Community Commitment at Cadence Kent-Meridian

*The following is the output of transcribing from an audio recording. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors.

Welcome to the answers for elders radio show. meet the trusted experts who will give you straight answers and will help guide you on the path of later life care. Now here’s your host, founder, caregiver and CEO, Susanne Newman, and welcome back to this final segment in our hour, as we have been sharing with the stoff of cadence senior living in Kent Meridian, Washington, and we are here to close out our program with our wonderfulful Tracy Harvey. And Tracy, thank you for introducing us to Nav deep and to Cheffray. They are amazing individuals, so I can’t wait to get down there to see you guys one of these days. I definitely will for sure. So, Tracy, you’ve kind of been with us this hour. Um, you know, one of the things that’s really struck me is how many things that you guys do around the community and I’m just interested in wrapping up this hour, tell us a little bit about your commitment to the commitment community. Absolutely well, it first starts with our team first approach. So we’ve got to take care of our team members and we’ve hired the very best experts in their field, bring that internally and when residents come in and, as not deep explained, there’s a whole assessment that goes into the holistic assessment, not just the physical assessment. So we really want to know the needs and what they um what our residents are interested in so they can pursue their passions and and we can help help them thrive in this environment. So everything we do from a life engagement perspective. We have some wonderful signature programs, but our life engagement team members that I think you’ll meet next week is hopefully is what we’re working on. Um is they customize a program that’s going to meet the needs of residents. So a lot of our current residents Um, they are they love volunteering, they have various rears in their background. So I was just looking outside the door earlier and some of them are helping get ready for our Luau with doing arts and craft kind of decorations that we’re gonna have at our Lua. Um I see them doing that kind of stuff. From volunteering to our gardening program we have a lot of outside volunteers in addition to the internal residents that volunteer their time. So it really is amazing. And then they also come from very active groups, whether it’s in church, with religion, with the Christian Women’s group is very involved, coming to our building now for their meetings, IC Lotary Club that are our executive director is a member of. We’re involved in the Kent Partnership for downtown and the Chamber, and so we really are vested in our Kent Community because our residents lived here their whole lives for the most part, and they’re coming in from outside of Kent too, because they want to be closer to loved ones as well. Sure, sure, and obviously is so, you know, ideally located. There’s so many things around the area and you guys are really involved in a lot of things. I saw in your facebook page which, by the way, if you’re remotely interested in cadence senior living, pop onto cadence’s facebook page. Um, you know, for those of you that do facebook, you guys are posting stuff all the time and stuff you’re doing, and I just saw a golf cart not too long ago. You even had, you know, golf towels with your logo on it. So you guys don’t do things halfway. You really jump in with both feet. We should do. We were very proud sponsored our first time but um, that was for a wonderful cause, veteran cause. Um, so for the veterans through the Kent the Meridian Valley Country Club, and we sponsored a couple of holes and that’s where cheffray was able to present her beef brisket sliders and she had some special homemade barbecue sauces that if you come for a tour you’ll get a little sample to take home with you. That it was absolutely fabulous and the t and the folks we met, I’ve already had calls from them because, you know, they just honestly are glad to know that there’s a new retirement living community and there are absolutely absolutely and and certainly so much involved in the fabric and culture of Kent, which you know that Kent is has really come into its own. I remember way back when, you know, in the early days. Of course I’m older now, so but it’s really become this amazing community and I was there not too long ago, probably about maybe three or four months ago, and it’s just it was amazing to see that. You know how it’s grown and and you know a lot about the community and as far as your Um accessibility, you’re not far off of by five, are you? You are, you were very close. Yeah, I mean it’s a real and being a driver right by the can high school and we’re right behind it. We overlook their baseball field. So becoming close friends with them and I a shout out to them for their coaches are very, very receptive to us being here. I want their kids to be able to volunteer here and their teams building a nice relationship there. Not only that, is our residents, some of them were alumni or their kids alumni, so they love watching the ball field. Of course they happen behind us. So there’s always there’s just so much. But we’re right off of what we’re it’s what called is called one of four, used to be Benson road, and so, yeah, it’s a it’s a great place. We’d love for everyone to visit us. So in our last few minutes I really want to touch on your team. Um, tell us, I mean, how is your team made such an amazing difference in in your community? Well, are, I have to say. You know, having a team first approach is so important in the climate that we’re in now because, Um, if without them we couldn’t operate a fabulous community like we have. So it starts with our executive director, Monica Wrangel, that will also have a session with, hopefully soon, and she is a fabulous leader that is as symboled a team that’s committed and dedicated and passionate to residents, and I think can um proper itself has enjoyed us coming in because these teammates don’t have to now travel out for a real age. They can stay here and local and be