Koelsch Communities Part 2, with Aaron Koelsch

*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.

The following is a podcast from a qualified senior care provider part on the answers for elders radio show. And welcome everyone back to answer for elder’s Radio Network and we are here with a very, very special guests, the CEO of celts communities, Mr Aaron Kelt, and Aaron, your story the last hour. For those of you if you may have missed it, make sure you catch the podcast on because it’s so important. I think that his set up a framework and a balance of your whole culture and your values, and one of the things that I when you go on your website, your values are interwoven into every single thing that you do and I was so impressed right, you know, just reading so much about your organization. Tell us a little bit, Aaron. How did all that start and you know what made that kind of that framework so prevalent? Yeah, again, I’ll go and say that that it really starts with how we were raised, our parents. Again, we’re raised in the part of the greatest generation during the depression. They had work ethic. I was on a phone call with a guy this more is that I described your style. Are It as the roll up your sleeves and get involved and get in the middle of things a mat. I think that’s true. We are in our communities, we know our employees. I text I saw an employee of bars in Sacramento, California, just yesterday. She was during a family and she was saying, Hey, this is our owner. We’re in touch a lot, and I said, in fact, Terry, when is the last time you got an email from you? And she said three o’clock this morning. I said exactly, so I just we’re in the middle of everything. We do have to delegate after we get a certain size, for sure, but we are in our communities, we know our communities and we’re really proud to do so. Our common purpose is this. We create happiness by providing the finest living experiences anywhere. We believe the term happiness is the right term. I think there’s all kinds of happiness has sus and I think there’s a happiness when you walk into Disneyland, which is a certain type of happiness. I think when a family member comes to me and says your community was not here until a year ago, it is now here, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with my mother and what the answers were and then you arrived and now I have answers and tears are streaming down their eyes. That’s a type of happiness. It’s a different type of happiness than going to Disneyland, but it’s still happiness. It’s a relief happiness, and so we like that term, that we provide happiness by providing the finest living experiences anywhere, and we think that is a good summation of what we do. You know, it’s God. Yes, it’s interesting what you’re saying about that, because I often will say to families are providers that I talked to, what do you think? The number one question that every family member has in their mind, and this goes right back into and that is people all say, Oh, well, cost are what kind of community is like? No, it is. Can I trust you? Yes, it’s like that trust factor with the family is so vitally important and to understand that you’re an organization that not only recognizes that but takes it to the next level. It’s not so much about yes, their needs are going to be provided, that’s the safety security, but that I think of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and how those things it’s like the self actualization every individual that lives in your community there is clear to me. Number One. Yes, all their needs are taken care of, but there’s this element of dignity, respect and self actualization making them feel like they have a purpose, and I think that’s one of the things that a lot of times, especially those that are dealing with mobility issues or feeling more vulnerable, that’s the thing that the magic, I think that you guys tend to bring. Thank you. You remind me of a book that we require all of our managers to read when they come to work with colch and so I give out hundreds of these and it’s a book that affirms some things in my life, but really change altered my life a little bit, and it’s called the Gogiver and I would recommend it to anybody. It encapsulates so much of what you just said right there. It’s a wonderful book about the importance of making sure other people’s needs are met first before your own if you’re going to have influence with people, and there is that’s exactly what you were talking about. It also then speaks that informs our core values. I won’t read all of our core values, but I’ll just tell you our number one core value and that is to treat all people with dignity and respect. And when we say that Susan we are not necessarily talking about treating our residence with dignity respect, although yes, we must. We are first and foremost talking about how we treat each other as co workers at Colch and has to start with me at has to start with me. If it doesn’t, it won’t mean anything to anybody when we read it and inform me. You know you say these things and yet your industry specifically has gone through a horrific ordeal with this pandemic. I mean it’s has us to have been. I know with the senior living industry it’s been overwhelming, and for you guys to I’m sure there’s so many days that are stressful and frustrating and people are overworked and working sometimes double shifts and all kinds of things. And yet to keep that value as the center Coret of everything to me speaks volumes of what’s so important. I’ll