A Day in the Life at an Assisted Living Community

 every day all across the country thousands of committed senior living professionals wake up go to work and spend their days serving seniors who need their help it takes a special kind of person someone who has the capacity to treat seniors with dignity respect compassion and loving care I love this job because it's my family I work five days a week I like to come out when we come in the morning we try to avoid everything is ready when these people wake up they feeling like somebody say good morning are you feeling I try to do my best job seniors value their independence and deserve people around them who understand this need it isn't always easy sometimes difficult but I try what to wake up as a um there's my dad it's a bit away I want to do is I want to take care of these people they need love I love the cabinets it takes a person who understands a person who appreciates each seniors special gifts a person whose work helps seniors to enjoy continued quality of life the residents start coming out of their room around 8:30 for breakfast it all comes together right here the concierge desk we have Doctor Who lawyers school teachers we have principals I don't treat them just as a resident I treat them as someone that I know personally if I get to know the family members then I get to know the resident a lot better these special people who provide daily loving care become heroes to seniors to their families to all of us a lot of times a touch will help them go along throughout the course of the day I'll hug them and they go like oh thanks who started my day out there the residents are the love of my life in the afternoon there's so many things for people to choose from there's not enough time to do everything that people would like to do throughout the day the people who serve seniors are hands on ensuring that all their residents are getting the most out of every day being the lifestyle director is great you get to really satisfy the resident it's all about the relationship what we try to do is get as many residents involved in the programs as we can to live their life to the fullest wear the lifestyle Department I mean that's what it's all about it's our responsibility to be the heartbeat of the community to give the residents those things that they're looking forward to do day in and day out every evening the heartbeat goes on dinner is a very exciting time the residents have probably just come back from a bridge game or one of the socials and and so they're looking forward to food this is a perfect opportunity to be in a family environment senior living professionals create this environment a true home we're seniors feel valued respected vital there's a trust that you build when you take the time to listen a lot of times people just want to know that you care you have an opportunity every day to make a difference to people who need it most we're all gonna age someday and if you can just give a kind word great food a nice smile and listen you know that's what we all want somebody's feeding you and somebody's listening and I think that makes a difference above all their drive to serve comes from a powerful sense of compassion and empathy it's very important to remember to treat others the way you wanted to be treated and with respect I did the nursing because I loved to help the sick and elderly I'll take care of them the way I would like someone to take care of my grandmother or grandfather I know everybody by name I can actually tell what their problem is before they come to me I feel a need to do this work because I have a lot of love to give and I loved working with it I love to help people especially elderly because the stories they have it feels good it's rewarded it is a sense of gratitude when you leave in the evenings it gives me great pleasure pride pleasure you name it I do the work of senior living professionals can be physically and emotionally demanding but it's not done for laurels or praise the reward is in a smile or a touch or in the simple knowledge that their actions enrich lives these are the daily heroes of senior living and their commitment knows no end you