From left to right. Back row: J. Scharville – Poland Twp. Administrator, J. Wollet – Poland Twp. Trustee, G. Strollo, AIA - Strollo Architects, E. Ungaro – Poland Twp. Trustee, D. O’Horo, Sr. – A.P. O’Horo Co., K. Goldsboro - Home Savings & Loan Co., R. J. Lidle, Jr. – Poland Twp. Trustee, J. Moliterno - Western Reserve Port Authority Front row: C. Pierce - Director of Human Resources, EDM Management, Inc., D. Lepore - Executive Director, The Inn at Poland Way, E. Reese Jr. - Director of Business Development, EDM Management, Inc., D. Reese - President, EDM Management, Inc., E. J. Reese - CEO, EDM Management, Inc. , R. Rupeka - Chief Financial Officer, EDM Management, Inc.
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Briarfield Assisted Living Centers ‘feel like home’ to residents Special to The Vindicator
my bed too, but I have to have some kind of activity.”
If you ask Bill Flynn, 88, what life has Activity isn’t really a problem for the been like living at The Inn at Ironwood in native of Quincy, Mass. When Flynn isn’t Canfield for the last three years, he says occupying himself with his crossword it’s like living in a five-star hotel. puzzles or audio books, he’s getting to “That’s what my impression was when know his fellow residents, the diversity I first arrived and it hasn’t changed,” Fly- of whom “cannot be duplicated in the nn says. “They take good care of me as far wider society,” he says. From the more as everything is concerned. I’m fairly in- prevalent lives, like stay-at-home mothdependent, but they do my laundry and ers, to the more unique, like professional those types of things. They would make racecar drivers, Flynn says Ironwood is
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The staff of Briarfield from left to right, front row, Jennifer Cox - Corporate Dietician; Constance Pierce - Director of Human Resources, EDM Management, Inc. ; Eddie Reese Jr. - Director of Business Development, EDM Management, Inc.; Diane Reese - President, EDM Management, Inc.; Edward J. Reese - CEO, EDM Management, Inc.; Debbie Lepore - Executive Director, The Inn at Poland Way; Pattie Collins Administrator, Briarfield at Ashley Circle; Back row: Alice Turic - Executive Director, The Inn at Glenellen; Reyna Thomae-Starzyk - Executive Director, The Inn at Ironwood; Jason Grindle - Corporate Food Service and Environmental Director; Kristen McGuire - Assistant Administrator, Briarfield Manor; Robert Rupeka - Chief Financial Officer, EDM Management, Inc.; Courtney Angelo - Marketing and Communications Manager, EDM Management, Inc.; Melonie Torres - Executive Director, The Inn at Christine Valley
full of people with many different backgrounds. “There are a lot of stories and a lot of interesting people,” he says. “You sit down and talk with them, and pretty soon you learn all kinds of things and experiences that you never even thought people could have.” Flynn’s story starts with four years with the United States Navy, which took him to California before he returned to the Boston area and found work as a stagehand. He worked for opera and summer stock theaters in the city, building sets for ballet performances and musicals like “Kismet.” While there, he met a designer from Youngstown and learned of local stage work. He moved to Youngstown to work at the Youngstown Playhouse and in local children’s theater as a set designer and builder. “Most of my life, except for the last 31 years, I’ve been kind of a vagabond,” he says. “I was a hippie before there were hippies. I don’t think you can be in theater without being some kind of bohemian.” After leaving the theater life for work as an export manager with Commercial Shearing Corp. in Youngstown, he received his teaching certificate and taught computer programming at the high school level. Having been through so many changes in his life, Flynn was comfortable with the change he made three years ago to move into Ironwood. It’s all in how the person approaches
the change, he says. Some come in and “think that they’re being warehoused, and that’s the worst attitude to have,” he says. “You know you’re getting old, so what are you going to do? You can’t do everything for yourself like you used to,” he says. “Take for instance driving a car. Theoretically, I can physically drive a car, but I know that things are going to be changing. So I gave up my license.” Offering plenty of activities is something that Briarfield and EDM Management Inc. have worked hard to provide for the residents, says EDM’s president, Diane Reese. Treating residents with dignity and respecting them as individuals have been the hallmarks of Briarfield’s culture – a culture that is consistent throughout all of Briarfield’s six facilities. “We try to provide a lot of services and treat the residents like they’re the king and queen of the palace,” Reese says. “We try to let them be as independent as they can and make their own decisions.” From on-site activities like arts and crafts or the outdoor chip-and-putt golf area, to off-site trips like the Butler Institute of American Art or White House Fruit Farm, Briarfield gives residents choices in what to do with their time, even with their meals. Recently, Ironwood transitioned from a more traditional dining service to an open dining See HOME, Page F16
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aring for the area’s elder population with dignity and respect is something that was instilled in Ed Reese at a young age. Reese’s grandmother, Mayme, spent five days a week at the home where he lived with his parents on Youngstown’s west side. Grandma Mayme lived to be 99, outliving two sons, including Reese’s father, and was an important part of Reese’s household and life. “I’ve always had an elder presence in
my life, and I think a lot of people in this area can relate to that,” he says. “It was a big thing back then. Many of my friends experienced multigenerational living arrangements like I did.” For 17 years, Reese and his wife, Diane, have owned and operated EDM Management Inc., a Youngstown-based organization that specializes in senior care management and development, real estate property management and strategic consulting. Ed is the company’s CEO and Diane is its president. With some 70 years of combined professional experience in
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the nursing home industry, the Reeses became known as turnaround specialists for struggling skilled nursing facilities. But in 2003, they saw a chance to make EDM much more than a management company. Finding Opportunity at Home The idea to get into the assisted living and nursing home industry came to Ed Reese after meeting with Dr. John Hiltner, a former professor at Bowling Green State University. Hiltner helped found Bowling Green’s Gerontology program. Through a conversation with Hiltner, Reese realized that the need for skilled nursing and assisted living facilities would increase dramatically once the Baby Boomer generation reached the appropriate age. Reese, who had earned his Bachelor of Science in Gerontology with a specialization in nursing home from Bowling Green State University in 1983, decided to come home and pursue senior care management. “I didn’t think I’d come back to Youngstown, but I had an opportunity,” Reese says. “We had been anticipating the Baby Boomers from the beginning and saw the potential in the Youngstown area.” Through Hiltner, Reese met Diane, who was finishing her own B.S. in Gerontology with nursing home specialization at Bowling Green and had interviewed with several national companies. They married, and from 1986 through 1999 they worked for their respective companies – Ed remained local while Diane worked as administrator for an assisted living center and nursing home out of town. Working for national companies gave Diane Reese great experience, but she says she felt like she wanted something more local. She also tired of the national corporate structure with multiple executive levels. “It was not having the autonomy to make decisions quickly, and having to answer to all of these different corporate levels who honestly weren’t as qualified,” she says. “So, Eddie said, ‘I think we can do this,’ and with partners built The Inn at Christine Valley.’” The Inn at Christine Valley The Inn at Christine Valley was the first assisted living center that the Reeses built after leaving their respective positions to form the management company in 1999. The property across the street from St. Christine’s Church in Youngstown was for sale, not far from where Ed Reese grew up. “I thought it would be a nice thing to do across from the church,” he says. “And 17 years later, it’s still going strong.” The Reeses are heavily involved in the St. Christine Parish and regularly contribute to multiple charitable events through-
