A place to come home to

Heritage Woods welcomes people to become part of a community that provides quality care, comfort and cuisine

By MELISSA RUBCALCABA RISKE For Sauk Valley Media

When Arlene Loos moved into an apartment at Heritage Woods of Sterling, she was worried that her new home wouldn’t be big enough to host the large family gatherings she had always come to look forward to during the holidays.

She needn’t have been concerned.

The family tradition continued — it just simply relocated, utilizing the large community dining room at Heritage Woods, even opting to have some holiday meals catered from the same kitchen that served Arlene each day, explained Janell Loos, Arlene’s granddaughter

“The food is fantastic,” Janell Loos said.

Janell admits she was so impressed with the Heritage Woods community she met during her visits with her grandmother that she jumped at the opportunity to bring her marketing background to the team at the assisted living center, where residents can retain their independence while never being far from a helping hand when they need it.

“We strive to provide independent living for our residents with what we call light support. We’re that extra help,” Loos said.

At Heritage Woods, residents can still own their own vehicles and travel as they like, while still enjoying the luxuries of housekeeping, laundry service and the opportunity for community meals that provide nutrition and a strong sense of camaraderie.

While residents are the focus at Heritage Woods, it also strives to support its staff, demonstrated by its certification in 2023 from the Great Place to Work Institute. The recognition was based on employee surveys as well as its increase in applicants and its excellent retention rate. U.S. News and World Report designated Heritage Woods of Sterling a Best in Assisted Living for 2022-23, again demonstrating satisfaction from residents and their families, as well as staff.

Heritage Woods of Sterling has certified nursing assistants on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week to aid in daily activities, provide medication management and respond to residents as needed. Loos said the strong relationships between the CNAs and residents is evident in the Employee of the Month honors, where residents consistently select their CNAs for their excellent care and compassion.

Heritage Woods offers studio and one-bedroom units for residents. In addition to the kitchenette in the units, residents have access to three meals each day, in addition to snacks. Loos said the meals are prepared to follow dietary guidelines, and a residential dietary council reviews menus and offers suggestions and input.

“When it comes to the holiday dinners, our residents are a part of the menu planning, giving input, sharing ideas about what they like and incorporating some of their favorite items,” Loos said.

Just how good is the food? One of the employee perks is the invitation to join residents for a meal each day.

“We all eat here,” Loos said.

More info

Heritage Woods

2205 Oak Grove Ave., Sterling Call 815-625-7045 or go to gardant.com/ heritagewoodssterling/info_request/ to schedule a visit or learn more about Heritage Woods. Online gardant.com/heritagewoodssterling/ or find Heritage Woods of Sterling on Facebook