Arbor Terrace Mountainside Senior Care Counselor Joan Aranzullo has been part of the Arbor team for nearly three years, starting as a move-in coordinator when the community was still under construction. She previously served for five years as a front desk receptionist with another senior living community, where she worked closely with marketing and sales and naturally bonded with all the residents and families.
When asked about her secret for forming deep connections with Arbor Terrace Mountainside residents and families, Joan says, “The key to deep connections is in the rich stories. I am genuinely interested in hearing the colorful stories about our residents’ past lives, passions and accomplishments. They sense my authenticity, and it creates an instant bond.”
Joan describes the time she spends hearing these stories as amazing, even if it can sometimes be hard to reconcile the senior sitting in front of her with the remarkable lives they once lived 40 to 50 years earlier.
“Considering the average age of our new residents is 85, it can sometimes be hard to picture them in the roles they describe. However, I feel fulfilled and lucky to be able to offer families quality care and engagement options like ours for their golden years,” said Joan.
She believes the Senior Care Counselor role is critical, because families are coming to you with a need, and the counselor has the opportunity to build deep connections around their story. This means tailoring their care plan around not only who they are and their specific needs today but taking the time to understand who they were for the majority of their lives.
The team is committed to getting the residents talking at every interaction, so bits of these life stories are relayed through every phase of the process, from preliminary paperwork to move-in, as well as while later managing the emotion of transition.
“It’s really very simple,” says Joan. “Check in on people often and listen in a way that expresses your genuine care and concern for their well-being. They feel it and will respond every time. So that residents feel safe and cared about, I make it known that my cellular phone can be dialed at any time if a need or concern arises.”
Joan and the staff at Arbor Terrace Mountainside have observed how the residents’ life stories continue to unfold as they settle in and get engaged. Paying attention to the history of residents has become the team’s superpower in cultivating a community that honors both the life they have lived and the person they are today.
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