Alder Ridge Construction Update

UPDATED December 28, 2018

Alder Ridge is currently working on moving residents into units that are complete and ready on the second floor.  We anticipate the final elevator sign off in the next 10-14 days (estimate from The State of Washington). We are in the process of calling all of our residents to keep them informed.  If you are unable to reach us by phone at (253) 878-5665, please leave a message and we will call you back as soon as we can.

 

UPDATED December 10, 2018

  • Our laundry and common areas now have their counter tops installed
  • The ground floor activity room kitchen has been installed
  • Carpet will be installed in the ground floor activity area today
  • Stairwells are being carpeted
  • Final cleaning is continuing

 

UPDATED December 3, 2018

We are continuing to push for completion. The third floor is complete and we are in the process of marking off our final checklist before move-ins can be arranged. Updates will be posted along with more photos at the end of the week.

 

UPDATED November 15, 2018

  • The second floor unit carpets will be completed this Friday 11/16 and the first floor units will be completed over the weekend
  • All cabinets and countertops will all be installed by 11/26
  • We have scheduled inspections for the last two weeks in November

 

UPDATED October 18, 2018

The city of Milton has authorized occupancy for the Garden Terrace apartments starting November 1st. We will be contacting residents with move-in details for these units.

 

UPDATED October 17, 2018

  • Vinyl and carpet installation is continuing
  • Cabinet installation is continuing, counter tops should be completed in two weeks
  • Painting continues on the first floor
  • We are installing the balance of the door hardware and trim

 

UPDATED September 13, 2018

We are excited to welcome everyone “Home” to Alder Ridge Senior Apartments! If you are a returning resident, please see info below:

  • Renters Insurance: As part of the move-in paperwork, we will be requiring all residents to have a current renters insurance policy. This will ensure everyone is protected and covered in the case of any type of accidental event. If you need further information on insurance types or coverage requirements, please contact us at (253) 838-5665
  • Move-in Paperwork: Alder Ridge residents returning to their original apartment will need to complete a certification upon move-in. This is the same certification process that was previously completed on an annual basis after your first year of residency. Alder Ridge residents returning to a different apartment will need to complete a full move-in application.
  • We will begin contacting our waitlist to start the application and certification process after October 1st, 2018.

 

UPDATED August 30, 2018

The new elevator has arrived! We are making good progress on drywall all the way into the basement area. Looking forward to painting and flooring soon.

 

UPDATED August 15, 2018

  • Third floor painting is complete, second floor painting is scheduled for 8/23/2018
  • Flooring has arrived, we are scheduled for an install date of 9/3/2018

 

UPDATED July 16, 2018

  • The insulation is now complete, the new doors, hardware and millwork have been ordered
  • The third floor drywall will be tapped and mudded this week

 

UPDATED May 22, 2018

Remediation work is complete at Alder Ridge and we’ve gotten started with the construction phase. The new roof will hopefully be completed by the end of the week, allowing them to really get going on the inside work. There is a lot to do to get everything ready, that even includes installing a brand new elevator! We are hoping to have the building completed late fall of this year.

Angie has moved to our newly renovated Assisted Living building in Enumclaw. Sylvia Rouse will be our Community Manager at Alder Ridge when we open in October. Sylvia has been a part of our development team for the last couple of years and is helping in the coordination of the construction.

Sylvia has been making calls to residents regarding their desire to return to their apartment at Alder Ridge. If you’ve not heard from us lately feel free to call the main number at Alder Ridge and leave a message. We are returning calls daily.

We’ll continue to keep our website updated with construction progress and update more often as we get closer to opening.

Adaptive Dream Catcher Balloon takes 104-year-old sky high in Sequim

Special hot air balloon helps wheelchair-bound people take flight.

Getting old is no fun.