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ED and DIANE REESE
out the year, says its pastor, Father John Keehner. They are major sponsors of the church’s Steeple Chase 5K, which is held annually to raise funds for parish projects. Ed Reese is part of the finance council for the parish, and St. Christine School regularly collaborates with The Inn at Christine Valley for special events. “Anytime we have a service project for the kids, they welcome us to go over there to do something with the residents,” Keehner says. “They also make sure that able residents attend mass at 10:30 every Sunday morning. Our associate pastor, Father John Ettinger, goes monthly to celebrate mass with residents who can’t get out as easily.” Having the Inn close by is especially important to Keehner, whose mother recently moved in. While the transition was difficult, he says the Inn’s staff helped them and allowed them to do it on their schedule. They toured the residence ahead of time and had lunch there so they could try the food. When she was admitted, bringing in some of his mother’s own furniture and decorations made the transition easier. “It’s been a good experience for her and for us,” he says. “It’s a relief for me that she’s so close and I can stop over any time, and that she’s taken care of so well and so lovingly.” Because of Youngstown’s aging population, having the Inn in the neighborhood is important because it creates a homelike atmosphere that’s close to the residents’ homes and family, Keehner says. He is also impressed with how active the Reeses are in the lives of their residents, he says. “I have a lot of funerals at the church, and I often see in the obituary a personal thanks to Ed and Diane,” he says. “You don’t usually see that where someone thanks a business owner. I often see one or See EDM, Page F17
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High-quality furnishings and finishings create a homelike environment at The Inn at Poland Way. Everything from shape, color, detail and upholstery was carefully selected.
Inn at Poland Way provides memory care from the ground up
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Special to The Vindicator
or 17 years, EDM Management Inc. has provided safe, comfortable assisted living residences and skilled nursing facilities for Mahoning Valley residents who are no longer capable of living on their own. But principals Ed and Diane Reese decided to address a growing need with their latest assisted living – memory disorders.
This month, the company opened its newest addition to Briarfield Health Care Centers, The Inn at Poland Way – an assisted living residence with memory care unit for residents suffering from memory disorders, such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The need for memory care will continue to increase as Baby Boomers enter their retirement years, Diane Reese says. In 2016, an estimated 5.4 million Americans of all ages are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s; 5.2 million of whom are age 65 and older. The Alzheimer’s Association® estimates that by 2050, the number of people age 65 and older afflicted with Alzheimer’s may triple to 13.8 million, provided the health care community doesn’t find a way to help curb that growth. “Memory disorders are diseases that are unfortunately growing and affecting so many,” Reese says. “Whether the diagnosis is Alzheimer’s or dementia, the result is the same and the needs must be met. People reach out to us every day about needing help with a loved one. So, the need is there.” In some situations, a resident will become caretaker for a spouse who has a memory disorder, she says. This can mean that two people who might need assisted living end up staying in their home because assisted living residences might not also have memory care, and
they prefer to not be split up. After thorough research into the Poland community, EDM identified the need to have both assisted living and memory care under one roof so the residents can age together in one place and live among beautiful surroundings and safety, she says. Safety is paramount, so EDM went “above and beyond” with its fire suppression system, as well as monitoring, call systems, cameras and security systems. “All were taken into consideration to keep those residents who are suffering from Alzheimer’s safe and secure,” Reese says. “We also put much thought into the design, as well as the interiors being used. When you walk into the lobby, there’s an overall feeling of calmness.” Designers researched and selected color combinations that help soothe the residents, reduce anxiety and bring a sense of serenity and calmness, she says. While some design elements were modeled after The Inn at Ironwood, living spaces [such as resident rooms and the common area] were built larger. This helps to promote exercise, and gives memory care residents enough space to be interactive and engage as much as possible. The 77,000-square-foot, two-story building features 64 assisted living suites, plus 25 rooms specially designed and equipped for memory and dementia care. Unlike some assisted living residences, the Inn has no long, institutional hallways. Instead, Youngstown-based Strollo Architects designed the building in a loop around a courtyard to eliminate dead ends and promote movement, says Gregg Strollo, AIA. See MEMORY CARE, Page F18
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The Inn at Poland Way uses ‘Echoes’ of the past for the memory care of today Special to The Vindicator
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ccording to the Alzheimer’s –Association®, every 66 seconds, someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s disease. By the middle of this century, the organization estimates that rate will shorten to every 33 seconds, increasing the number of people age 65 or older diagnosed with Alzheimer’s to 13.8 million, up from 5.2 million currently.
While the medical community works to develop new ways to treat Alzheimer’s and other dementia, assisted living communities are redefining the type of care avail-
able to people suffering from a memory disorder. The Inn at Poland Way features an entire unit dedicated to memory care, and the assisted living center is developing programs to specifically address these diseases. The secured memory care unit is staffed to promote more one-on-one interaction with residents, says Resident Care Coordinator, Mary Beth Smith, LPN. This will allow for more individualized activities for memory care residents, which is vital for this unique assisted living population. “In the past, many Alzheimer’s and dementia residents were placed in standard nursing homes,” Smith says. “Since they need more care than other people, they
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Resident safety is paramount at The Inn at Poland Way. Strollo Architects strategically placed monitoring and security systems to enhance the visibility and safety of the residents.
