Live Event: MorningStar of Kirkland, WA, with Janet Sederquist

*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 everyone to our final segment of this hour. As we are sitting here in this most beautiful community, and for those of you that can hear the noise in the background, let me tell you something. This place is lively, it’s fun, it’s fresh, it’s inviting and there’s all different types of wonderful things. I know I have a friend right now, actually a family member, on a tour and he still hasn’t emerged yet, so he’s having it some some fun somewhere, and I’m here, finally, with the woman that makes everything happen around here, the executive director, Janet Cedar. Chris quizt and Janet, welcome to answers for elders radio. Thank you. I feel like we’re already good friends because we’ve met before and we had a chance to get to know each other and I’m so glad that you’re here on the show to talk a little bit about your journey and what brought you in the morning star. Um, I would thank you so much for having us. Um. I was in another industry a few years ago, travel, hospitality and tourism for twenty five years and segued into senior living about five years ago and was in assisted living being the executive director and Um had a recruiter calling me three times a day for about three weeks and then I want to do I was so immersed in running the other operation during covid and I finally called her back and I said what, what is this about? And she said I just think I have the perfect fit for you, and I talked with her more. I got on Morning Star’s website and you were not living here. I live in Oregon at the time, right, Um, and had been to Kirkland about thirty years ago, so I was a little familiar with it. But Um, yeah, she the more I talked with her and they flew me back for an interview to Denver, our Home Office, and I just felt with each conversation I had with the regional vice presidents and then with Ken Yeager, our founder, I just felt like it was a really good fit and so I made the move in October. Well, welcome to uh, you know, puge sound, thecome to the Greater Seattle area. I’ve actually been trying to get here for thirty years. You’re here, you’re here now, and you’re here with an amazing organization in a beautiful setting and I cannot even imagine, you know, what it must be like to come to work here every day and to represent, you know, such an incredible big vision as morning star has. Um. What is it like for you kind of be the the you know, the guide post, the guide, the ringleader? Um, sometimes really fun. As any any executive director, we have challenges and we have great days, Um, but overall it’s the team that makes them happen and we’re all here for different reasons, but ultimately it’s serving serving our seniors. So you have a personal story yourself? I do. I do. It was taking care of my own mother several years ago. Um, I was looking for a change of career and Um, it was actually her doctors that recommended. Hey, have you talked to senior living company? I think with all of your management background, you might be a really good fit, because I really did enjoy taking care of my mother like I did. So it ended up being a really good fit with my management background and yet finding way to serve our seniors. Sure. And I think the other thing, the other side of it, which is really important, is the UM. So many of us that are in this industry come by way of our own personal stories. Um. You know, I think one of the things each one of your team members Um shared their stories and I think that that’s so important. And the fact that you do have a personal connection and a personal connection to our older adults and who they are. And and obviously that really puts you in a position of a keener and greater awareness of what families are facing, what they’re dealing with, Um, how to navigate the daunting world of elder care. Sometimes there’s all types of questions that families are asking you, I’m sure, every day. So your role as an executive director, obviously you ever see all the functions of the community. Janet, what gives you the most um joy every day in your talk? Well, any time we have to spend any time with Um our seniors, you get emotional, and I get emotional because I think is something that’s very near and dear to my heart and and you know, every day I always feel like when I’m serving my seniors and when I’m talking to people and getting a message out. It’s like, you know, there’s something exciting about being in our industry where you feel like you’re making a difference every day, and how often in a job, in a profession, do you ever feel that way? And I know there’s probably a lot of people out this in the community. They’re looking for their next quote unquote, job in the world. The Nice thing about this industry is we are so supported to one another. I don’t care if you’re in morning star or the community down the street. We support each other because we’re all on the same train and we are constantly a resource for someone that may or may not move in, but a family member may have questions and I have always opened my door or my phone too, if you have any needs, any questions about it, because elder