According to his fellow Azura Team Members, Jody Ludkey deserves this award for many reasons; each reflecting every one of Azura’s Core Values.
A jack of all trades, Jody is sought out for a variety of requests, but any time he enters the house he does so with a listening ear and never passes judgement – no matter how unrealistic or bizarre the request. Each one of the Azura of Eau Claire team members never hesitates to look to Jody for help because of the RESPECT he gives each and every one of them and for those within our family of care too.
Jody has formed a very close and special bond with one of our residents. This resident knows Jody, asks for him and lights up when he sees him. It is important to this resident that he still has a purpose to help where and when he can, whether it’s helping carry in groceries, fill the bird feeders, water the plants, etc. Each time Jody is at the house he makes it a point to find INNOVATIVE ways to include him in whatever it is he is working on that day. The way that Jody brings JOY to him by simply asking him for his thoughts and ideas on how they should go about fixing something and including him any way he can, helps him RECOVER in so many ways.
Jody’s dedication and hard work to not only the Eau Claire house, but also the Wausau and Oshkosh homes is truly EXCEPTIONAL and he does it with a smile on his face and a wonderful attitude and outlook. Jody is the perfect representation of how we RETAIN the finest people!
"We want to thank you for the loving special care you took of our mother, Diane. It was truly mom's home and you all became part of our family. Everything was home for her....from the beautiful rooms, large sunny windows all around, good food made with love, fun and personal activities from people who really loved our mom. We would highly recommend your facility to anyone. The staff from the director, to the doctor, to the nurse, to the caregivers and the maintenance man were all extremely helpful, caring, loving and professional. There are not enough words to say how much we appreciate all of you. Your exceptional care, kindness, and love were beyond anything we could have imagined. You were part of our family, and we will miss you." - Gail Sommers and Deborah Guse