To Merry Schmidt, Betty and the entire nursing staff and all the rest of the wonderful people and staff at the Berkshire Residence: 

I just wanted to take a moment to express my thoughts and heartfelt appreciation. Change can be a difficult thing to endure, my Dad was no exception to this rule. I was very concerned about his adjustment process when he first came to Berkshire, in that he distanced himself from the situation. Thanks to all your gentle invitations and kind, relentless encouragement, you found a way to bring him back into the mainstream of life, and allowed him the chance to contribute and grow as a person. Your excellent medical care improved his general health and allowed him the opportunity to live a relatively healthy and happy life. He certainly loved his walks! 

To all of you who made Harvey’s everyday life a joy, I say “thank you.” Wonderful people such as yourselves rarely hear about the valuable work that you do. You are a treasure. 

You understand the importance of life itself and the unique value that each person brings to the banquet of life. You don’t just make the Berkshire a residence, you make it a home. 

Gob Bless all of you. 

Steve Luitjens and family

(reprinted with permission, April 4, 2005)

January 31, 2005

Berkshire Staff: “We want to express our thanks to all the staff at Berkshire who have helped and cared for Bernice Obedoza during her stay. We thank you for all the love, prayers, extra care, time of listening, good meals, activities, nursing care and so much more. Thank you all so much. Thank you for all your love and comfort you gave and give now to Domingo and his family. May God Bless You. Domingo, Bill & Grace, and Family.” 

November 29, 2004

To the Staff of Berkshire Residence:

Thank you for the excellent care and attention you gave mom, Grethe Jensen, during her time at Berkshire. You made the last three years of her life pleasant with your care, caring, concern, and love. I was always comfortable knowing that mom was in a safe and loving environment. Thank you for all you did for mom. We won’t forget you. You certainly give the best care anywhere. 

Jens, Kathy & Kirsten Jensen

From the mailbox: “Thank you so much for all of your kindness and for taking such great care of Landy. You have a fantastic, wonderful and caring team at Berkshire. We were all blessed to have selected such a fine place for him to reside. It was a pleasure to meet all of you. Sincerely, - The Landy Thompson Family (Scott, Dan, Jody & Mark)

Dear Berkshire Staff,

Thank you all so much for the excellent care you all gave to Lucy. She always told everyone how much she liked her home and the people who cared for her. She was always afraid to live in a care center because of all the bad things we all hear. You all put that fear to sleep for her right when she moved in. It then became her home and not just a pace to live. 

Thank you all for that. 

Debbie
(Reprinted with permission, May 2004)

On behalf of my siblings, I want you to know how very much I appreciate the excellent care and love the nurses, aides and other staff members gave to mom. They always seemed to love her, even when she was at times difficult to care for. They were also all so very helpful and attentive during mom’s last days, always checking to see if we needed food, beverages, etc. In addition, they kept us informed on what to expect through each stage of mom’s death, and they always had hugs of comfort for us! 

You have a very fantastic staff at Berkshire and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone! Please convey my heartfelt thanks again to them all.

Sincerely,

MaryAnn Schumacher

Reprinted with permission 
03/03/04

"A note of thanks to Berkshire Staff: My family and myself would like to
thank you for the wonderful care given to our Dad, Lloyd Dreyer. It was
nice to know he was in such caring hands, being fed healthy meals and taken to wonderful activities in the last months of his life. Also, thanks for
all your care and concern shown to my mom. You are a great staff." 

Shirley Corliss.

"(My mother) appears to be quite happy and secure there. She constantly
tells me what good care she receives and how good the people are. That relieves a lot of my stress and I appreciate that you guys are doing a great job!!!! Thank you very much." 

- Family member of Berkshire Resident.

September 22, 2003

Susan Thompson, Administrator
Berkshire Residence \501 Second Street S.E.
Osseo, MN 55369

Dear Ms. Thompson;

My family and I want to express our heartfelt thanks for the excellent care my mother, Astrid Ottoson, received while a resident at Berkshire. 

We chose Berkshire, after visiting several other facilities in the area, because of the friendly, positive reception we received during our tour. We were greeted with smiles from everyone, including the residents, maintenance, nursing assistants, and nursing staff. Social Services Director, Jessica Krebs was welcoming, informative and helpful during the tour and again when mom moved in. 

The feeling of community we sensed initially proved to be truly accurate. Especially after Mom had her stroke in July and was subsequently enrolled in the Hospice program, the entire staff on the first floor was unbelievably kind, caring, and professionally excellent. They treated Mom and me and my family with love and support throughout the last weeks before Mom passed away on August 11th. 

During the time we spent with Mom, we were especially impressed with your staff. Being there at different hours, we were able to see all three shifts at work, and were amazed at the teamwork displayed at all times. Your staff is remarkable – the nurses, techs, and aides were pleasant, caring and supportive. It is obvious that they like their jobs, and care about the residents they serve. 

We are thankful that Mom could spend her last months among such wonderful people, who obviously cared about her and did their utmost to make her feel comfortable and welcomed. 

Gratefully, 

Gail Kraemer and
All of Astrid’s family

Cc: AVIV Healthcare Inc.
4509 Minnetonka Blvd.
Mpls., MN 55416



Reprinted with permission received October 6, 2003.

March 2003

Dear Administrator: 

I just wanted to write a few lines to let you know what a great staff you have at Berkshire Residence. 

My mom, Louise K., lived there from September 2002 until her death in February 2003. I can't say enough good things about the nurses and aides you have working for you. They did a great job and went above and beyond what they would have had to do for her. She was a great lady and I am glad they had come to know her some before she became difficult to care for. Their compassion for her suffering in her last days was truly surprising and very much appreciated.

They also took care of us as a family, giving us emotional support and offering us anything they could to help. We will never forget their willingness to do what they could for all of us at this difficult time. 

Again, you have a great staff at Berkshire and we can't say enough good things about them. I would recommend Berkshire to anyone needing a care center and we just wanted you to know our feelings.

Thank you all for taking such good care of my Mom and keep up the good work.

Sincerely, 


Janet M. 

Permission to reprint received March 31, 2003