care is a daunting task. It’s overwhelming when you start the search, whether it’s for yourself or whether it’s for a loved one, it is overwhelming. You kind of don’t know where it starts. So we always are our doors are open for any kind of information that you may need. So the point is to all of our listeners out there start looking and it may mean three years from now that you’re not going to move or five years from now that you’re not going to move, but at least you start marinating on an idea, Um, that I might want to make that transition. Nobody’s going to ever force you to do something you don’t want to do. It’s going to be an easy process and I think that’s one of the things that if you feel like senior living is right for you, Um, there’s incredible resources and, of course, this community is independent living, which means you’re not when you walk in you don’t see walkers, you don’t see wheelchairs, you don’t see that type of the Syn area. It’s it’s really a vibrant, active community. Um. But there are services that can come in. Can you tell me a little bit about how that works? Right, while we don’t have healthcare per se and caregivers and a nursing department, we have health providers that are partnerships. The resident can contract or hire those services independently. So we support them. We give them the resources to be able to choose and select who they would like to assist. Someone may get out of the hospital and just need an extra couple of weeks of care. And while we don’t we have eyes on and we have an emergency call system in our all of our apartments, we do not provide the one on one care. That’s where our partners come in, that they have the opportunity to contract with them a little bit of extra care. So you partner with like home care agencies like Um um physicians, traveling physicians, and Jennifer talked a little bit about dispatch help Um, you know. So another word. You bring in people that are all independent, which is a great concept too, because it helps keep your living expenses. You know, you’re not paying for something you’re not getting unless you need it right right? Is that kind of the concept? Yes, exactly. But one of the things we do have on site is, Oh, and our rehab. We actually have a physical therapist, honest, it’s awesome, Monday through Friday, which works directly with Medicare and directly with the residents doctor to obtain a prescription for physical therapy and they don’t need to leave the community for that. She is on site Monday through Friday and provides some of our fitness classes as well as our strength and balance balance and she also in our saltwater pool. She also provides water walking and some of our fitness classes as perfect. Yes, yes, and so obviously, Um, you guys right now are giving tours. Tell us a little bit about what happens on a tour. Well, we have um a wide range of things to see, but you meet with our director of community relations, Jennifer Ashley, and they really sit and talk with the family or the person to hear whether it’s for them or whether it’s for a loved one, and really finding out and talking with them a little bit more about what they’re looking for. That way we can tailor the tour to their needs. They may be looking for UM activities socializations, so focus in on that on the tour. or or it’s just the apartment. They want to share size and they want a brand new apartment that no one’s ever Um lived in. Or they are they only want to know about the pool. So we know it’s really nice. Yeah, it’s really nice to think about your living in a brand new apartment that nobody else has lived in. I mean this community is brand spanking news. It’s February of two so to see and be in a in a gorgeous building. This oh my gosh, and when I walked in, it’s like there’s the fireplace, there’s the grand piano, there’s all different types of things. We’re sitting right now again today in the Bistro and for those of you that are watching us on Youtube, there’s a fireplace in the background. So beautiful. So, Janet, how do we reach you? You can reach US my phone. It’s four to five, nine seven, nine five, six to six, or by our website, morning star senior living dot com. And Janet, thank you so much for bringing your team together. You’re so welcome. We’ve been honored to have you well, I want to come back definitely and I will come back if you’ll let me’re welcome. So and for all of you again who are listening to the program when you call Um, let let them know, Um, where you heard the message, when they where you, who you heard of Um with, because we obviously want to support and we want to get your feedback. What did you think of this beautiful community? And we’re very excited at it, obviously, to have you guys on the show and again for our listeners, that number. Please call four to five nine seven, nine, five, six two six and set up an appointment just to take a tour and have lunch. They’ll treat you, and that’s morning. Star senior living DOT COM, and be sure to tell us how you heard about it. Yes, absolutely, and to each and every one of you, have a wonderful week and until next time, 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 AND ANSWERS FOR ELDERS DOT COM.