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declined a lot faster.” Without the necessary staff, residents didn’t get the individual attention required to properly care for the disease, she says. Memory disorders start with cognition and short-term memory loss, but as the disease progresses it can affect some residents’ ability to walk, talk and eat. Keeping residents engaged and active is central to Briarfield Health Care assisted living centers, because “the more we keep them busy and active, the longer they’re going to live and the happier they’re going to be.” The unit will be on a smaller scale than the typical assisted living center, giving staff a better opportunity to provide more one-on-one care. Staff in that unit will also have additional training in Alzheimer’s and dementia. Programs like music and reminiscence therapy will help residents to cognitively focus by relying on their long-term memory to keep them engaged in daily activities. “It’s amazing how much residents can recall,” Smith says. “There are games I’ve played with them where they know a lot more answers than I do because their long-term memory is awesome.” Music therapy is conducted in small group activities to help improve memory and cognitive skills, as well as lower agitation. It’s especially important for improving memory, because a resident may not remember what street they used to live on, “but they remember every word to every song of a particular era,” she explains. “I once took care of a gentleman who had Alzheimer’s and played the piano beautifully. But once he got to a particular song, he couldn’t stop,” she says. “He just played the same thing over and over again, but that’s what he recalled. Probably because he played it so much when he was young that it just came naturally.” According to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA), rhythmic and wellrehearsed responses are influenced by the
motor center of the brain that responds to auditory rhythmic cues. So, a resident’s reaction to music, whether to sing, dance, or play an instrument, will still be strong even late into the progression of a memory disorder. Such responses do not necessarily require cognitive functioning. As such, Smith wants to develop programs that use music to keep the residents physically engaged, such as dancing or musical chairs. The goal is to keep memory care residents walking and mobile, and to keep them out of a wheelchair as much as possible. Reminiscence therapy involves lots of one-on-one conversations and mild trivia to improve their memory, but also reduce social isolation and depression, she says. By reviewing memories of years past, a resident’s sense of self and identity can be restored. Staff in that unit will also have additional training in Alzheimer’s and dementia, and will receive their Certified Dementia Practitioners (CDP) credentials. Ed Reese, CEO of EDM Management, received his CDP credentials earlier this year. At a previous job, Smith would take residents to the Idora Park Experience museum in Canfield, where they would instantly remember attractions like the Hooterville Highway Car or the parachute ride. They would sit in the cars of the attractions and put their hands in the air, pretending like they were riding them, she says. “They had the time of their life. It’s like they were 16 again,” she says. “Almost everybody in this age group remembers Idora Park because they all went to the ballroom dances.” In an effort to identify people who are declining and get them the services they need before they decline too far, Smith wants to include a therapy department to regularly screen residents. Along with getting staff additional training, Smith will See ECHOES, Page F7
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ECHOES
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ensure that the unit is staffed with people “ready to do the work.” While some staff prefer to remain on the higher functioning side of assisted living, some would rather work with the memory care residents, she says. “It’s not for everybody, and there’s no shame in that,” she says. “I’d rather them come to me and say, ‘I just don’t have the patience for this’ than to make somebody work in the memory care unit because it’s their turn to work there. It won’t be any good if they have to do that.” In her 35 years in the industry, Smith has 25 years of experience working with secured units for patients suffering from Alzheimer’s and other memory disorders. With multiple paths one can take through the Briarfield continuum of care, including assisted living, rehabilitation, skilled nursing and memory care, she says the company is positioned to meet all needs of their residents, which can be a relief to families. “We all become family because we communicate with each other,” she says. “A lot of these residents unfortunately have to go back and forth in rehab. And to have the ability to send them through the different levels of Briarfield is huge, as opposed to sending them to a completely
BRIARFIELD different health care provider.” Smith encourages families to take advantage of the services offered at The Inn at Poland Way. Whether it’s a spouse trying to care for someone who needs memory care, or a child trying to care for a parent with dementia. The experience can be frustrating, she says, and choosing an assisted living facility with memory care can actually be more beneficial for the resident than keeping them at home. For married couples where one has dementia and the other only requires assisted living, Poland Way is a good option because together they can still have meals and participate in some activities, she says, and the families will be able to continue visiting both parents in the same place. This attentiveness to the needs of the family, as well as the individual, is one of the reasons why Smith came back to work at Briarfield after taking some time away from the company. “There are so many people out there who really aren’t well enough to keep living by themselves, but they do not need a nursing home,” she says. “I think people are becoming more aware of the need for assisted living, especially the dementia units, and I think that’s why Ed and Diane Reese are going in that direction. They’ve identified the need and that’s why they are doing what they do. They want to promote the best quality of life for people for as long as they can.”
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Get to Know Our Residents: Rose McGuire Special to The Vindicator
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ot every assisted living residence can say it has a standard bearer, but Rose McGuire has been just that in the two years she’s lived at The Inn at Ironwood in Canfield. Whether she’s welcoming new residents on their first day or joining them for a meal on their first visit to the dining area, McGuire does what she can to make the transition as comfortable as possible.
“It’s hard to break away from what you have at home, whether it’s friends, your house or your garden,” McGuire says. McGuire knows the feeling well. The mother of two and grandmother of six had no intention of leaving her Philadelphia Avenue home where she had lived for the past 61 years. One of her best friends was already a resident at Ironwood, but even that wasn’t enough to sway her, she says. “I would say, ‘I don’t care if Annie’s
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there, I’m not going,’” she says with a laugh. “Well, she’s still here and we always talk about it.” While visiting, McGuire saw how the doctors and staff helped Annie pull through two health-related episodes. McGuire realized that with her sons on the road for work and her neighbors leading their own lives, she needed to be someplace that would help take care of her as she got older. “You never think that you can’t do anything, but when you get to be in your 80s, it starts being different,” she says. “You need someplace that will provide your food and your medical care. I see the staff here taking care of people, and I think they take good care of everybody.” As she got more comfortable with her new home, McGuire started reaching out to new residents who felt the way she did when she first arrived. The dining area is the most difficult obstacle, she says, because a new resident won’t know anyone. Most will come to the door, look around, then go back to their room. One of the newest residents was very “hardcore” at first, she says. He wouldn’t leave his room to eat, despite McGuire’s persistent inv itation to come to dinner. Eventually, he started showing up for meals. Even if he just eats a little, “at least he gets past that door,” she says. “W hen my sons come to visit, he tells them, ‘Your mom is the best,’” she says. “Then my sons ask what I do that I’m ‘the best.’ And I say, ‘I just bring him in to eat.’” Ed and Diane Reese noticed the way McGuire worked with new arrivals