close. And we also believe in family and we have wonderful benefits and different programs that really Um, I think, inspire our teammates to be the best. So that is really why we have the great team we have, because they are truly skilled in their area of expertise and they have such a great synergy. YEA Well, and I’ve really noticed that you guys definitely hire the best of the best. I mean, you know, with the the history and the experience of both Um the team members that we met today, I’m sure that there’s just this element of the standards that you keep and of course that goes through how your residents are treated in the culture and and you used to term earlier and I would love to close on this Um inspired living. That’s what that means. It’s basically our ownership. Is An amazing duo that came together over five years ago. I wanted to have a modern approach to senior living and do something different. So really inspired living is maybe the best way to look at as a vibrant way of life. We want to be able to tap into what the residents needs are from a holistic perspective and provide services around that. So it may be the sort of services if it’s assistant living, or if they want to come in and have total control and just travel the world lardlier to take care of things for them so they don’t have to worry about it. Yeah, and I love the fact that you know, when we talked a little bit about the values of your residents, so meeting those values of you know, it’s important for me to live a holistic lifestyle. It’s important for me to live pain free. So there’s gonna be different values for people that maybe you can find that integration that gives the best quality of life and you have the experts there and then, I’m sure you do have, you know, connections to other resources within the community. Is that? Is that correct? Absolutely, and I was gonna end on the fact that we are their resource. So the family speak with you know, I we want to be that resource and helping them through this whole navigate the journey, whether whatever there needs. Maybe so Um, if we don’t have it, if the answers, will find some answers for them. But most importantly, I think people don’t really realize what they don’t know. So getting educated and listening and coming in for a tour and having lunch really doesn’t hurt anyone to come and hear what it’s all about. So if someone wants to come in for a tour, first of all there’s I’m just gonna tell you right now. There’s no obligation. You’re not you’re not going to be forced to do anything you don’t want to do and but certainly to give an idea, even if you’re not ready yet. I think it’s important that we all, as individuals, kind of start preparing ourselves for what could be down the road. You know, five years from now. We don’t necessarily know what’s what’s Today and we’re not ready, but it’s nice to be able to have some sort of a frame of reference that says, Oh, I can see how I can make that transition in the future, and you encourage people to do that. Is that not right? Sure Do. Yeah, just call me at two, five, three, three, one, two. We’ll give you a tour. There is no obligation and it isn’t the other big thing I was noticing myself yesterday talking to families about is it’s month, a month. It’s not like you’re coming in and buying a mortgage. Yeah, yeah, we have to plan ahead, but at the same time people were quite stunned that they get all the services and support there a month option. Yeah, well, and I also love the fact that you know you have that flexibility. And so if I come in for a tour, if we come in for a tour, they’re gonna call Tracy. What do they expect when they get there? Um, they were just all we do, we are kind of asking them to do with use safety screening. When you come in, just a check the temperature, for a couple of questions and then we’ll you’ll be greeted by our fabulous concierge, Um, and it’s a gentleman either named Mario or a Valdor, and she’ll give you a quick, uh, you know, scan and then get in touch with us and we’ll meet you and greet you and give you a fabulous tour and maybe have lunch too, if you’d like. That would be wonderful. Yes, and so, Tracy, I know that for those of you, if you have questions or anything like that, to either pick up the phone or look on the website, and we’re gonna give out at the end of this interview today. But think about your future, think about your quality of life today and how much better could your quality of life be if, number one, you didn’t have to go grocery shopping all the time, you didn’t have to think about running errands and taking care of things in your house and House maintenance and, you know, yard work and all the things that go on in the world that you know in your life right and so we’re excited, obviously, to be able to provide these resources for younger seniors, but also maybe you’re really vibrant but you have a spouse that might need a little bit of support. This is an ideal situation where you guys can both live the best quality of life possible, and I think that’s the most important Um message for today and I have no doubt that your community with your teammates are amazing. So thank you so much for being with us, Tracy. Now how do we reach you one more time? Website and phone. They’re going to get the number right. Two, by three, five and get in touch at cadence can already in dot com. Wonderful, Tracy. Thank you so much for being on the program one more time and we look forward to having you back again soon. And for each and every one of you out there, we hope you’re having a glorious summer in the beauty, Beautiful Pacific northwest and if you’re listening to us somewhere across the world, Um, we’re glad you’re with us and know that we’re always here to educate and to inspire each and every one of you, just like what cadence does. Thank you again, Tracy, and to all of you, be good to each other. We it answers for elders. Thank you for listening. Did you know that you can discover hundreds of podcasts in our library on senior care? So visit our website and discover our decision guides. That will help you also navigate decision making. Find US answers for elders. Doctor M