Businesses and organizations throughout the country celebrate Careers in Aging Week annually to bring greater awareness to the wide range of jobs available in the field of aging. We’re celebrating this year by featuring some of our amazing staff members. Meet Laura Ripp, Social Worker in our Convalescent and Rehabilitation Center and Panorama employee for 9 years. She has always enjoyed helping people and is glad that she is able to listen to residents’ stories and learn more about them!
Businesses and organizations throughout the country celebrate Careers in Aging Week annually to bring greater awareness to the wide range of jobs available in the field of aging. We’re celebrating this year by featuring some of our amazing staff members. Meet Sheila Grant, Renovations Assistant and Panorama employee for 17 years. She enjoys the opportunity to be creative at work and getting to know residents around campus!
Businesses and organizations throughout the country celebrate Careers in Aging Week annually to bring greater awareness to the wide range of jobs available in the field of aging. We’re celebrating this year by featuring some of our amazing staff members. Get to know Jimmy Hilario, a cook at our on-campus restaurant, Seventeen51. She has been a Panorama employee for 13 years and has an extraordinary passion for cooking and attention to detail.
Panorama is home to many wonderful pets and an afternoon stroll around campus will provide you with a glimpse into the personalities of many dogs. Among them is a beloved English Lab who proudly wears her title as a Therapy Dog. Gemma makes weekly rounds to visit patients in the Convalescent and Rehabilitation Center. She is the ideal visitor and friend because of her patience, calm demeanor, lovable personality, and desire to bring happiness to those around her!
“Gemma provides joy and comfort every week in the C&R. She is particularly suited for visits in the Gentle Care unit. When she is here the residents are noticeably more alert, focused, stimulated, and animated as they interact with her and follow her through the unit. Her presence can instantly change someone’s mood and they look forward to seeing her. Animals can reach into our hearts and this is particularly true for our residents who no longer have the benefit of a companion pet.”
Panorama resident, Donna Kreuger, recently gave a presentation to fellow residents where she described the details of her amazing 11,500-mile solo camping trip through western Canada and Alaska. Her trip took her through the Canadian Rockies, on the Cassiar Highway north up to the Dempster Highway through the Yukon and Northern Territories to the Arctic Ocean. From there, she crossed the Yukon River to connect to the Top of the World Highway, entering Alaska through the northernmost land border crossing. Her travels included Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Valdez, glacier kayak tours, the Kenai Peninsula and Lake Clark National Park for coastal brown bear tours, the Dalton Highway to Deadhorse (Ice Road Truckers road) and Denali National Park before returning home on the Alcan Highway.
Our own Steve Pogge and Kimberly Thorpe hosted the 10th annual Ground Dog Day event in front of a small group of residents. This is a fresh (and adorable) spin on the Groundhog Day tradition. Watch the video for this year’s Ground Dog prediction!
The C&R was recently awarded its 20th star, earning 20 out of 20 stars from the CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services). The rating system features an Overall Quality Rating of one to five stars based on facility performance on three types of performance measures (staffing, health inspections and quality), each of which has its own five-star rating. A perfect score indicates that the C&R stands out among other facilities in the area as one of the best!
“Our team has worked hard to provide our residents with the best possible care. Panorama takes good care of us, and this directly translates into better care for our residents. There are only two other facilities in Washington State that currently have this rating. We are proud of the efforts our whole team has achieved this year. Our goal is to focus on providing the best care possible and the ratings will follow.” -Dennis Wilkerson, C&R Administrator
Our Annual 4th of July Celebration at Panorama included multiple musical performances as well as the debut of our new courtyard and pavilion. Residents enjoyed a picnic lunch, ice cream and great company!
Kari Jo Motahari, Registered Nurse, Panorama employee for 5 years.
What is your role at Panorama?
“Ensure the safety of all residents and staff in our facility and provide top quality care to all residents while meeting infection control standards. I’m in charge of orienting all our nursing staff and making sure our educational resources are up to date and available.”
What is your favorite part of your job?
“Seeing smiles on the resident’s faces, seeing them eat and be happy. Also, seeing visitors come to spend time with them and seeing the glow on their face, especially around the holidays. I think we’ve had a tough two and a half years without being able to celebrate major milestones and I feel that it’s very important for people’s happiness.”
What attributes should an employee in Senior Living possess?
“Patience is important because residents can be repetitive in a lot of their behaviors and you have to remember that they’re not doing it on purpose, they’re doing it because that’s what they feel. I think you have to be extremely kind to be in health care in general, let alone a retirement community and long-term care facility. Lastly, being empathetic and having compassion for others. You need for it to come natural to you and just know that they deserve the care you want to give them.”
Janeen Sanchez, Facilities Coordinator, Panorama employee for 8 years.
What is your role at Panorama?
“I get to wear many different hats, primarily to provide project and administrative support for the Facilities Maintenance Department and occasionally for various departments. I oversee the work order desk and Janitorial Department while serving as a super user for our work order system, which assists with training and troubleshooting for users.”
What is your favorite part of your job?
“Working with residents and my colleagues; I’ve learned so much from the people I’ve had the opportunity to interact with. It has been amazing working on projects hand-in-hand with residents on a different level. We get so much encouragement and support from them.”
What attributes should an employee in Senior Living possess?
“Creativity and compassion are important because we deal with so many different people and no two situations are the same. It’s crucial to be able to empathize with people who are at different stages of their lives, remaining patient and humble while taking the time to slow down. The support seniors need from us is genuine and positive feedback, independence and respect.”