and made her a greeter for Ironwood a few months after she arrived. It’s something that she took to immediately. She’s found that two of the most successful ways to break the ice with new residents are through religion and bingo, especially the latter. “That almost always settles it,” she says. “Gradually, it becomes one of their happy things. Almost everybody goes to bingo.” McGu i re ha s made some close friends since coming to Ironwood and says she’s settled in well. She appreciates the choices that Ironwood and its staff make available to the residents, whether it’s offering open dining so they can choose when they want to eat meals, or providing a number of activities to take part in. McGuire enjoys yard games and has taken up painting. She’s never painted before in her life, she says, but during one of the classes the instructor looked at Rose’s work and said, ‘This is fantastic.’ “I said, ‘You gotta be kidding,’ and I started laughing,” she says. “I’ve painted garages and walls before, but I’ve never painted an eight-by-ten.” The painting was entered into an exhibition at the Canfield Fair, and was selected for an exhibition in Pennsylvania. It’s now displayed in one of the common rooms at Ironwood. At 93 years old (she celebrated her second birthday at Ironwood in September), she says trying new things and staying positive helps keep spirits up, but the most important thing is family. See ROSE, Page F9
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Eddie Reese: Briarfield’s Next Generation
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riarfie l d H ea lth C are Centers have always been a part of Eddie Reese’s life. As a child, he spent days off from school with his grandmother, Irene Reese, who was a resident at The Inn at Christine Valley. After eating breakfast with grandma and her friends, he would watch TV in her room while she played bingo and participated in the other activities. “The other residents loved it when I was there and they were interested in what I had going on,” Reese says. “They were always very nice and social with me. It also showed me how much the little things meant to them. If you provide good hospitality, they respect that.” That familiarity with the residents helped in high school during summer breaks, when Reese would transport residents to and from rehab appointments, deliver meals, and other duties within the facilities. Those years give him a unique perspective in his role as director of business development, he says. Growing up in this business has helped him understand the importance of the day-to-day deci-
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EDDIE REESE
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“I tell the newcomers that it’s important to get their family to come and visit,” she says. “That brightens up the day. Sometimes they come and take them out to dinner, or they bring the kids to come and play, and I see the difference in people when they have family come to visit.” The residents become close at Ironwood, and that also makes a difference, she says. W hen Ironwood staff takes residents shopping, McGuire makes sure to stock up on
Q: When you were younger, what was your impression of Briarfield and the assisted living and elder care industry? A: Growing up, I thought assisted living and skilled nursing facilities were the
birthday and get well cards. “I try to send a card to anybody who has a birthday that month,” she says. “Or if somebody’s sick, I’ll make sure they get a card; make sure they know somebody’s thinking about them.” For people yet to a rrive or who might be on the fence about moving in, McGuire has some advice. “Some of the newcomers will say, ‘I just want to go home.’ Everyone wants to go home, but you have to realize that this is home,” she says. “It’s up to you to make the choice. People here get along with each other and the staff takes good care of you. It’s a good place to be.”
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f dining at The Inn at Poland Way feels like going to an upscale restaurant, it’s because the executives at Briarfield Health Care Centers have designed it that way. From the table servers wearing dark gray, banded collar dress shirts and black bistro aprons, to the stemless glassware with the script monogrammed ‘P’, Briarfield has given much thought and attention to detail for the presentation at meal
times, says its corporate food service and environmental director, Jason Grindle. Providing a level of hospitality akin to a five-star restaurant is becoming the industry norm, he says, and it’s something that Briarfield constantly strives to perfect. “I think Briarfield goes above and beyond what the basic expectation is,” Grindle says. “We’re always trying to look past what we do now and adapt to what people think customer service should be, and what we can offer our residents that other people don’t.”
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That sort of customer service is widely discussed at training seminars and industry gatherings that Grindle regularly attends, he says. Grindle travels extensively year-round to attend and speak at such seminars to earn the continuing education credit required for his certification. Open dining is the most significant trend he’s noticed, saying what used to be very regimented is becoming more personalized. It is at the top of the list of amenities that Briarfield offers at its assisted living facilities. Rather than abiding by regimented meal times, Briarfield offers a window of time when residents can come to enjoy their meal when they please. For example, breakfast is served from 7 to 9 a.m., followed by a continental breakfast from 9 to 11 a.m. “It used to be a one-size fits all kind of thing, but now it’s about individualizing everything,” he says. “It’s more customercentered care.” That care relies heavily on getting to know each resident and working to meet their needs for both health and quality of life, says Briarfield’s corporate dietician, Jennifer Cox, RDLD. It can be a difficult balance to strike because no two residents have the same needs, but working with family members and doctors helps the process. “We need to assess where they are with their diet before they get to us,” Cox says. “What I’m finding today versus years ago is that people are much more liberal with their diet, and they’re not as strict. I think that’s the philosophy in general, at least in nutrition. I can be a diabetic and I can eat a piece of apple pie as long as I’m making good choices the rest of my day.” Educating the residents and empowering them to make choices is the crux of Briarfield’s approach to setting a meal plan for a resident, she says. Assisted livings don’t offer any therapeutic diets, such as diabetic or cardiac diets. However, they
will work with the resident to put together a special diet, such as a texture modification; offering softer texture foods to accommodate chewing difficulties. Dieticians work with residents to help them make their own choices based on what they like and what they need. Staff conducts a diet history for each resident, which includes identifying any food allergies, dietary requirements and even religious/ethnic preferences. From there, Cox does a nutritional assessment that includes medical history and any necessary lab work to identify special requirements. Families are encouraged to be involved in the planning process because it helps ensure they are on the same page as the resident, she says. Some family members may balk at the idea of the more liberal dietary practices, but by keeping the lines of communication open with the family and the resident’s doctors, Cox believes that family members are more comfortable allowing for quality of life choices over dietary restriction. “There’s a fine line between managing a medical issue and still meeting a resident’s requests and choices, and our goal is to meet the residents’ needs to the best of our ability while still keeping their health and wellbeing in mind,” she says. “I think it’s our job, from the nursing department to nutrition services, to find that balance and come to a compromise. Because ultimately, it’s our resident’s life.” Cox relies heavily on the nursing staff to monitor and supervise the residents, and to notify her of changes in a resident’s pattern of behavior. If a resident isn’t eating well or is losing weight, nurses have a protocol to follow to determine if lack of appetite is related to a health issue. “A lack of appetite can stem from a number of things,” she says. “It can be seasonal changes, or it could be an annual occurrence that changes their mood, such as the See DINING, Page F11
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Employee Spotlight: Jason Grindle
G
Special to The Vindicator
iving entry-level employees the tools they need to grow within the company is how Briarfield Health Care Centers groomed many of its administrative staff. Jason Grindle, Briarfield’s corporate food service and environmental director, is a prime example.
