For the past several years, I’ve written a post about Thanksgiving and everything we have to be thankful for. I probably rattle on for longer than necessary, but this year I wanted to change it up a bit – maybe.
Working in senior housing can be a very rewarding job. We get a chance to work with someone’s most important thing in their life – their parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, or friend. Where else do you get a chance to work with all of these wonderful people every day? We get a chance to learn from each of them every day.
We also get to work with amazing people. From the the care providers to the dining services team, to the management teams, we really do have incredible people that work in our communities.
As I was preparing to write this blog, I started thinking about all of the things that I was thankful for this year, and while there are many, things to be thankful for this year, one kept coming back to the front of my mind. It all started with a visit to one of our communities recently.
When you visit one of our communities, it’s easy to see all of the activities going on. It’s easy to see and taste the food. It’s easy to get in and talk with one of our management staff. What most people don’t get a chance to see the care that our care providers give to our residents every day.
A care providers work life ranges greatly. From daily tasks, to working with other staff members, a day is never the same. One moment we can be helping someone get ready to helping serve at mealtime to having a one on one conversation and reminiscing about the “good ol’ days”. Most tasks happen in the residents room, away from public view, all in an attempt to preserve the resident’s privacy and dignity.
I want to take a moment to thank those care providers that go above and beyond.
On a recent visit to one of our communities, I came upon a moment between a family member and one of our care providers, that, had I not been in the right place at the right time, nobody would have known it had occurred. I didn’t hear the whole conversation, but from what I could gather, it was a moment filled with emotion about their loved one. This care provider walked up to her, gave her a big hug, and said some words of encouragement to her.
I don’t want to share who this care provider and family member were for privacy reasons, but if the care provider reads this, she will know that I am talking about her. It was a private moment between the two of them, and I know that conversation made a huge difference in that family members day.
I share this because I know that these interactions happen all the time in our communities, and for that, we are grateful. We make great strides to hire great team members. We try to treat each resident and family member as if they were part of our own family. For years, we tell people that “it doesn’t matter what you’re community looks like. It’s the people that work there that make the difference in your community!”
Working in a senior living community is a great experience. From purpose to impact, you have an amazing opportunity to make a difference – day one – in someone’s life.
Roman Bloemke, COO,
Welcome Home Management/Health Care
Woodstone Senior Living Communities