Swiss retirement and nursing home is certified for sustainability

Sustainability is an integral part of the corporate culture at the Hochweid retirement center. A visible indication of this is the garden around the center: a colorful variety of flowers and shrubs bloom throughout the season. The investment in a solar power system is also evidence of this. "We have been committed to ecological and social responsibility for years in order to shape a sustainable future. We have consciously anchored this in our mission statement. I would like to thank the whole team for this special achievement. We are delighted with the certification," explains Managing Director Sara Tomaschett. Foundation Board President Prof. Dr. med. Michele Genoni adds: "Serious, sustainable certification and the adaptation of many processes does not happen overnight. This certification for sustainability is therefore a milestone for our retirement home." Ruth Stamm, Head of Hospitality, uses an example from the purchasing policy to explain how the new findings are incorporated into everyday life. For example, when making new purchases, contact is always sought with regional producers and suppliers, always on the basis that "We are here for the wishes of the people who live here!".

The Hochweid Retirement Home sees itself as a provider of suitable forms of housing and needs-based services for older people. It is committed to providing professionally qualified care and nursing for the elderly, in particular palliative care and dementia care. The retirement center offers space for 48 people in need of care, as well as 52 apartments in the retirement home. 

Sensitization over several years

Ruth Stamm played a key role in putting sustainability into practice: she was responsible for the hotel and infrastructure division for 27 years until her retirement at the end of March 2024. "When I set myself the goal of actively promoting the conscious use of resources a good seven years ago, I didn't yet meet with an open ear," says Stamm. She wasn't just thinking about saving water, electricity and heat, but also about people as a resource. After all, it is the residents, staff and management, right up to the Board of Trustees, who can exert influence through their daily actions. By setting a consistent example and regularly questioning established habits, Stamm has managed to sensitize a large part of the team and motivate them to actively participate and think outside the box. "At the beginning, I didn't see any added value in the efforts. But now I too have become an ambassador for sustainability in practice," says Sara Tomaschett, Managing Director of AZ Hochweid. 

How ibexFairstay works

The ibexFairstay team of auditors is made up of independent experts who are at home in the accommodation industry. The accredited auditor checked the data submitted on paper and on site at the Hochweid retirement center according to the six-eyes principle "operation - auditor - certification committee" by conducting various interviews, taking tours of the building and then drawing up a final report. He handed this over to the certification committee with the award result. This is made up of experts from the fields of science, business and tourism. The committee examines the auditor's application and decides on the award and the award result. After three years, the information is reviewed with a recertification. Ibex fairstay is a label to which 60 hotels in Switzerland are currently affiliated. The Swiss certificate audits according to the so-called ISO environmental label type 1 and places great value on the aspects of regionality, authenticity and the preservation of an intact natural environment.

From additional costs to savings

Such certification represents a major challenge for a company. It requires additional time, money and personnel. "The bottom line is that the results of the certifications prove that sustainable cost and resource savings can actually be achieved by examining and optimizing processes. In addition, the marketing measures with the ibex fairstay brand make a major contribution to differentiating the individual establishment in the market. The retirement home has proved to be a real gem where the concept of sustainability is alive and well," explains Anita Gschwind, Managing Director of "ibex fairstay".

Source: Hochweid retirement center