Dane County’s Badger Prairie Health Care Center Receives High Remarks from Residents & Family/Guardians in Latest Survey

February 19, 2020
Ariana Vruwink, 608-267-8823
County Executive

Today, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced the Badger Prairie Health Care Center received high remarks from residents and family/guardians in its latest survey. The purpose of the study was to measure resident and family/guardian satisfaction with the nursing home and its services, with the goal of using this input to ensure the facility provides quality services. Overall, 92% of respondents rated Badger Prairie as “excellent.” When asked if they would recommend the nursing home to a friend or family member, 95% of participants responded “definitely yes.”

“We are thrilled to see that residents are satisfied with the Badger Prairie Health Care Center and have had good experiences with its services,” said Dane County Executive Joe Parisi. “The results of this survey reflect Dane County’s commitment to deliver excellent resident care. A huge thank you goes out to the Badger Prairie staff who work hard to provide high quality service every day.”

The Badger Prairie Health Care Center is a 120-bed licensed, skilled nursing home located in the City of Verona operated by the Dane County Department of Human Services. It serves Dane County residents with behavioral, emotional, or psychiatric disorders that keep them from living with their own families, in community settings, or in traditional nursing homes. The mission of Badger Prairie is to provide high quality, cost-effective services to residents that improve the lives of those served and respond to rigorous regulatory requirements and industry standards.

Survey forms were mailed in October 2019 to residents of Badger Prairie who were legally competent to receive their own survey or to their guardian for health care. Of the 117 surveys that made it to their intended recipient, 62 were returned. More than 50 questions were asked in the survey, which focused on the topics of referral, the admission process, moving in, visiting, communication, financials, quality of care, the nursing team, recreational therapy programming, dining and food, amenities, and the facility at large.

Respondents felt Badger Prairie was thoroughly clean (89% - definitely yes), well maintained (95% - definitely yes), and the furnishings in the rooms were kept in good repair (93% - definitely yes). In terms of communication, respondents indicated they were kept well-informed about how things were going with their resident (87% - definitely yes), they knew who to contact if they had any questions (94% - definitely yes), they were encouraged to speak up when they had a problem (87% - definitely yes), and their concerns were addressed in a timely way (88% - definitely yes). When asked if they had peace of mind about the care the resident receives when they aren’t at the nursing home, 97% of participants responded “definitely yes.”

“This is a proud day for all the wonderful people associated with Badger Prairie Health Care Center,” said Bill Brotzman, Badger Prairie Health Care Center Administrator. “We are very fortunate to have a state-of-the-art building that enables us to provide care for a vulnerable population. But what truly sets us apart and made it possible to achieve such high scores on the survey, is the caring and competent staff who dedicate themselves to the service of others.”

The Badger Prairie Health Care Center is an important part of Dane County’s health and long-term care system for adults, and shares the county’s commitment to provide services in a community setting whenever possible. Short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, and end-of-life care services are provided for residents.

The current Badger Prairie facility opened in 2011, replacing the 1883 and 1953-era buildings. It features twelve households, each with their own dining room, sunroom, and living room. Households also have private bedrooms/bathrooms and access to outdoor patios. The nursing support areas are placed in discreet locations to ensure they are not the dominant feature of resident life, while allowing staff to function efficiently. Other amenities include a Beauty Shop, Large Activity Room, Rehab Therapy Services, Dietary Services, Dentist, Podiatry and Optometry.

County Executive Parisi will visit the Badger Prairie Health Care Center on Friday, February 21st at 1:30pm. While there, he will congratulate staff on the results of the survey and thank them for their continued commitment to serve the Badger Prairie community. Members of the media are welcome to attend the visit, but are asked not to film/photograph facility residents out of respect for their privacy.