A community is not just a group of people living and working in the same place. It is about those people sharing, forming friendships, helping, and celebrating each other.
What you will find and the people you will meet at assisted living communities meet those criteria. Although each community may have different ways of providing care, and staff may have different titles than those mentioned below, the goals are the same — providing a welcoming and safe environment for each resident.
Let us introduce you to some of the people with whom you will become acquainted at your assisted living community.
Assisted Living Communities Key People
Residency Counselor
Lea Ann Coates is the Residency Counselor at Bethesda Hawthorne Place. In her position, Lea Ann is typically the first person potential residents and their families meet when they call or visit.
As residency counselor, Lea Ann first learns about the needs of a prospective resident, and then explains how the services and amenities of the community can meet those needs. She will lead tours of common areas and the apartments available for occupancy, and she can arrange for introductions with current residents and staff.
When a resident chooses to move in, the residency counselor does much of the pre-work, gathering all the pertinent information to process the required paperwork. Lea Ann says she passes that information on to the Executive Director and Nurse Manager, who uses it to complete the assessment needed to assume occupancy.
The residency counselor may also act as the move-in coordinator, assisting both the resident and the staff to facilitate the individual’s actual arrival date.
Executive Director and Nurse Manager
Either the assisted living community’s Executive Director or Nurse Manager will have an in-person assessment meeting with the potential resident. “This meeting leads to discovering the physical and cognitive needs of the person, and their ability to care for themselves,” Lea Ann says.
The Executive Director is responsible for the entire community, including all resident-related activities and services, compliance with state guidelines and regulations, staffing, building management, and much more.
Nurse Manager and Floor Nurse
The Nurse Manager coordinates the admission process. This includes finalizing paperwork, verifying medical orders, developing an individual care plan, providing an orientation to the new environment, and detailing the community safety plan.
The floor nurse is the first go-to person for resident health concerns. If residents are not feeling well or they bring back new orders from the doctor, the floor nurse would be the person to receive those orders.
Medication Technicians and Care Partners
Medication technicians administer residents’ medications according to instructions provided by a physician. Care partners provide hands-on help to assist residents with bathing, dressing, grooming, and other activities of daily living.
Both medication technicians and care partners also assist residents in the dining room, working with the community cooks, and delivering food and drink to the residents’ tables.
Life Enrichment Coordinator and Assistants
This person plans resident activities and creates a schedule of events. “The goal is to give residents the opportunity to be active during the day,” Lea Ann says.
Activities can include traditional Bingo, painting, puzzles, music, and many other options. However, the assisted living community of today offers a much wider variety of entertainment. This can include guest speakers, chair yoga, daily exercise classes, field trips away from the community, and themed parties for residents and families to enjoy.
Drivers, Housekeepers, and Maintenance Personnel
There are several other people to meet at an assisted living community throughout your daily routine. Housekeepers clean resident apartments on a regular basis, and keep the community’s common areas clean.
Drivers may be scheduled in advance to take residents to and from medical appointments.
All maintenance inside resident apartments and on the grounds of the community is taken care of by the community’s maintenance team.
Receptionists and Beautician
The receptionist at an assisted living community assists residents with transportation arrangements to medical appointments, reservations for guest meals, work orders for maintenance, and helps the staff as needed. The receptionist also connects family members with questions or concerns to appropriate staff members.
Many assisted living communities have a beauty salon or barber shop on-site, where a licensed beautician offers haircuts, shampoos, styles, and manicures and pedicures.
Neighbors
Finally, one of the best parts of making your home in an assisted living community is meeting current residents. It is an opportunity to make new friends, discover common interests, and enjoy life. Who knows, you may make some very close friends just be meeting people in the hallway outside your apartment!
Schedule a tour at Bethesda Hawthorne Place, to meet our friendly and dedicated staff. Lea Ann and her team of co-workers can’t wait to show you around!
| With 133 years of experience, Bethesda has become a leader in senior care, offering independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing. To see if assisted living is right for your family, tour either of our communities: Bethesda Hawthorne Place or Assisted Living at Charless Village. After meeting with our residents and highly trained staff, you will instantly feel at home. |
