Gilly, as he was recently named, is a robot that naturally grabs your attention as he glides through the dining room serving dinner and bussing tables.

U.S. Senator Charles Grassley visited Western Home Communities on Oct. 10 for a question-and-answer session with employees and other long-term care leaders from the area.

It’s definitely not medicine that’s contributed to Erma Vander Linden’s long life. The Windhaven resident, who turns 100 on Nov. 6, takes a baby aspirin daily and that’s it. Erma says sleep is her only medication.

No introduction was needed when Diane and Bruce Clark moved to their villa in 2022 and next door to Sally and Al Yakish. They were neighbors, again.

It makes sense that an organization with innovation as a core value would be the first in eastern Iowa to add a robot to its dining team.

Ever wondered about the man who regularly

walks south campus and nearby retail areas,

picking up trash?

Right on time or even a bit ahead of schedule: That’s been the story of the summer along the south side of Wild Rye Way, made possible by dry weather and access to additional crews from Cardinal Construction.

After years of planning, then recruiting, interviewing and wading through red tape, it seemed the idea of bringing international interns to Western Home Communities might never become reality.

The day after this year’s Black Hawk County Relay for Life, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, Dave Welter was set up at TJ’s Christian Bookstore in Cedar Falls, signing three books he’s written since being diagnosed with cancer in 2009.

The first residents have moved into Western Home Communities’ newest assisted living community on the first floor of Deery Suites. “We anticipate this will be full of people who are thriving as they age,” explained Jerry Harris, president of Cedar Falls operations.

As part of a multi-pronged effort to attract and train new employees, Western Home Communities became a Partner in Education with the Waterloo Career Center at a signing event on June 9, 2023.

Hummingbirds, finches, sparrows, chickadees and a noisy red wing blackbird have visited the Thalman Square courtyard this spring, to the delight of residents and thanks to a volunteer effort spearheaded by villa residents.

Villa residents Loyce and Jerry Dumke take full advantage of Western Home Communities’ proximity to the Cedar Valley Trails, a network of more than 128 miles of paved biking and walking trails.

It’s hard to leave the host chair behind after a long career in radio and television. For villa resident Roy Justis, though, the allure of returning to that seat came from a desire to reconnect with his home town.

Western Home Communities will use a $1.34 million grant from Iowa Workforce Development to educate up to 135 new certified nurse aides (CNAs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) over three years.