Family Testimonial, Honoring Heroes, and Internal Growth at Renaissance Village Rancho Belago

The first resident in 2014 to move into our Memory Care Villa passed away this quarter. We received a touching letter from her son in response to the care she received and her recent passing. Below you can read an excerpt from the family testimonial.

“I would like to thank you and the staff from Renaissance Village for everything that you have done for my mother from the bottom of my heart. It has been extremely difficult knowing this day would come, but the love and support that your staff has shown really have lifted the burden of caring for Mom with her dementia.

I am often reminded of an AARP billboard advertising that I see that shows a young couple with a young child, and then it shows the same three, several years later in life with the young child all grown up and the

caption says “Roles Change.” To care for an aging parent can be overwhelming, to say the least, especially with dementia, and you have to make all of their life and financial decisions. It has been a blessing to have a facility like Renaissance Village there to help.”

Seniors at Renaissance Villages are much more than residents. Resident and their families quickly become part of the Renaissance Villages Family. We also spend a great deal of time fostering caring relationships with residents to provide them with the best care. Moreover, this letter exemplifies Renaissance Villages’ mission of creating great days for residents.

Honoring the great men and women who served our country in wars like WWII, Korea, and Vietnam is so vital. Many have amazing stories to share, and we’re passionate about making that happen. As a result, we host Honoring Our Hero on Wednesday, July 3. The event honored the story of resident and veteran, Geno D.

Geno served as Buck Sergeant in the Army Air Corps during WWII. He found himself in gunnery school and later went on to be the tail gunner for a B17 – Flying Fortress Bomber. After that, he served 26 missions over Europe. On his final 26th mission, Geno’s plane was shot down, and he became a prisoner of war of Germany.

While a prisoner of war, there were many times when Geno thought he would be facing death. Geno experienced all the horrors of war. They shot at and bayoneted Geno. Dogs also attacked and bit him. In addition to traipsing all over Europe, the Dachau guards forced him and others to work the ovens at the concentration camp. Toward the end of Adolf Hitler’s evil empire, he issued an order to execute all prisoners of war. However, General Patton deciphered the orders and sent his 14th Armored Division and 25th and 99th infantries. As a result, the infantry liberated ½ hour before the Germans got to them.

We need to share more stories like Geno’s, which is why we put together an event to highlight his story and honor him for his sacrifice so many years ago. In addition, various city and government officials, including Mayor of Moreno Valley, Yxstian A. Gutierrez, also stopped by to present Geno with various proclamations of honor.

Continental East Development, Inc. (CED) places a strong emphasis on providing employees with the tools they need to progress professionally. We create exceptional working environments where employees genuinely feel part of the family. In doing so, we find that employees work hard and also remain loyal when they feel appreciated and heard. In addition, when new positions become available, we do our best to promote from within.

A great example of this at Renaissance Village Rancho Belago is Michael Turner, our Director of Community Relations. In 2016, after serving as a caregiver and med-tech for four years at another assisted living facility in the area, Michael joined the Renaissance Villages family. He started as the Memory Care Coordinator. After about a year of working with us, he began “moonlighting” with our sales team, giving the occasional tour for those who came in interested when our Director of Community Relations at the time was off or out. In addition, he also took on new roles and split his time between sales and transportation.

In September of 2017, Michael became the Move-In Coordinator and worked great with our Director of Community Relations to help new residents and families navigate the move-in process. When the previous Director of Community Relations chose to retire in March of 2018, Michael stepped into her position and has been developing innovative ways to reach out to the surrounding community. Lastly, we’re proud of the growth we’ve witnessed in Michael over the years, and look forward to seeing the innovation he continuously brings to his role.

Renaissance Village Rancho Belago has experienced a rebound in increased market demand and renewed leasing activity. Due to the recent re-opening of our second Memory Care Villa, Renaissance Village Rancho Belago has also enjoyed new demand for its Memory Care program. In addition, Lydia Percia attributed the increase in market demand as a direct result of CED remodeling its Memory Care Villa to include a centralized, open floor plan, new paint, and carpeting.

Finally, to learn more about Renaissance Village Rancho Belago, visit Continental East – Fund VII, LLC