In 1994, Diane Reese, the president of EDM Management Inc., hired a then 24-year-old Grindle as an afternoon dishwasher at a local skilled nursing facility. Reese saw potential in Grindle and offered to send him to school, he says. Within six months of being hired, he was managing the kitchen. In 2001, Reese, now EDM’s president, brought Grindle over to one of the Briarfield facilities where he worked his way up to a corporate position. Grindle has enjoyed watching the company grow and says he now sees his colleagues’ grown children working in the office as well. A big part of the company’s success has been how available the Reeses make themselves to the employees, he
dining
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anniversary of when a spouse passed away. That’s why we have to get to know our residents when they come to us, and we have to be good at assessing their habits.” Staff conduct monthly weigh-ins and will notify Cox of a certain variance in weight. Physicians are notified of such variances, and Cox works with them to determine how to develop a plan to meet the resident’s changing needs. However, “at the end of the day, you can’t force someone to eat,” and families can have trouble dealing with it, she says. “As people get older, they’re not as active as they used to be, so they don’t require as much,” she says. Memory care residents at The Inn at Poland Way are already at a higher risk, so monitoring will be in place as a routine the first day, she says. However, the philosophy and vision of resident choice with quality meals and presentation will remain intact while meeting the different needs of the memory care population. “One thing we’ve researched is that when their meal is served on a white china plate, it isn’t as visual to them,” Cox says. “Of course, we eat with our eyes. If something looks good or doesn’t, it gives us a different perception on if we’re even going to try it. So, for the memory care unit, the china patterns have a color to promote appetite so they eat better.” Because the memory care unit will have gender-specific units, male and female dining will be kept separate to accommo-
says. “There’s something to be said for working for people who own the company, but you see them on a daily basis,” he says. “As an employee, it makes me feel connected to them and to the deciGRINDLE sions that are being made, and I think it makes the employees feel a lot more important.” When he’s not in the office, Grindle attends and speaks at national conferences for food service managers. Going to the conferences allows him to talk and network with dietary managers to learn about the industry trends and see how Briarfield can use those trends to improve its practices. Hospitality and customer service are the two big trends right now and he says Briarfield “goes above and beyond” what’s See GRINDLE, Page F17
date the special needs of that population. Menus will be put together as they get to know the residents, and will include feature entrees, side dishes, homemade soup of the day, daily featured dessert, and an additional ‘daily specials’ menu. This allows for multiple meal options, she says. Brairfield is also investing in new equipment to keep food quality consistent. Briarfield Manor and The Inn at Poland Way both have a combi oven installed, which allows for multiple types of food preparation at the same time. Similar to a smartphone, cooks program the oven with a touchpad to prepare food according to downloaded recipes. The oven detects the internal temperature of food and will prepare the meal exactly the same every time. “It has drastically improved the consistency of our recipes and end products,” Cox says. “So, when you made pork roast last week and everybody really enjoyed it, you can make it this week and it won’t be overdone or dry.” Maintaining consistently high-quality meals is another facet of Briarfield’s commitment to its residents’ quality of life, adds Grindle. Ensuring residents are comfortable and happy is the top priority for staff and accommodating the little things, like having a glass of wine with dinner or a snack at 10 p.m. while watching TV, can go a long way toward that commitment, he says. “These facilities are a necessity. It can be challenging and is a life-changing decision for people to move into an assisted living ,” he says. “The more we can make the residents feel comfortable and feel at home, the better.”
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Employee Spotlight: Reyna Thomae-Starzyk Special to The Vindicator
W
ith Debbie Lepore moving into her position as executive director of The Inn at Poland Way, Reyna Thomae-Starzyk has moved into the role at The Inn at Ironwood. And it’s a transition that Thomae-Starzyk says has been seamless.
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Thomae-Starzyk brings three years of experience as a department head of social services at Briarfield Manor. While the role of executive director may be different from what she’s done in the past, she says that her years of professional experience will help provide a good, stable environment for the residents of Ironwood. Though she was anxious for the first two weeks, she says she’s excited for the opportunity to move forward with her career and that the residents have been a big help. “They have all been very welcoming, which is of great comfort to me,” she says. “They are a big part of why this transition has been going so smoothly for myself and Debbie. It is our hope that we too can assist the residents in making this transition comforting and smooth for them.” Thomae-Starzyk has worked for Briarfield Health Care since 2009, first working in social services at Briarfield at Ashley Circle. Though she was initially interested in grief counseling work, she was encouraged to get into social work because of how broad the field was. After interning in bereavement counseling, she started working within the hospice setting, including in-patient facility and home care work. “It just opened my world up to medical social work and it instantly pulled me in,” she says. “It allows me to look out for other people to ensure that they’re treated fairly, and to make sure that their own voice can be heard with their wants and their desires. If they can’t make those decisions for themselves, I can look out for those who may want to make those decisions for them and make sure they are doing it in the appropriate capacity.” As executive director, Thomae-Starzyk
plans to use her social work experience to help maintain the residents’ dignity, respect of choice and right to autonomy, “As well as honor our aging in place,” she says. While the residents have always been her priority, THOMAE-STARZYK the new position has helped her see how the industry works from the business side of things. The other aspect has been engaging with families to assure them that the transition is going smooth. “Families and their loved ones get used to seeing the same faces,” she says. “When somebody new is coming into such a position, it can sometimes be overwhelming. But the families and I have taken the time to get to know each other and they have been gracious and receptive to me in this transition.” Familiar faces have helped, she says. Thomae-Starzyk knows a large number of the residents at Ironwood because they were patients at Briarfield Manor in rehabilitation. So it helps create “a big sense of community and family, which makes all the difference,” she says. That sense of community is important as Briarfield moves forward to address and meet the increasing needs of the assisted living population in the area, she says. Assisted living is more popular than it’s ever been, she explains, and being able to offer a continuum of care is important as more people come in who require differing levels of care. As she settles in at Ironwood and the Inn at Poland Way opens its doors, she says Briarfield is in a unique position to meet those needs. “The facilities are great examples of what could be possible to make our aging population feel more at home,” she says. “When you walk into Ironwood, you don’t feel like it’s institutionalized. It’s warm, it’s inviting, the colors are peaceful and the units feel like home. It just helps encompass who the residents are and allows them to continue their individuality.”
