Bob and Nan Wheeler, longtime Sun Health Foundation supporters, choose Grandview Health and Rehabilitation Center
Seated in a comfortable chair at the Grandview Terrace Health and Rehabilitation Center, Nan Wheeler looks very much at home.
And, in some respects, she is.
When she and her husband, Bob, moved 20 years ago to Sun City West from Pasadena, California, Nan says they never dreamed they eventually would become such “heavy-duty users” of local health care services like the rehabilitation center.
Nan and Bob know health care in the Northwest Valley, thanks to their longtime dedication to Sun Health. Nan served in many volunteer roles at Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center, and for the former Sun Health Auxiliary, where she was president in 2002. Bob used his business acumen to support Sun Health and Sun Health Foundation committees for more than a decade. But with time came various medical issues for the couple, including an adjustment for Nan’s pacemaker as well as liver cancer and pneumonia for Bob.
As a result, Bob has logged a few rehab and respite care stays at the center, which recently underwent an $8 million renovation. Nan says Bob’s stay has been a positive and pleasant experience, thanks not only to the comfortable and modern environment but also to a professional and caring staff.
“It’s six minutes from our house, and we always tell our medical providers that we prefer Grandview,” she says. “The patients here receive compassionate care. These young people on staff are very knowledgeable, and a lot of them have been here a long time. They’re very experienced, and they go out of their way to enhance the patient experience.”
One of the “little things” Nan appreciates most is the way the rehab center’s employees make visiting family and friends feel welcome. “Their support is amazing, and they get to know the spouses,” she says. “They’re very supportive and helpful.”
Nan says other aspects of the rehab center that she and Bob enjoy include the tasty meals in the dining room, which overlooks a beautiful garden. Bob also enjoys dining with others and getting to know them, so much so, she says smiling, that he’s already asked her to inquire about an apartment for them at the Grandview Terrace independent living community next door.
Other thoughtful touches that make the rehab center special include the cozy furnishings in the common areas and the sturdy chair rails – made specifically so that wheelchair-bound residents can easily grab them and use them to pull themselves along – throughout the hallways.
“It’s nice that it’s lovely to look at, but what’s important is the care, and we think it’s the best available,” Nan says.
Sustaining this kind of excellent care is a good reason to support Sun Health Foundation, which funded the rehab center’s renovation through generous donations and supports countless other initiatives. What’s more, donations made to the foundation stay local, Nan notes. She suggests making an individual contribution, considering a charitable gift annuity or estate gift, or getting involved with a foundation event, such as the Gala or golf tournament. Or, better yet, a combination of those things.
“There are so many ways to support our superior medical community,” she says.
