned to offer larger accommodations. The entire campus has undergone changes to interior design, allowing residents to select a variety of options and choose their own color palettes. Quarryville is also going before its local planning commission with a plan to add cottages over the next few years as an independent living option. Since the current campus occupies only 18 of its 200 acres, Hayward sees a lot of opportunity for growth. “The most recent apartment complex was completed in 1989. Today, people want an independent living experience with the knowledge that they have the option of more personal, assisted care when they need it. That’s what we want to provide,” Hayward said. Quarryville has also paid close attention to its dining and facility services. When Hayward was installed as president three years ago, he proposed Quarryville request bids every five years to outsource those services. Although the decision was met with some initial opposition, after going through the bidding process, Quarryville selected food service provider Aramark as the most cost-effective option to lead the transition. Hayward says Aramark’s leadership gave the community a fresh perspective on how to improve its service. Aramark moved Quarryville to a one-meal-a-day option, as some residents preferred an alternate choice to the formal sit-down dining experience. Residents are no longer limited to the dining room of the building in which they live. They can now choose to eat a buffet-style meal in one dining room, or sit down for a wait-served meal in another. In essence, this step desegregated two separate buildings, allowing residents more opportunities to mingle. Dining room hours have become more flexible, and increased food choices allow residents multiple choices at every meal. “Programmatically, food is a key long-term success criterion for a retirement community. Aramark helped us expand our residents’ choices,” said Hayward. “We have about 175 independent living residents, and now we’ve brought them together and given them the choice of when and where they want to dine.” Quarryville is adjusting to the technological demands of the modern world. It uses its Web site to provide prospective residents with information, and Hayward hopes to expand this tool as a force to drive business over the next decade. Quarryville has a communication hub called Granny’s mailbox, which gives residents 24-hour DSL access to help them stay in touch with friends and families. For residents without a computer in their living space, public computers are available. Quarryville also added Nintendo Wii to its activities programs, and residents are slowly getting used to it. As more and more residents gain some degree of familiarity with computers, its staff members must also seek new means of supporting this interest. “Our staff sees that changing the way we do things and embracing technology allows us to be a little freer. For example, when our accounting department started registering automobiles online, they realized how much faster it was,” said Hayward. “The opportunity for engaging technology is going to grow, particularly as newer residents are more aware of it and familiar with it. It’s is a part of the ongoing improvements we need to make.” |
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