At Belle Teche Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, our activity director carefully plans exciting and fun-filled events for everyone, whether it’s an old favorite or a new adventure. Activities such as socializing with friends old and new, attending religious services, art classes, computer classes, gardening classes, and taking van trips all enrich our residents’ quality of living. All of our activities are geared toward maintaining independence and a high quality of living for each resident.
October 2026 Calendar
A New Kind of Companion Comes to Belle Teche
We have a few new furry friends at Belle Teche!
Thanks to the “Furry Friends Project,” our residents at Belle Teche Nursing and Rehabilitation Center were able to adopt their own “Joy for All Companion Pets” — lifelike, interactive robotic cats and dogs that respond to motion and touch with a gentle meow, a wagging tail or a playful bark. For many residents, these pets offer a return of something they thought they’d lost: the simple presence of a pet who’s always happy to see them. No feeding schedules, no vet bills, and no worries. These pets only bring comfort, entertainment, and a kind of companionship that doesn’t ask anything in return.
Since our furry friends arrived, residents are talking more and telling stories about pets they loved years ago. The pets also stimulate sensory and motor engagement, ease stress, lift mood, and give our care teams a natural way to connect during the day.
Each resident picked out an animal — a cat or a dog — and picked out a collar and gave their adopted pet a name of their own.
The “Furry Friends Project” is an ongoing grant initiative administered by the Louisiana Department of Health with federal funds from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and made possible through Ageless Innovation, whose Joy for All Companion Pets have now reached 51 participating Louisiana nursing facilities. We are honored to be among them. To everyone who helped bring these furry friends to our communities, thank you!
Belle Teche Nursing & Rehabilitation Center Earns National Award
(New Iberia, LA – June 22, 2026) Belle Teche Nursing & Rehabilitation Center has been recognized as a 2026 Bronze – Commitment to Quality Award by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) for its commitment to improving the lives of residents through quality care. This distinction is the first of three progressive award levels through the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program. The program honors providers across the nation that have demonstrated their dedication to enhancing the quality of care for the residents they serve.
“On behalf of Belle Teche Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, we are honored to have received the 2026 Bronze Quality Award from the American Health Care Association,” said Craig Romero, Belle Teche administrator. “This national recognition is a testament to the high quality of care we’re known for here at Belle Teche and further validates the level of compassion and professionalism exhibited by our entire team. It is a privilege to care for our residents and their families as we work to Improve Quality of Life.”
The AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program is a rigorous three-level process in which organizations are reviewed and evaluated by trained experts against a set of nationally recognized standards for organizational excellence: the Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework. The framework helps organizations achieve superior performance over time, ultimately enhancing the quality of care and quality of life for long term care residents.
“Earning the Bronze Quality Award reflects a strong commitment to continuous improvement and delivering quality care every day,” said AHCA/NCAL President & CEO Clif Porter. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients for taking this important step in the quality journey. We are excited to see all they will accomplish in the years ahead.”
This year, the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program proudly celebrates its 30th anniversary. Since its establishment in 1996, more than 8,000 providers across the country have participated in the rigorous, Baldrige-based program to strengthen their operations, improve outcomes, and enhance the lives of residents and staff. This milestone anniversary highlights the program’s lasting impact on advancing quality care throughout the long term care profession.
The AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award recipients will be celebrated during Delivering Solutions 26, the AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo, October 11-14, 2026, in Boston, Mass.