Widow praises Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home and its high marks

After Duane Seaborn served 23 years in the United States Navy and Army, he and his wife, Pat, retired in the Augusta area. 

When Duane’s health started declining, he made multiple trips to the hospital for care. One day, he made the decision to “go to the Blue Goose,” according to Pat. 

“He told me to go ahead and start making arrangements [for the Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home],” said Pat, his wife of 44 years. “I put it off for a few weeks, but he kept nagging me about it, so I finally came. They got him in, and you’d have thought when we were packing his bag the night before, he was packing to go on vacation. He was so excited about coming here and that’s where he was for the next almost seven years.”

The Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home consistently ranks among the top 15% of care providers nationally. This year they once again earned the Customer Experience Award from Activated Insights, formerly Pinnacle Quality Insight, which is a nationally recognized customer satisfaction firm. They conducted interviews with customers over the past year, assessing satisfaction across multiple service aspects.

The categories include overall satisfaction, overall customer experience, nursing care, professional therapy, activities therapy, communication from facility, response to problems, dignity and respect, recommend to others, dining/quality of food, admission process, safety and security, cleanliness, individual needs and laundry service.

“When I came here to fill out the paperwork, I was impressed the minute I walked through the door. Everything was clean and smelled good, and the food is excellent. Not only are their menus good, but they also offer alternate menus for people who need it,” Pat said. “There was a period where my husband had lost so much weight and he just wasn’t eating, and one day they had chicken pot pie and he loved it. The chef made sure he had chicken pot pie every day for lunch and for dinner, because it was all he would eat. Where would that happen?

“When he was dying, they brought a comfort cart into the room, because I was staying with him at night, and I asked, ‘Where can I get coffee while I’m here?’ They brought a little Keurig coffee maker and pods in for me.”

Carlton Deese, executive director of Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home, said it was an honor for the staff to be recognized again for the Customer Experience Award. He believes the men and women who have served deserve the best care possible, and the award demonstrates their dedication to exceptional patient care.

“We have a committed staff who understand the essential mission of our organization. Serving veterans and their families at the most vulnerable time of their lives is an honor for everyone who works at GW,” Deese said. “Serving veterans like Mr. Seaborn and Ms. Pat is a blessing because they become your family, and those relationships are essential to the success of the organization. Relationships that last a lifetime.”

From the faculty and staff assisting with appointments to everyone knowing her name and taking care of her as well, Pat Seaborn said every experience at the Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home has gone above and beyond her expectations. When they would call her every quarter regarding the questionnaire, she could only give them top ratings.

“Then they would ask is there anything I suggest to make it any better, and I responded, ‘How do you improve on perfection?’” she said. “You start with the leadership there, and you see them and all the staff who work there, you see their spirituality, humanity, dignity and caring. That’s what was so important to me. They took such good care of him.”