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Employee Spotlight: Kristen McGuire Special to The Vindicator vices and case manfter three years at agement. Finally, in August Briarfield Manor in Austintown, 2016, she became asKristen McGuire has found exsistant administrator actly what she’s been looking for. at Briarfield Manor. “Things are going McGuire has always been the type of person to go out of her way to help some- amazing. I’m so fortuMCGUIRE one, so after she graduated Youngstown nate and thankful to State University with a bachelor’s degree have Mrs. Reese as my in food and nutrition, she says she knew mentor through this she wanted to work in the health care experience,” she says. “The reward of field. McGuire is no stranger to Briarfield; being able to affect patients and their her mother, Karen McGuire, is the direc- families in a positive way outweighs the tor of nursing at Briarfield at Ashley Cir- occasional challenges that working in a cle, and her grandmother, Rose McGuire long-term care facility may bring.” The patients and their families mois a resident at The Inn at Ironwood (read tivate McGuire to do her best, she says. more about Rose on page F8). “I always knew I was meant to work Interacting with the patients and getting in this type of setting,” McGuire says. to know them personally helps her meet “It’s what I grew up around, so I knew I their individual needs, and it begins wanted to do something where I could when a family first comes to take a tour. Once a patient is admitted, McGuire sets help people daily.” In July 2013, McGuire became activi- up care conferences with each departties director at Briarfield Manor, then ment to meet with the family. “We want to get to know the families completed a nursing home administration program through The Ohio State on a personal level and we pride ourUniversity. Through an internship with selves on being proactive,” she says. “We Diane Reese, president of EDM Manage- keep them updated on their loved one ment Inc., McGuire worked several jobs and we continue to meet with them and at Briarfield Manor, spending time in See MCGUIRE, Page F17 each department, including social ser-
A
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Port Authority Supports The Inn at Poland Way with capital assistance Special to The Vindicator
T
he W estern R eserve Por t Authority lent its support to Briarfield Health Care in the construction of the new Inn at Poland Way by using various tools available to the economic development industry. These tools help reduce costs and improve efficiency in the development process. In turn, Briarfield Health Care was able to build a state-ofthe-art senior residence and create 50 fulltime equivalent jobs.
The Board of Mahoning County Commissioners and the Port Authority structured tax increment financing (TIF), where property tax dollars are dedicated to needed infrastructure for the development and for the advancement of Poland Township. Through the structured leasing program, the Western Reserve Port Authority provided conduit bond financing of up to $13 million. The funds afforded Briarfield significant savings for the project, enabling additional investment in the facility. “Such funds are used strategically
for large development projects,” says the Port Authority’s director of economic development, Anthony Trevena, but they are made available to businesses looking to develop property and create jobs. “The Port Authority is always happy to work with businesses and developers who are working on a project that has a public benefit,” Trevena says. “With the increased need for assisted living and memory care in our area, we saw an immediate benefit to having a facility like The Inn at Poland Way built and operational.” The partnership with the Port Authority allows Briarfield’s parent company, EDM Management Inc., to borrow the bond proceeds at a lower rate than a commercial bank. “We are very appreciative of the port authority’s efforts to help see this project to fruition,” says EDM’s CEO, Ed Reese. “We pride ourselves on taking an active role in the communities we serve, because they are the reason for our success. Through our work with the Port Authority, we look forward to future opportunities to increase our services and employment in the Mahoning Valley.”
Employee Spotlight: Debbie Lepore
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ith the opening of The Inn at Poland Way, Debbie Lepore will pass executive director duties of The Inn at Ironwood over to Reyna Thomae-Starzyk, and will take on her new role of executive director at Poland Way. She is sad about leaving the staff and residents of Ironwood, but says she is excited for the possibilities at the new assisted living and memory care unit in Poland. “It never feels like going to work,” she says. “It’s an extension of family for me. It truly is a part of my life that has been joyful and brought meaning for me.” A graduate of Ursuline High School and a Poland resident for 30 years, Lepore has worked with Diane Reese, president of EDM Management Inc., for more than 20 years, beginning back in 1996 when they met at a skilled nursing facility in the area. Lepore says she needed something new after her kids grew up and moved out. The facility’s director at the time told her about the part-time job at the nursing home, and it grew into a life-long career. After Reese left the skilled nursing facility to start EDM with her husband, she brought Lepore on board to work at the
first assisted living center that the company opened in the area, The Inn at Christine Valley. Lepore worked 13 years at Christine Va lley before taking the executive director job at Ironwood in 2012. The LEPORE Inn at Poland Way is the third assisted living that Lepore has opened with EDM. “I learned that I love the geriatric population,” Lepore says. “In my 20 years, they have taught me so many things that I could never have learned in a college setting. They’ve enhanced my life. It’s just where I was supposed to be.” What stands out to Lepore is the residents’ appreciation for the smallest of things, she says. Every morning, she starts her day with a cup of coffee in Ironwood’s dining area and talks with residents who are there. She maintains a close relationship with residents because she says it helps her maintain her commitment to providing an individual plan of care for them. “No matter how bad their day is, if they See LEPORE, Page F19
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policy. For instance, resident can come to dinner anytime from 4 to 7 p.m., says its former executive director, Debbie Lepore. “The transition took about two weeks working with (Ed and Diane Reese) and it worked. It became a huge marketing plus for this residence,” Lepore says. Working with the residents to accommodate their needs is important to the culture at Briarfield, Lepore says. Being locally owned makes projects like open dining easier to accomplish than with a national company with multiple execu-
BRIARFIELD
tive levels. Whatever a resident’s need, be it physical, social or emotional, Briarfield gives its administration the freedom to create the program necessary to easily accommodate that need, she says. “When I need something or have a concern, I don’t have to fill out 30 acquisition forms,” she says. “I just make a phone call and the answer is always, ‘Whatever the residents need.’ They are great to work for.” That autonomy allows administrators to create an environment where the residents can feel safe and happy. Making decisions for 89 people without their input or the opinions of their families is difficult, she says. By empowering the residents, Briarfield is able to work with
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them and make it feel like home. “You can build a beautiful building, but it’s what comes together inside that makes it a home,” she says. “I think that’s the beauty of a Briarfield assisted living center. There are multiple levels of cognition, physical abilities and social abilities, and they come together and they’re still a family.” This month, Lepore transitioned from Ironwood to her new role as executive director of The Inn at Poland Way. With 13 years of memory care experience from The Inn at Christine Valley, she is prepared for the job and has been building her team. All managerial positions have been filled, and staff is undergoing training and education for memory care, including in-servicing, seminars, handson demonstrations and working with the families who have been caregivers for the residents for years. But what can’t be taught is the first-hand experience, she says. “Memory care education comes from your heart, your face and your hands, because they respond so much more to a smile or a warm hand holding theirs, or a hug,” she says. “My goal is to lead by example. The staff will see what’s important to me and hopefully that becomes important to them.” As committed as Briarfield is to its residents, the company is equally committed to the community, which Lepore says is central to the company’s culture. Ed Reese, CEO of EDM Management, says that commitment to community is something that the Reeses have aspired to since day one. He credits the local communities for Briarfield’s growth and says the company tries to be a part of as many different events as possible. “The communities have been good to us. They trust us with their loved ones and that’s why we can grow,” he says. “Through recommendations from our staff and our residents’ families, we’ve found some good causes that we try to be involved with.” Briarfield has sponsored the Austintown Township fireworks for the last four years, and is the current box office sponsor at the Youngstown Playhouse where residents can enjoy performances. Other sponsorships include: • The Steeple Chase 5K race at St. Christine’s Church • Mill Creek Little League • Grandparents memberships at OH WOW! The Roger & Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science & Technology • Mahoning Valley St. Patrick’s Day parade • Alzheimer’s Association walk • American Heart Association Heart Ball • Sojourner House • And other local initiatives “They’ve become a company that doesn’t want to take from the community, but wants to give back and educate
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the community about what they do,” says Tom Lambert, assistant chief of operations at Lane LifeTRANS. “Seeing them do things for the schools and churches is very impressive because they want to share their success with the community instead of just keeping it to themselves.” Lane provides emergency and nonemergency ambulance transport for all of the Briarfield assisted living and skilled nursing facilities, Lambert says. From transporting residents to doctor appointments and hospital visits, to providing CPR training for Briarfield staff, Lane works closely with Briarfield to ensure the residents are well taken care of. All LifeTRANS ambulances have paramedics, so residents are treated on the way to the hospital with cardiac monitoring and medications. For heart issues, EKGs are transmitted to the hospital ahead of the patient’s arrival. “If we ever have a problem or a concern, (Diane) Reese makes herself available all times of the day and night,” he says. “They’re very accessible to work things out and I don’t usually have to wait for a call back. In return, I give them the same courtesy. “Their example of how to treat residents and their families has educated me a lot on how to treat people who are at that stage in their life,” he adds. “By watching Diane, it made me better at what I do because I now see the whole picture. The resident isn’t just a new admittance. It’s someone who’s coming to stay with them, like a guest in their home.” For that reason, Joseph Lane, president and CEO of Lane LifeTRANS and Lane Family Funeral Homes, selected Briarfield for his mother. “She was like my second mother,” Lambert says. “We chose Briarfield because we knew she would get the treatment and respect that she deserved.”
