Membership News

On July 13 we held our latest Regional Connection meeting. We met with members from the Berkshires and Central Valley regions of Massachusetts. Topics of conservation centered around improving censuses, the resumption of recertification surveys, vaccine acceptance and hesitancy, plus much more.

Save the Date – The next Regional Connections virtual meeting is scheduled for October 20, from 9:15-10:30 a.m. This meeting will be for the Central Mass and Metro West regions. You can sign up here.

Senior Living Residences (SLR) of Braintree MA announced that Partner Tadd Clelland has assumed the role of President & CEO. Tadd has been with SLR since in 2005 and has served as Partner since 2007 overseeing all aspects of operations for the firm’s portfolio of 17 communities across New England. “For 25 years my focus has been to shape assisted living operations to enhance residents’ quality of life and create a positive work culture for our employees. I was fortunate to find an organization and a partner, Robert Larkin, that shared my values. Being a part of SLR has provided me the ability to innovate and develop a company culture that has put us at the forefront of our industry,” remarked Clelland. Former President Robert Larkin founded SLR in 1990. He will remain actively involved in the company as Managing Partner & General Counsel.

Forestdale Park Senior Living residents have had a busy late summer with many fun and different activities. Some of them went to Kelly’s Roast Beef on Revere Beach and the reason they went wasn’t roast beef sandwiches it was for some incredible looking lobster rolls! What is better than a delicious meal by the beach? Recently they held a successful bake sale with the profits going to the Alzheimer’s Association. The “Forestdale Fighters” will be walking on September 26 to end Alzheimer’s. Good luck and have a wonderful time.

Standish Village recently held a sock hop and soda fountain party as well as a Splatter Party at Pinspiration which looked like so much fun. They created splatter paintings by splattering paint on canvases AND on each other!!

As a family member of a resident at Ruth’s House recently said “‘There is always something fun to look forward to, so much so, that when we visit, and there is something planned, we are hurried off, since they ‘need to get ready’ ”. Looking at the photos of their recent Disney Day and Alice in Wonderland Tea Party, both held on the same day, I would say the family member was absolutely correct when they used the word FUN! Those Mickey Mouse Oreo cookies look delicious, and I think even Mickey agreed.

For National Assisted Living Week, the residents at the Broadview, Inc. Assisted Living had fun creating their own tye-dyed t-shirts and enjoyed a scrumptious Luau meal created by their amazing culinary team.

Speaking of National Assisted Living Week, have you seen the Unsung Heroes video created by Mass-ALA to thank everyone who works in assisted living for all they do to keep their residents and fellow co-workers safe and secure. If you haven’t seen this video please click here. And because we can’t say it enough, THANK YOU, for all you do!

NOTE – if your community is planning fun events for your residents, apple picking, pumpkin carving, Thanksgiving get-togethers, holiday parties, PLEASE, PLEASE, be sure to send me photos and a short description of these celebrations so I can feature you in the next edition of The Voice.

Business Partner News

The third edition of the Mass-ALA Business Partners Directory will be delivered very soon. Members received the digital version on Monday. This directory contains descriptions of the products and services that our 70-member business partners can provide to you and is a handy guide if you are looking for a specific service or product.

Did you know that our valued Business Partners not only provide great products and services to the assisted living industry, they also offer important trainings and up-to-date information on developments in assisted living? I will be sharing this information, on a regular basis, with you so you can take advantage of their knowledge. The email will be titled “Here’s What’s New”. I understand that you receive a LOT of emails on a daily basis, please know that I will ensure that the information being sent is important and will have value to you.

WELCOME to our four new Business Partners, they are:

• Dave Swain Associates has been serving New England for over 45 years and represents premier commercial food equipment, refrigeration, ventilation, and air purification manufacturers. swainrep.com.
• Ferguson Senior Living Consulting is a consulting practice that has extensive experience in preparing communities and their teams for EOEA recertification and improving operational excellence. Juggling the intensive needs of keeping residents and staff safe during the Covid 19 pandemic have necessarily shifted every community’s time and resources. As a seasoned former Executive Director, Colleen Ferguson completely understands the demands of directing a community. As even the smoothest running communities move forward and refocus on their operations, recertification preparation will need a renewed focus.
• ProCare LTC Pharmacy was founded on a basic premise: to provide the highest level of customer service possible while delivering the best economic value to the facilities and residents we serve. This is achieved through the use of highly qualified and trained staff at every level of their organization. ProCareLTC.com.
• Therapy Gardens uses gardening reduces stress, increases happiness, and is a great way to stay mentally and physically active. This is why Therapy Gardens primarily works with activities/recreation directors and PT/OT professionals to support therapeutic gardening in their communities. They also partner with senior centers and agencies to provide high-quality, interactive programming that promotes gardening, cooking, and related activities as part of a healthy lifestyle. https://therapygardens.com/

WELCOME to our newest assisted living community:

• Rockridge, located in Northampton, was built in 2004, and provides their residents with a rewarding lifestyle. The Rockridge grounds are beautifully landscaped and surrounded by lush countryside, where residents enjoy walks along paved walkways and quiet nature trails. In the Gardens Community at Rockridge, their life-enriching memory care program allows each individual to be empowered to live a lifestyle which embodies dignity and independence. rockridgema.org

And WELCOME to our newest Pre-Provider assisted living community:

• Anthemion Senior Lifestyles – The Cordwainer, located in Norwell, is currently building a state-of-the art memory care community. The residence will feature two sensory gardens that reunites residents and staff with year-round nature to inspire the basic senses: touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste. The Cordwainer will have an abundance of natural light provided by large windows and three lightwells to help promote year-round sensory stimulation for residents. anthemiongroup.com

I wanted to remind you of two important member benefits provided to you by Mass-ALA.

The first benefit is the Mass-ALA HelpLine to help you with those questions that pop-up about regulations or procedures at your community. You can reach the HelpLine by calling Mass-ALA at 781-622-5999 x103 and talking with our Director of Education, Laurie Cashman, or via email at lcashman@mass-ala.org, or please reach out to me at mchamberlin@mass-ala.org. 

The second member benefit is our Job Board which can be found on the Members Only page of our website. Once you have logged in, click on the Career Center link at the top of the page and follow the directions to post a job at your community. If you need assistance with logging in or posting your job give me a call at 781-622-5999, ext. 110. All jobs that are posted on our Job Board can be viewed by all job seekers by simply going to our website and clicking on Career Search at the top of the home page on our website, mass-ala.org.