Live Event: MorningStar at Hillsboro Opens, with Maurea Kyioi

*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, Susan Newman, and welcome back everyone, to answers for alders radio network. And we are so glad you’re here. We’re glad you’re here to be a part of an amazing event that’s going on and Hillsboro, Oregon today, a grand opening for a brand new community, morning star senior living in Hillsboro, Oregon. And that’s right outside of Portland, near Beagerton, your Nike territory. Oh yeah, and until you can’t forget, a yes, and until that’s right. So we’ve been talking to the senior stop of Morning Star in Hillsboro and we are here with a business office manager, and that is Morea Kioe. Did I say it right? Yeah, and Maria, you are being the business officer office manager. Tell us a little bit about what that role is. Absolutely. So I kind of like to say that I’m a little bit of a Jack of all trades. MMM. So, on paper, I handle the billing and I do the hiring of the team members here and in partnership with my executive director, Matt, and then also I assist with all of like the accounts payable and the accounts receivable stuff, which doesn’t necessarily involve the residents directly. But basically I helped Matt and I’m in charge of the building in the sense that making sure operations are are good to go. Probably deal with the vendors and all, yes, people that serve your community and different things like that. Yes, and then obviously when it comes time for somebody to move in, then there’s that financial peace. Correct, correct, decry? Tell us a little bit of do a little bit about that. So before we get into that, Maria, how did you get into the senior every thing wrong. Oh my gosh. So actually morning star is the only senior living company that I have worked for. Yeah, so I’ve worked for them for four years, going on four years. Actually, it’ll be four years in October. I moved back. So I went to college in Minnesota and then moved back to be closer to family. That was really important to me. So I was born and raised here and then morning star of Beaverton was opening up down the street from my house, so I would went drive by it all the time. You know, I would joke with my friends we were trying to figure out what it was going to be, because this was like bare bones that we were talking and then finally they put up the sign that just said Morning Star. That was their first community in Oregon. So I was curious, so I googled what they were and it turns out that this is four years ago. This was four years ago. Yeah, so googled what they were and there was a little advertisement that popped up that says we’re hiring. So I just submitted my name, ended up talking to the team and and just fell in love with the Morning Star Vision and the Morning Star Foundation and seeing how passionate that team was about what they were building. You know, I wanted to be a part of that. Yeah, so got hired actually as a concierge for the opening of that building and got that building through that process. Yeah, so you kind of come up through the ranks. A lot that have. Yeah, and I actually also helped open up our happy valley building as well. So this is my third one. My goodness. Well, yeah, for you. Thank you. So now you’re kind of managing all the the office side. So you ran. You really have a big job now. Yes, a lot of responsibility, a lot of responsibility, but with that it comes, you know, a lot of happiness for me, you know, it’s I really love seeing, you know, all the smiles here every day from the team members and the residence and knowing that I’m a part of that. It just makes you feel so valued and you know that’s so important nowadays. It’s not something you find in a lot of places. So, yeah, hence why I’m here. So obviously there’s this misconception out there that that buildings like this is like super expensive, because you walk through and you see the grand piano and the fireplace and all the fancy, you know, a coutrements and food and full bar and all these things, you know, and you kind of go, wow, I could never afford that, but it’s really not that expensive to live in a place like this. Correct, Marian, would you kind of fill a little bit about how is pricing work and see you a living? But yeah, absolutely, so basically kind of the saying for US and other companies as well. As you know, we’ve thought of everything so that you don’t have to. Yeah, so, yes, on paper. Sometimes there is a little bit of a sticker shock, not just with with us as well, you know, just around the industry, but when you start to get through all of the amenities that come with that and you know you’re not just renting a room with us, you’re renting the entire building. Right. It’s just one specific spot that you can sleep. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So, you know, we’re talking about housekeeping services weekly for some buildings you are your laundry also gets done once a week. You know, here at Hillsboro we’ve got the pool, that exercise room. You know this. This entire building is is yours when you move in. And so the food as well. To you know, we have a whole meal point system here. That is included in that price. We cover all your utilities. So if you really sat down and you know, and we have, you know, did the man exactly when you do the math and you you look at what you’re paying now separately through multiple different vendors versus what is all inclusive in our price here. Plus you’re getting community, you’re getting socialization, which is so important after sixty five it’s very important. That exactly it needs to be because you know, we know that. You know, the more isolation someone passed, the more that their brain doesn’t get used, and that signals a higher risk for Alzheimer’s Dementia. Absolutely so. And TV ain’t it? Yeah, you having to think for yourself, right, so to understand a little bit about how a community like this works. It’s a better quality of life for that reason. But I think the other thing is is, as you get older, you tend not to maybe cook the most healthiest meals, you tend not to have the most positive quality of life, right, and you burden with all this responsibility. You’re still living independently and a lot of over fifty five people on the age and I’m sixty six. A lot of us are sitting, you know, with our homes and we’re thinking, oh my