agree with you that two hundred and twenty was the most difficult year I’ve had forty four years for so many of us, but I think you know absolutely it’s just been one of these challenges. I think that we all, you know, work towards in the very best that we can. But on the other hand it’s like wow, you know, to have that. So obviously your your values can also be very innovative, because you’ve been doing things like we talked a little bit about the memorabilia and this surprises, you know, but you do things in a way I think that’s really unique in in the industry. And you know, how does that? How do your values, I guess, factor into how you operate things? Is that kind of a mixed up question that? No, I don’t think so. I’ll tell but I’ll take my best shot at that. Okay, look, were in an industry and a business and as certainly is how we make our living. Those no doubt about it. First of all, we we think that we are profitable when we love, and we use that word openly and a lot, when we love each Resonan and this is as equally important, and their family members when they walk through the doors. Not just the resident important, not just the resident we’re serving, it is their family. there. You mentioned your own experience. They’re confused. What are we doing? How do we do it? How much will it cost? Can I trust you, and the list goes on. So our job, our number one job, we I say it off, our number one job, is to love families and their are residents in their families when they walk the door. That’s how we make our living. You know, it’s so interesting you say that because when I was taking care of my mom, my biggest support network was the nurse, it was her care, you know, care manager, it was the you know, the social workers, all the different the caregivers, all of those people that she worked that took care of her. Yes, they were my support network and when she passed away it was like they were all gone. You know, that’s how it felt and I had all of a sudden find a way to get back to healing in my own way. That was a shock, but then I did realize just how import that that core staff was to me as a caregiver, and I think that’s really important. Well said. I I agree. The only thing else I’ll say about Kellison. I don’t want to tie up too much time on that subject, but part of that treating others with dignity respect is that Kelch is known for our what we call hope, growth and opportunity. We can only care for your mother as well as our best caregiver on the floor or our best nurse. So I long ago have not stopped giving direct care to people. I’m not on the floor every day as would be expected. So having a pathway for their success, and we call hope, growth and opportunity. One example of that, and then I’ll give you I’ll stop, is we have a I call him a young man, but today he’s forty five, has two children who are in high school. But I’ve known in since he was fifteen years old. He was a part time dishwasher for us. He was outstanding. We promoted him to the director of his departments at eighteen, unheard of. Wow, look initiative and have to be told. At nineteen we moved him to another state to run two communities for us in the food and Beverage Department area. When he was twenty one he moved back to California, which where his home was. He wanted to get home and at twenty two we promoted him to an executive director and today he is a area director for us, one of our highest paid employees in the entire company. He does not have a day of college, but he has a wealth of very deep experience in our industry and knows how to run a proper community because she has done it from the ground level up. That is an example of what we call hope, growth, an opportunity that’s amazing and passion for you know what he does, I mean, and that’s the thing. It’s like. You know, you recognized something within him and gave him the opportunity to flourish, and that’s what everybody wants. Again, it’s having that ability to grow and to nurture yourself and your staff, and obviously that’s why you are so amazing and and you do that. You know. The other thing is to love individuals. Sometimes it’s really difficult with Alzheimer’s dimension. We’re going to talk a little bit in our next segments just about Kelch communities, the different levels of care that you guys offer. And so, in the meantime, Aaron, how do we reach to? Absolutely one phone number you can always reach us and if we will connect you wherever you would like to go, is three hundred and six zero, eight, six, seven, one nine, zero zero, and we will connect you wherever you would like to go. Our Web site is wwwe Kelch Communitiescom Kelch, Koel Sch communitiescom wonderful and everyone. We’re looking forward to just having Aaron talked to us a little bit about memory care, about senior living options, different types of locations that you’re located in. I know that Kelch communities, even though they’re based right here in Olympia, Washington, there are communities throughout the United States and eight states. So chances are that for those of the you that are listening you will find one semi close to you, and so we’re looking forward again to having Aaron back in our next segment coming up right after this answers for elders radio show with Suzanne Newman. Hopes you found this podcast useful in your journey of navigating senior care. Check out more podcasts like this to help you find qualified senior care experts and areas of financial, legal, health and wellness and living options. 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