But if you make it to 104-years-old like Elgin Skewes, you learn a thing or two about it. Mainly this:

“Oh you can’t get everything in that you want to do, you’ve got to hurry,” explained Elgin, at her home in Park View, a retirement community in Port Angeles, sitting in a wheelchair that she says ‘ties her down’.

Elgin has a plan to do something about being ‘tied down’ to that wheelchair:

“Go up in a balloon,” she says.

Why? Because it’s about time.

“I haven’t done it before and I’ve got to do everything.” Elgin reiterated. “It’s getting late you know.”

Flight day dawns clear and calm in Sequim’s Dungeness Valley.

Captain-Crystal Stout jokes with her team of volunteers about getting them out of bed early for this special flight. The team works together getting her Dream Catcher Balloon ready – a balloon designed to give people with limited mobility wings.

“This is what I’m here for. I find that my soul says I’m here to serve. I’m here to give those people an opportunity to have an amazing adventure and it started with just wheelchairs and then it blossomed,” said Stout.

As the balloon inflates, a busload of senior adventurers are on the way from Park View, including Elgin. There’s a murmur of excitement aboard the bus when the waiting balloon comes into view. They are all ready to soar.

Captain Crystal has given more than 700 flights to people who are unable to climb into a regular hot air balloon basket. The specially designed aluminum double seat she uses is still designated as experimental, but it’s a steady platform, and the five-point harness holds riders securely. Plus there’s added excitement with this riding seat – feet dangle over the side, for a bit of extra freedom during flight.

Flights like today’s are urgent.

“Because we have the two centenarians, you know a, especially a 104-year-old lady, we like to make ourselves available on the spot when we hear of somebody with a ‘bucket list’ request like this,” said Stout. “That’s kind of my heads up, that tells me let’s get them in the balloon as soon as possible so that they can have this chance to fly.”

One of those centenarians — Doris Thompson will be 100 this July — is the first to fly. She simply exclaims “Oh Wow!” as she floats free of earth as Stout blasts propane into the balloon.

Then, it’s Elgin’s turn to trade her wheelchair for wings.

She’s been waiting one hundred and four years for this moment. And for a few minutes, Elgin is no longer tied down to that wheelchair. She floats above it all, taking in the Olympic Mountains, and her friends and caregivers, waving down below. And now that she’s tasted freedom – she wants more.

“Cut the ropes!” Elgin shouts.

“You heard her, didn’t you? She said cut those ropes. Don’t anyone do what she’s telling you to do. I’m the Captain okay?” declared Stout from her command center next to Elgin.

It’s a good day for flying — maybe the best.

Because this balloon ride might have been wasted on someone younger. Someone with more time.

Elgin Skewes, Balloon Adventurer, doesn’t have any tips on how to get to 104, because frankly, it’s not for the faint of heart. She just knows one thing is certain for all of us:

“Yeah. Time’s a wastin’ “

South Sound Health Care Professionals Awarded for their Excellence

 

The Washington Health Care Association conference will honor three local healthcare professionals

On May 23 at the Washington Health Care Association conference in Spokane, awards for excellence will be given to three local professionals working in the healthcare field.The winners are:

  • Jennifer Reich, Mill Ridge Village (Milton) – Executive Director of the Year
  • Danniell Guffey, Mill Ridge Village – Nurse of the Year
  • Terri Wright of El Dorado (Burien) – Red Carpet Award for Outstanding Quality

Peers and managers nominate the candidates for these awards, and the WHCA award committee then decides the winners.

“Jennifer and our Mill Ridge team have had deficiency-free state surveys for four years. She knows the business of assisted living and works hard to make sure all departments are in compliance,” Resident Care Director at Mill Ridge Village Danniell Guffey stated.

Mill Ridge Village and El Dorado are both part of Village Concepts, which provides assisted living, memory care, and senior apartment facilities throughout Western Washington. Village Concepts has a large concentration of facilities in the South Sound, with locations in Covington, Auburn, Gig Harbor, Chehalis, and Enumclaw, in addition to the Burien and Milton locations.