Hi again…
I’m Douglas.
Twenty years ago, on my very first visit to a senior community, I met an assisted-living resident named Charlie. Before the visit, I was on the cusp of learning how important the senior living profession was but it was that meeting when I discovered that senior living would be my new passion and my future. You could say, Charlie changed my life.
Little did I know what a wild ride it would be for the next two decades of my career.
The profession has evolved a bit since then. To say it has grown is an understatement. Acuity is higher than ever and so are lofty expectations of hospitality. That combination is fierce.
Expenses are higher than ever and so are rent rates. The struggles are real and it’s harder than ever to thrive. Personally and professionally.
Generating census growth and achieving NOI goals in a newly acquired outdated community presents different challenges than creating a stable team and a positive culture in a newly opened luxury building in a saturated market.
Sprinkle in the occasional hurtle like a wildfire, bed bugs, natural fire, a staffing crisis, and a pandemic and you’re stretched as a leader and you make some discoveries about yourself.
Like you and others, I was forced to look at my overall life symmetry (or lack thereof) from a new lens. I didn’t like what I saw, so I made conscious changes.
Will you struggle or will you thrive?
Will you do it alone or will you ask for help?
The peaks are high, and the valleys are low.
Like you, I’ve hired, I’ve fired. I’ve promoted and demoted. The range of emotions that come along with influencing a person’s career is quite vast.
Changing the life of a new resident and supporting their family through the complex geriatric healthcare system is quite rewarding. Evicting a resident for non-payment or a higher level of care never is.
Most people with enough sense wouldn't ride this roller coaster but here we are. In it together.
This leads me to where I am today, refined in my specialties.
With a lack of talent in the market, I desire to pay it forward and groom the next generation of leadership. Identifying the underdog, mentoring them, positioning them for growth, and watching them blossom fills me with pride.
My purpose now isn’t to provide direct care but to influence a resident’s daily life by growing the talent that surrounds them.
The gratification from achieving desired change quickly and influencing tangible results in a newly opened or struggling community is also a pinnacle of pride in our space. I enjoy supporting community operations on a short-term basis in a consulting or interim capacity.
Senior living is all I know, It’s in my heart.
We’re in it together and I look forward to sharing and comparing.