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both of them attending the funerals.” Slow and Controlled Growth The Reeses designed a business model for controlled growth by putting up facilities where they felt there was a need based on thorough research, which they say has fueled their company’s growth. These opportunities include acquiring Briarfield Health Care Centers in 2003, then adding three assisted living facilities to their portfolio for a total of five. They now employ more than 500 people and have opened the doors of their latest project, The Inn at Poland Way -- an assisted living residence with a dedicated memory care unit . “We are very satisfied with the growth of the company thus far,” says Ed Reese. “We’re improving the facilities that we have and expanding with additional facilities that raise the bar for quality care.” As a locally owned and operated company, EDM has full control over its decisions. That autonomy also helps them provide an environment where their employees can grow and develop lifelong careers, Reese says. “Some of them started in entry level positions and have ascended through the ranks, and now they’re overseeing some of our facilities,” he says. “Most of them have been with us for more than 20 years. We want our directors to feel like they own it too.” Like Diane Reese, many of those employees left national companies, which can often be bought out, leading to constant changes in management, she says. Keeping things local lets employees know
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expected for customer service. “We’re always trying to look past what we do now and adapt to what people think customer service is,” he says. “Above all, it’s important to remember that our residents are individuals. They grew up playing
MCGUIRE Continued from Page F14
the patient to adjust the care plan. This is their new home, and we want to do our best to give them a home-like setting.” Since transitioning to her new role, McGuire has seen some changes to the Manor, including improvements in the sitting areas and in the dining area. The
BRIARFIELD that “we’re here, and we’ll be here tomorrow,” which promotes low turnover. “We’re trying to look out for them. To make sound and good decisions so they have a future, and so they know that the company is in a good place,” she says. “This is not just a job for them. This is their way of life and they have a true commitment to the senior population.” And EDM promotes that commitment by giving its employees everything they need to do their job well, says Ed Reese. The company is constantly providing its employees with training and continuing education so they can further their careers, as well as the necessary medical and dietary supplies to create a safe, dignified environment for their residents. “They need to have a culture of knowing that their employer cares, and that’s what we try to provide,” he says. Part of that means ensuring senior services are properly funded. In 2016, Reese co-chaired the commission that helped to pass a senior-services levy for Mahoning County. Monies from the 1.5-mill, five-year real-estate tax levy help seniors age 60 and up who need special services but have limited personal finances or don’t qualify for Medicaid. The levy will generate some $6 million annually and will benefit more than 10,000 of the county’s senior citizens. Funds pay for services like adult day care, chore services, home repair and maintenance, homemaker services, protective and personal care services, medication management, guardianship, and homedelivered and congregate meals. The levy was presented by the Area Agency on Aging 11 and Compass Family and Community Services. “As the population of Mahoning County ages, this will ensure that nobody goes without needed services,” Reese says.
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sports and hide-and-seek, they had their first kiss, they fell in love and raised families – if you find out a little bit about their lives and what they love to do, it makes a big impact on them. Our job is to provide great, quality meals tailored to the needs and preferences of the people who live here, and getting to know them is a large part of that.”
administrative team continues to work closely together and to brainstorm new ideas, so improvements are a constant thing, she says. Above all, she says maintaining Briarfield’s culture of providing the highest quality standard of care is the most important. She believes that standard will continue with The Inn at Poland Way. “It’s a very exciting time for growth and I think that it will continue,” she says.