gosh, you know, I need a new roof on my house, I need to get it. You know my garden taken care of. You know I’ve got home maintenance repairs, all these things that go on in everyday life. Those things add up, not to mention just really the the more and more that you let things go, the more and more things cost. Right. So obviously when you start looking at that, so tell us a little bit like your you have studios, when bedrooms and two bedrooms, correct, if I seem to remember correct. Yes, now tell us a little bit about where did the rental rates start, for sure? Yeah, so we start at three thousand six hundred a month. Nothing. Yeah, for our studios. Yeah, and then, of course the prices vary as you get to the one bedrooms and the two bed shorts, and then, you know, as you go up in the floors or if you want like a balcony or a certain type of you. So, so there is a lot that you know, factors in. So really we have a price for everybody. You know, if you have a budget, we’ve got a room. It’s just a matter of working with the team and figuring out how we can how we can mesh the team. Yeah, and then, obviously we just met with your wonderful chef. Yeah, and he’s talking about like that fine dining room and all the different types of amenities here, and those are extra charge. But the thing is they’re not like you’re going to go down to the restaurant right when you’re going to pay probably a lot less money just to have a higher quality of life. And he was telling me that they’re that they change the menu help once a week, correct. So all of a sudden you it’s not like you get tired going to the same place, are having the same dish. It’s like you have a different opportunity to have something. It’s pretty awesome exactly, and I to think you know that customer service aspect for us to is is so very unique. You know, we have we’re serving the same people every day. So you really build those relationships between our culinary team and and the residence as well. So you know, special moments that I’ve seen that some of our other buildings too, is, you know, we know your drink order before you even sit down, so it’s they’re ready for you and then their phone. Yeah, just creating as wow moments are residents and us being able to build those relationships is is something that is so unique to our industry and something that I wouldn’t give up ever. So I’m sure you have residents come in and say, you know, it’s really important to me to have this once a week. Maybe it’s a something obviously you guys will will bend over backwards to try to do to accommodate that resident. How does that? I mean, I’m kind of being general, but is there an accommodation as your belt, as you’re billing someone to say, you know, we could do that, but it’d be an extra charge. Do you have that type of a like a concier type program? Yeah, we do. We do. So we have what we call, you know, those extra services, as extra amenity, like maybe I want to have my apartment clean twice a week. In correct. Yeah, so we can. We can do absolutely. If you need added housekeeping, we can do that right now. As independent living, you know, your linen laundry is included in your relst amazing, right, but your personal laundry is not. But it’s that is something you need. Absolutely, we can. We can make it work. But the units have Washington drier in the correct that’s not correct. So correct. Obviously. There’s also, let’s just say, for example, if someone needs a little bit of Home Care, you can actually have home care agencies come in, yes, and help them. Absolutely, do you, and you helped, I’m sure, to cooperate with that type of the program for we do. Yeah, we have a couple people that you know, my team and I have worked with before. So we that. You know, they come highly recommended. Were comfortable with them. We know them, we have a great relationship with them, but also knowing residents. Some of them already have that established is their own home, and then they would be able to continue it with that same service, that’s same company which with us. Yes, and then, you know, it’s just far. Is like families. I always say it’s such a great peace of mind to think about if mom or dad were here in an organization, you know, like this, where there’s people around them all the time. They’re not sitting by themselves, but they’re also have people that are trained professionals that can maybe sense if something’s not quite right or something like that. So those are important things as well. Is having that, you know, that caring. I exactly make sure that they all are doing things and that they’re feeling included, and I think that’s important as well. Yes, yeah, those trainings especially to you know, that’s part of my job as well, making sure that not only is my team trained and certified in certain aspects, but also that they feel comfortable so they can respond into to an emergency, because being comfortable and confident is critical. You know, it’s one thing to just go through the trainings and watch the trainings and then on paper know what to do, but then that’s one of my focuses, as well as making sure that people you know in reality, like, are you comfortable if this happens? Do you want more training? What do you need for me? You know, how do we get there? Perfect kind of thing somewhere. I’m so glad you spent this time with me. Now, how is someone’s interested in coming here? How do we reach you? Absolutely yeah. So we’ve got a website morning start, senior Livingcom. So that’s where you can go on and you can click on our specific hills world page and we’ve got our number posted there. Uh Huh. You can reach me directly from that number. I have got twenty four hour conciers and they always know exactly and that’s fine. And you know what, that’s a really good point to start saying. You know, this is I want a two bedroom place. I don’t even know how where this begins. Let’s talk to Maria and find out really what the ranges, what’s available, kind of thing, and and then if it’s makes sense, then you can pass that over to a community relationship director at that time. Absolutely yeah. We’re so glad that you’re here with and thank you so much for spending the time with thing pleasure and we’re going to be back with more. Right after this. We at 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 guys. 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