By Neal R. Davis, Senior Executive Director, Bay Square at Yarmouth, Benchmark Assisted Living

Caring in assisted living communities takes many forms and is provided by many people. The need for care and the need to be cared about are two of the main reasons elders choose assisted living as a lifestyle. People who need help with one or more of activities of daily living (ADL), or are looking for opportunities to socialize in a comfortable setting, find an assisted living community is one of the best solutions for meeting these needs.

How is this care and caring delivered to those who call an assisted living community home? For answers, just look at this list of caring providers:

  • Volunteers who give their time through visiting, sharing a laugh, or just by reminiscing about the life one has lived.
  • Resident Care Assistants who interact with residents, eliciting smiles, sighs of contentment, laughs, or a thank you.
  • The Resident Care Director who responds to concerned residents with reassurances about their health, makes compassionate assessments of the situation, calls a doctor and creates an updated care plan.
  • The Activities Director who makes sure everyone who wants to be included in available programs and shows concern about residents’ social needs, their comfort, and their happiness in all interactions.
  • The Food Service Director who puts together special meals for residents and their families celebrating holidays, prepares a surprise cookout marking the first day of spring, or cooks up something unique for a family birthday gathering.
  • The Business Office Manager who is open to hearing concerns about a bill, offers help and reassurance that things can be worked out.
  • The Dining Room Manager who understands about the importance of compatible dining room seating, greets residents by name and has a smile for everyone at the beginning of each meal.
  • The Maintenance Director who quickly responds to a repair request with a grin and a joke.
  • The Housekeeper whose attention to detail with the vacuum cleaner and delivery of the newspaper in the morning is accompanied by a comment about the weather.
  • Fellow Residents who inquire about health, family, and the newest grandchild.
  • The Hairdresser who squeezes in a resident without an appointment, so she can look her best for an unexpected visit from an old friend, reassuring that “it’s not a problem!”
  • The Director of Community Relations who follows up on the smoothness of the move-in and answers residents’ questions concerning comfort and services.
  • The Executive Director who actively listens to concerns of families and residents, guiding, informing, and supporting all who want and need to be heard.

At the end of the day, when all is said and done, it’s the people, both residents and staff, who make an assisted living community a home, a place of caring and comfort.