Seniors For Living

Yes, you might be wowed by the well-appointed Great Room, or the landscaped courtyards and gardens, or the heated swimming pool. And there is nothing wrong with wanting your loved one to live in a beautiful, amenity-filled place. However, when choosing an assisted living community, focus on the quality of care and services provided – the responsibility of which falls primarily on the staff.

A competent and compassionate team of employees is the key to success at senior living communities of all shapes and sizes. Ongoing training and access to support and resources is another important piece of employee development and retention.

You probably won’t have the opportunity to meet every staff member during a tour of an assisted living facility. But you should make an effort to talk to any employee you see, to ask management staff what kind of training is offered, inquire about the ratio of staff to residents, find out about disciplinary procedures and turnover rates. Also, take note of how friendly they are: as you walk through the halls, are you greeted by smiling faces?

Providers like Ecumen, a Minnesota-based senior housing & home care services company, clearly understand the value of an ace staff, as evidenced by a new post on their blog site. The company, comprised of nearly 4,000 people, was named one of their state’s Best Places to Work – for the 7^th year in a row. Congratulations, Ecumen!