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Project architect, Kevin Willis, AIA, and planner, Rod Lamberson, AIA/ ACHA, took six to eight months to design and document the necessary changes to accommodate this residence and population, Strollo says. The project was expected to take 14 months to complete, but with the efforts of the contractors, it was finished in 12. “That’s a credit to the contractor, A.P. O’Horo Co. and their superintendent, Tom Metzinger,” Strollo says. “Most of us are long-standing friends who grew up together. We trust each other based upon several decades of a common commitment to quality and problem solving.” Strollo has worked with the Reeses since 1999 when they built their first assisted living residence – The Inn at Christine Valley. While the buildings change from project to project, he says the one constant has been that EDM staff and management are fully engaged from start to finish with one thing in mind – the safety and quality of care for the residents. With memory care, that adds new challenges that affect the physical design of the building. “The challenges in the design have to do with the acuity level of the resident,” Strollo says. “There are some measureable and common habits of a person with dementia. We tried to have areas in the design where residents could have places of interest or refuge, like an entertainment area or a porch, which keeps them engaged and active to the highest degree possible.” Another issue is the possibility of a resident getting disoriented and walking away, he says. To help prevent that from happening, Willis and Lamberson strategically designed the administration wing, observation areas, and outdoor viewing areas to enhance visibility and security of the residents. Quality furnishings and finishings were also important, Strollo says. The Inn was purposefully designed and finished to create a homelike environment in everything from shape, color, detail and upholstery. Coventry Lighting helped design and coordinate all of the interiors and some of the exterior of the facility, including flooring, paint, wallpaper, furnishings, accessories and lighting. Certain details, like depth perception, had to be considered when designing the interior for memory care residents, says Stephanie Davies, an interior designer with Coventry. “Paint colors and patterns had to be subdued and neutral, because bold stripe patterns could confuse and disorient the resident,” Davies says. “For the memory care unit, we used more of a lighter gray and light blues, greens, creams and
WWW.VINDY.COM beiges; very neutral earth tones. On the assisted living side, we added in some bolder colors, like navy blue and gold.” Diane Reese and Debbie Lepore, the incoming executive director for The Inn at Poland Way, worked directly with Davies on researching appropriate colors and patterns. Coventry’s past work with EDM includes Briarfield Manor, Briarfield at Ashley Circle, The Inn at Christine Valley and The Inn at Ironwood. In keeping with the overall design of those facilities, Davies says The Inn at Poland Way looks “more like an upscale hotel” than an assisted living residence. “Everything resembles a home,” she says. “We make it look like you could move in and it’s going to be comfortable. Even though the fabrics are commercial, the furnishings were designed to look more residential.” Furnishings were designed for comfort and upholstered with durable, nonpermeable fabrics. All lighting is LED to promote energy efficiency and better clarity. Lighting includes all wall sconces and chandeliers, including the six chandeliers in the dining room. Accessories throughout the assisted living include lamps, vases, plants, custom artwork designed by Coventry, and some historical artwork, including images of local landmarks that would be familiar to the residents, like Idora Park. Poland Ways’ exterior uses many of the same colors, forms and details as the other Briarfield locations. Strollo says this will help people to immediately identify The Inn at Poland Way as a Briarfield assisted living, even if they don’t see the sign. “We think that speaks to the commitment to quality and customer satisfaction across all of their properties,” Strollo says. “That’s important. People entrust the Briarfield team with the care of their most loved ones, and my family included. We had complete confidence in them when I moved my mother into The Inn at Christine Valley.” Working with local contractors and architects to design and build Briarfield assisted living residences is important to the Reeses, who try to support local businesses as much as they support their community, says Ed Reese. Working closely with the same people also allows them to continually improve on designs and techniques. “This is the third building that we built with the same general contractor and architect,” Reese says. “With each development you learn something, and I think we’re getting to the point where we’ve got it pretty well perfected. As a matter of fact, we have had discussions regarding other locations like Columbiana and Trumbull counties, as well as out-of-state areas like western Pennsylvania for projects. The Inn at Poland Way is located at 6501 Poland Way, Poland.
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same. It was hard for me to know the difference, as I think it is for most people. In high school, I started to realize that there are multiple levels of care that are provided based on residents’ needs. It became clear that ‘assisted living’ and ‘nursing home’ were not interchangeable terms. Realizing those differences and learning more about them over the last five to 10 years really changed my perspective of the whole range of care that is offered. Q: Was a career in senior care your ultimate goal after graduating college? A: I was always interested in it. I graduated from the College of Wooster in 2014 as a business economics major, and in 2015 I got my master’s degree in finance from Case Western Reserve University. After graduation, I lived Cleveland for a while, but I knew that I wanted to eventually end up back in Youngstown. My dad and I would talk often about what I wanted to do. He told me that Briarfield was growing and he needed the help, and he asked if I wanted to come back home. It was just the right time for me to come back and help out and to be a part of the growth. So in January 2016, I came on as Director of Business Development. I recently received my CEAL (Certified Executive for Assisted Living) certification through the Ohio Health Care Association, which provided me the tools needed to be an assisted living administrator. Q: How have things been going since you accepted the position? What have you learned? A: It’s different every day, so it definitely keeps me on my toes. While I’m focused on pushing development for our business, I’m also responsible for other behind-the-
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don’t feel good or are in pain, they very seldom show it,” she says. “They worry about their friends and their neighbors. They watch out for each other.” Throughout her career, Lepore’s goal has always been to create an environment for individualized care, she says. It begins with getting to know the residents and their families, which helps staff create a care plan for each resident, “because it lets us know what they are still able to do, and what they don’t want you to think they cannot do,” she says. This allows Lepore and her staff to care for the resident in a way that promotes dignity and respect, and lets them be as independent as they want to be, which is at the heart of Briarfield culture.
BRIARFIELD scenes work, including financing, working with the vendors and streamlining general facility operations. I’ve been learning more about the Medicare reimbursement rates and how laws and regulations vary between assisted living and skilled nursing facilities. I’ve noticed that assisted living and skilled facilities are sort of on two wavelengths, so to measure their success you can’t just look at the numbers. Every resident is different and you have to consider the wellbeing of each person. Q: What do you hope to bring to the company? A: I’d like to continue the growth that my parents have enjoyed through the years, especially with The Inn at Poland Way opening its doors. I’d like to find ways to improve efficiency across all of the facilities and find ways to streamline our business operations, that way the administrators can focus even more time on our residents than they already do. Q: What role do you think The Inn at Poland Way will play in Briarfield’s future? A: I think it’s in a great location. We felt there was a need in the Poland area for assisted living and memory care units, and we are confident that The Inn at Poland Way will address those needs. And based on the feedback we’ve already received, we think it could be a starter for further development and economic growth in that area. Q: Are there other niche services beyond memory care that you could see Briarfield including in any future expansion? A: I would say so. Every facility we have is different in its own way as far as what it offers. You have to adapt to the area and to the local market, and what sets us apart is that we know each area very well. By knowing the people in each community, we get a better sense of how to provide services to the area. Being a part of the community is one of the biggest aspects of Briarfield’s culture.
“You have to teach your staff that when you have an extra five minutes, it’s ok to sit and talk to the residents,” she says. “Sometimes, that’s all somebody has to do that day. You might not have a bingo player or someone who’s interested in music or wants to do a craft. But they like to talk and they like somebody to show the interest in them. That’s your job.” Watching out for their needs is just as important and she relies on her team to make that happen. With so many residents with individualized care plans, all members of the staff are vital to the success of the assisted living, she says. “It starts with hiring and with educating, and making your staff know how important they are to the success of an assisted living,” she says. “From the dietary manager to the activity coordinator, everybody bring something to the table to make the vision work.”
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Santon Electric Co. Inc. Residential, Commercial and Industrial Electrical Contractors
We are glad to have been a part of the construction at the beautiful Inn at Poland Way. Congratulations to Briarfield Assisted Living and the A.P. O’Horo Co. on a job well done.
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