Consumer Affairs reports nearly thirty thousand senior living homes in the United States. When choosing the right home for your future residence, there are many ideas to consider. Will the senior living community be near your original hometown? Do you feel comfortable in a larger or smaller home? How is the price point calculated? Will there be add-on prices that you will need to have a cushion in your budget? Will there be an all-inclusive price, like at Beacon Crest Senior Living, where you can easily plan your budget? Considering these options can feel overwhelming at times. Sometimes families focus on the where, the what, and the how much but forget the who. The staff at a senior living home can make the difference between feeling like you are at a facility or knowing you are home. While the owners set the tone for the environment, who are the people that you will spend time with each day? What are their jobs? What do you want to look for when touring potential senior homes? We recommend speaking with the various staff members to learn more about the services offered. In addition, we recommend speaking with the staff members to see if there is kindness and dignity during these interactions. Here is a breakdown of the different staff members you will want to get to know before making your decision.
CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANTS
Certified Nursing Assistants are so integral that there is an annual CNA Appreciation Week. What about the history of this essential career? During World War I, the American Red Cross created a training program for individuals to assist nurses. It used to be called the Volunteer Nurses’ Aide Service. In modern times, congress ensures that nursing assistants are highly trained individuals. Penn Medicine reports that Certified Nursing Assistants are essential to the health care team. They assist medical staff, lend physical support, and provide emotional support during daily care. CNAs are the heart of daily interactions with residents. They often spend the most time helping individuals get ready for their day, helping them with prescription management, and bringing them anything they need to make them more comfortable. In addition to the practical functions, a CNA is someone to check in with each day, spend time laughing with, engaging in conversation, and supplying peace of mind. When considering a senior home, ask to speak with the CNA staff. Are they friendly? Do they make time to know each resident while providing medical care? These are the people you will spend a multitude of time around. If you get a good feeling, proceed to the next group of staff members.
EXECUTIVE CHEFS
Food brings people together and nourishes the body in many ways. It is necessary to find a home that offers food you would enjoy. For example, the owners at Beacon Crest wanted to create an elegant fine dining experience. While many senior homes offer a cafeteria-style environment, Dave and Tracey Meredith chose to elevate the dining experience. The culinary-trained chefs create nutritious meals that are elegant and distinctive. The Executive Chefs provide gourmet meals based on health-related diets and physicians’ recommendations. The chefs perform table-side demonstrations to show the excellence and care they invest into each meal. In addition, food is prepared in front of your eyes as though you are visiting the kitchen at home. Once the delicious meal is ready, it is served restaurant-style in a spacious dining room with fine dining linens, tableware, and table service. Would you like a catered lunch for your family? Reserve the spacious garden room for private gatherings while you enjoy healthy culinary meals together. Dave points out he would put Beacon Crest Executive Chefs toe to toe with any fine dining restaurant in Utah. Mealtimes are a source of rich social activity and conversation. When the food is delectable; and the camaraderie is flowing, residents form community bonds that last a lifetime.
ACTIVITY DIRECTORS
You have found a beautiful room in which to live. There are kind CNAs, and the Executive Chef cooks delicious food with care. What about events and activities? Who organizes the fun? Activities Directors are the ambassadors of recreational group events, field trips, and everyday activities. They take care to offer a variety of activity options, so each resident has events to enjoy. Not only is the purpose of the activities staff to create diverse programming ideas, but they hope to improve the quality of life for each resident. Sharing time at activities creates friendships that provide emotional, mental, and physical support. It is imperative to make time for conversation and laughter during your busy day. Activity Directors organize outings for shopping, museum trips, theatre matinees, and field trips. Is it a holiday? They will create events and parties to celebrate each season at the senior living home. What about daily fun? Activities Directors will run trivia games, karaoke, bowling, movie nights, crafting, and many other creative possibilities. They schedule performing groups to visit and host musical concerts in the activities room. Once you realize you have found a community that supports you physically, nutritionally, and emotionally, it is time to meet the administrators.
ADMINISTRATORS
The role of the administrators is to organize and supervise the care quality of residents. Their duties include scheduling staff, scheduling medical care, financial responsibilities, and overseeing the regulations of high-quality service. When touring a potential future senior living home, it is necessary to meet the administrators in charge of upholding the community quality. We recommend observing how the staff interacts with the administrators. Are they friendly? Does there seem to be any tension between the managers and the rest of the workers? Is there open communication that utilizes respectful dialogue and active listening? While you may not interact with the administrators daily, the people you will see daily will have an ongoing working relationship with the administrators. When there is a caring approach to their work, the attitude of gratitude will filter down into the relationships with the staff. Administrators have many responsibilities to carry, and it should be a priority to see their approach to accomplishing their tasks. After taking all of these ideas into account, the message is clear. We at Beacon Crest Senior Living recommend paying attention to the architecture, the nutritious food, the camaraderie, the expertise of the staff, and most importantly, the example set by the owners. Do not feel shy when taking the time to observe and tour many homes. You should have the power to decide where you will choose to live and what feels like home.