Page 36 Healthy Cells Magazine Peoria May 2014

C
ommitted to creating an environment with high regard for resi-
dents dignity, comfort, and respect, The Villas of Holly Brook
strives to fulfill its mission of meeting the unique needs of resi-
dents mind, body, and spirit.
Family owned and operated in Washington, Illinois, the Villas of Holly
Brook Assisted Living Community allows seniors to experience the fin-
est amenities and services that retirement living has to offer.
Simply Home
Founded by owners Reggie and Martha Phillips, the Villas of Holly
Brook in Washington, Illinois, officially opened on Dec. 6, 2013. Dedi-
cated to providing residents a relaxed atmosphere that complements
seniors sense of style and individual needs, the Villas of Holly Brook
makes certain each senior housing community offers the comfort and
privacy that residents desire. Our campus is made up of an attractive
50-unit apartment community, says Dawn Deeb, executive director.
Residents 55 years of age and over may choose among a variety
of spacious floor plan options, including one-bedroom, two-bed-
room, and two-bedroom deluxe living areas. Each apartment comes
equipped with a refrigerator, microwave, living room, safety-equipped
bathroom, comfortable bedroom with a walk-in closet, cable access,
and individual heating and cooling units. Rates are all-inclusive with all
utilities paid except phone service.
Residents also have access to a personal response system, a pen-
dant worn around their neck. I tell residents to use this pendant for
everything, not just for emergencies, explains Dawn.
Apartments are unfurnished to allow residents the freedom to deco-
rate their living space any way they choose. According to Dawn, Every
apartment has its own patio space that residents can use for grilling or
pulling out the lawn chairs and enjoying the sun. This truly is home for
our residents.
villas of holly brook
Leading in Exceptional Senior Living
By Sara Browning
May 2014 Peoria Healthy Cells Magazine Page 37
villas of holly brook
At Your Service
As an assisted living com-
munity, well-trained, professional
staff at the Villas of Holly Brook
can assist seniors with activi-
ties of daily living (ADL), such as
bathing, dressing, grooming, and
medication. Certified Nursing
Assistants (CNAs) are on staff
day and night.
The Villas offer a full range of
services 24 hours a day, seven
days a week and oversee all
indoor and outdoor mainte-
nance. They also provide weekly
housekeeping service and per-
sonal laundry and linen service
as well as free scheduled local
transportation.
But the staff provides more
than just service, according to
Dawn. The staff here try very
hard to get to know our resi-
dents on a personal level so they
can easily engage residents in
conversation and help them feel
comfortable.
Some residents with walking
difficulty may require a staff escort to the Central Dining Room to enjoy
three healthy meals per day, which are supervised by a registered dieti-
cian. And with foods like pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, fruit salad,
bacon, sausage, apple pie, and lemon bars residents are never late to
the dinner table.
Most of our meals are comfort foods served buffet style. We try
to cook as much from scratch as we can. We also have sugar-free
options for residents with special dietary needs, Dawn explains.
Simple Pleasures
With so many amenities, theres never a dull moment at the Villas of
Holly Brook! An on-site beauty and barbershop gives seniors a great
way to spend an afternoon while unrestricted access to multiple com-
mon areas throughout the Villas ensures seniors a chance to spend
some quiet time engaged in a hobby or catching up on the latest news
with a friend.
The beautiful Four Seasons room, the central hub of activity within
the Villas of Holly Brook, is a gorgeous, open space with large windows
offering an exquisite view of a courtyard where residents are welcome
to entertain family, indulge their green thumb by tilling the soil of a raised
garden, or chat with friends around an open fireplace while cooking out
dinner. Inside, plush couches and chairs invite seniors to visit around a
warm fireplace during the cooler months. The Four Seasons room has
also been the site for family pictures and a surprise birthday party.
Other areas for social activity are the Theatre Room, where mov-
ies are shown every night; the on-site Fitness Center, where residents
who wish to stay active will love spending time working up a sweat in;
and when family and friends come to visit, a private dining room is the
perfect place to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and other special
occasions.
Acts of Kindness
The severe storm that ravaged parts of Washington, Illinois gave
everyone on staff at the Villas of Holly Brook an opportunity to assist
those in need.
Says Dawn, We had our grand opening of the Villas of Holly Brook
on Nov. 16, 2013. On Nov. 17, the tornado hit. By Nov. 19 we were
functioning as an emergency shelter.
For the next several days, teams of rescue workers and volunteers
set up base at the retirement community. Members of Operation Bar-
becue Relief, a nonprofit group of competitive barbecue lovers who
feed people in need, called the Villas home for a week, while Team
Rubicon, a disaster response retired veterans service organization,
showered and ate at the Villas. Volunteers from statewide park districts
also lent a hand. Neighborhood and community members showered,
did laundry, charged their cell phones, and hooked up their Wi-Fi.
We staffed overnight, explains Dawn. My husband and I took
turns living here. Several staff members volunteered their personal time
to be in the building. We were cooking three meals a day for everyone
who came in.
On Dec. 6, 2014, IDPH licensed The Villas as an assisted living
community. Two days later there were 23 people residing at The Villas.
Says Dawn, One of our current residents was buried under her home;
another of our residents was buried beneath a golf course. Several
were at church when the tornado hit. The strength and resilience of our
residents and all of Washington truly inspires me.
Because of the efforts displayed by Dawn and her staff following
the tornado, the Senior Care Network gave Dawn the 2013 Member of
the Year Award. But Dawn says the award belongs to the employees
who helped with relief assistance. This award should go to the Villas of
Holly Brook team. It should go to our owners, Reggie & Martha Phillips,
and their sons, Chad and Hadley, who gave us the green light to do
whatever was necessary to help as many as we could. I only did what
anyone else would have done given the circumstances.
For more information on the Villas of Holly Brook, contact
Dawn Deeb at 309-241-2004 or visit www.villasofhollybrook.com.
The Villas of Holly Brook is located at 1285 Independence Court,
Washington, IL, 61571 as well as various locations throughout
downstate Illinois.