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DECORAH -- Aase Haugen Senior Services has earned certification as a Great Place To Work®. Great Place To Work®, an independent research and consulting firm, evaluated more than 60 elements of team members' experience on the job. These included employee pride in the organization's community impact, belief that their work makes a difference, and feeling their work has special meaning. The certification process included in-depth surveys from across Aase Haugen's locations and rankings were based on employees' experiences, no matter who they are or what they do. "It is an honor to be recognized as a Great Place to Work," says Sam Boeke, Executive Director of Aase Haugen. Our leadership team has worked hard to develop a culture of pride, trust, collaboration, and a shared commitment to providing our residents with excellent care. I have years of experience consulting with more than 50 nursing homes across the state of Iowa, and I'm very proud of the people who serve at Aase Haugen, it is one of the best facilities I've experienced in my career." Rex Nelson, BSN, serves as administrator at Aase Haugen and says, "This designation is especially meaningful because it's based on feedback from our own team members. Their voices, compassion, and skills drive everything we do, and this recognition validates that we're on the right path. We've built an incredible team and I'm excited for what's ahead as we continue to grow, support each other, and make an impact." Leading the future of senior care Aase Haugen is a leader in senior care services for the region. They opened the first elderly home in 1915 in Madison Township and have responded to the changing needs of area seniors ever since. Aase Haugen opened the current location in Decorah in 1963, built the first independent senior living community (Vennehjem) in 2000, and is now embarking on a powerful project to open a new nursing home and assisted living facility for future generations. "The new facility design meant thinking beyond current standards and truly reimagining what elder care can be," says Nelson. "We're confident we are building a health center our community can be proud of, with attention to resident-centered care, mental and social connections, universal design, smart tech integration, sustainability, and staff empowerment." The new facility will provide 60 skilled nursing care rooms, 18 specialized dementia rooms, and 12 assisted living apartments all based in a 'neighborhood feel' design. Each wing has a dedicated dining and living area and all resident rooms have private bathrooms. The design includes courtyards, libraries, porches, the Chapel, activities room, hair salon, and ample areas for family visits. The architecture uses warm colors, wood, familiar materials, and an environment that encourages independence, dignity, and real human connection. According to Nelson, "As always, we invite local schools, churches, and community organizations to visit or co-host programs and events that our residents can participate in and enjoy. These folks have so much to contribute to society – a wealth of knowledge, a good portion of humor, and true friendship." About Great Place To Work Great Place To Work is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through its certification programs, Great Place To Work recognizes outstanding workplace cultures and produces the annual Fortune "100 Best Companies to Work For®" and Great Place To Work Best Workplaces lists for Millennials, Women, Diversity, Small & Medium Companies, industries and, internationally, countries and regions. Through its culture consulting services, Great Place To Work helps clients create great workplaces that outpace peers on key business metrics like revenue growth, profitability, retention, and stock performance. Aase Haugen Senior Services has earned the Great Place To Work certification. The award is earned by meeting or exceeding specific employee experience benchmarks and it highlights Aase Haugen's positive, engaging workplace culture. Rex Nelson, Aase Haugen administrator says, "This recognition reflects the culture our staff help build every single day – one grounded in trust, collaboration, and respect. We are proudly setting the stage for the future with this incredible group and soon we'll have an amazing facility open to serve the needs of our community."

Support your local businesses

Aase Haugen Certified as a Great Place To Work®