Michael Mers never had any intention of working in skilled nursing. In college, he studied international business and Spanish and knew none of the healthcare acronyms he now rattles off in a typical day on the job as regional director of business development in Western Michigan. But, Michael’s passion for working with people, solving problems...
Two years ago Jessica Blair thought her running career was over. At the time, the SKLD Perrysburg administrator in training underwent surgery to remove sections of her cervical vertebra. Although the recovery months were tough, as soon as her doctors cleared her for exercise, Jessica was determined to return to her sport. It took...
“While many sectors of the nation debate whether, and how, they could ever raise entry level wages to $15 per hour, it’s a non-factor for nursing home operator Illuminate HC. Why aim so low, its leaders figure. The pay rate is $17 per hour for certified nursing aides at the rapidly growing operator.” Read the...
Hey there, Michigan film students and up-and-coming videographers! We need you to help us tell the stories of our residents at SKLD facilities across Michigan! Submit you entry by emailing us at videoproject@illuminate-hc.com! We are a cutting-edge skilled nursing company with facilities across Michigan, and we are changing the way post-hospital care is delivered. Ready to...
A new sensory stimulation room in the SKLD Zeeland Gilead Unit has become a game changer for memory care patients, providing a variety of soothing and mesmerizing tools in one space. Patients’ families and even residents living on other floors of the facility are enjoying the room as well, with the stimulating and comforting fixtures,...
Illuminate HC is proud to announce a new partnership with Wambi, a software system that provides employees with real-time patient feedback. By recognizing compassionate care and empowering individual care providers, Wambi facilitates behavioral change and immediate service recovery, while rewarding outstanding care. Illuminate is the first skilled nursing facility to use the software, although the...
Recently, employees at the Western Michigan skilled nursing facility, SKLD Zeeland, joined a dementia simulation so that they could experience firsthand what it is like to live with cognitive and physical impairments associated with the disease. The Gilead Memory Care Unit at SKLD Zeeland is one of the largest and most comprehensive facilities in the...
Homeless on the streets of Muskegon, Michigan this bitter winter meant that Mr. Wesley Rowell suffered from exposure and lost portions of both feet. It was a series of unfortunate events that led to Rowell’s medical emergency. He had been primary caregiver for his elderly mother prior to her admission to a care facility and...
This year’s Valentine’s Day promises to be better than last year for 38-year-old John Webster and his young family of Grand Rapids, Mich. After recovering from a massive stroke and nearly a year in rehab, John is returning home in mid-January to once again help care for his family – including two young children. At...
Don Rockafellow can whip up a mean meatloaf for dinner, and there’s nothing he enjoys more at work than seeing SKLD Ionia residents devour it. He spent a lifetime working in the kitchen, learning first at the side of his mother—whose recipes are at the core of what Don describes as comfort food. These recipes...