Ashley Powell, Lifestyle Enrichment Coordinator, Panorama employee for 2.5 years.
What is your role at Panorama?
“Creating a culture of community and social opportunities to enhance retirement living.”
What is your favorite part of your job?
“I think the biggest part is that I get to work in the department that brings joy. Everything we do, whether it’s scheduling a meeting for a small group or a huge campus-wide event, brings joy to the residents and enriches their lives. I get to work so closely with them, in a lot of fun ways!”
What attributes should an employee in Senior Living possess?
“Being compassionate and understanding is important, considering that our daily lifestyles and age group might be different than the community we’re serving. Openness, knowing that we all come from different backgrounds and taking the time to slow down and really listen to the residents. Also, we should be supportive, remembering that our human experience doesn’t solely exist in our employment in the workforce and that life doesn’t end at retirement. There’s so much more to offer and be lived and I think Panorama is a great community where we offer so many diverse activities, events and ongoing ways to live your thriving life.”
Kelsey Sheetz, Registered Dietitian, Panorama employee for almost 1 year.
What is your role at Panorama?
“I provide medical nutrition therapy to the residents in the C&R and Assisted Living. This may include assessing the textures of the resident’s food, providing education to residents on maintaining proper health through nutrition, or providing nutritious foods for residents losing weight or at risk of losing weight. I also assist the dietary staff in ensuring they are keeping the residents safe while cooking and serving resident’s food. Menus are also changed periodically throughout the year and I am involved in ensuring these menus are nutritionally balanced, visually appealing, and meet the standards set forth by Panorama.”
What is your favorite part of your job?
“Being able to see the cooks in the kitchen and knowing we’ve got a lot of really good, long-term staff here at Panorama. Also, seeing the residents enjoy the food and receiving good and positive feedback!”
What attributes should an employee in Senior Living possess?
“Good listening skills are imperative so information can be gathered, realizing that the fun conversations often lead to how residents can be helped from a clinical standpoint. Building relationships through good communication is important so residents can be met where they’re at and we can see them for who they are. Residents have led very full lives and everyone has something to offer or provide you with while you’re helping them.”
Kathy Wolf, Grounds Administrator/ Lead Gardener, Panorama employee for 16 years.
What is your role at Panorama?
“I do any ordering of supplies, tools, plants, etc. needed for day to day activities. I assist the Grounds Maintenance Manager with managing work orders, projects and help wherever else she feels it is needed. I also help staff learn more about their job and how to do it properly, including plant ID, pest issues and overall plant health. Basically, I help facilitate organization and communication amongst all of our staff, to help the department run smoothly.”
What is your favorite part of your job?
“Working around the residents, especially the ones who really enjoy being outside and gardening. I always have conversations with the ones that are master gardeners because they can always teach me something. Every time I can teach a resident something about what we do, or landscaping in general or plants in general…that makes me happy and enjoy being here even more.”
What attributes should an employee in Senior Living possess?
“Patience and good communication skills are important in order to understand where residents are coming from. Many residents are curious about projects we work on and so being an outgoing person is helpful when talking to them and other staff members. Lastly, good listening skills; I don’t think enough people sit down and really listen. Residents have lived more life than we have and so there’s always something you can take from their stories.”
Celebrity Chef and Panorama Board member, Ralph Munro, came on June 23rd and cooked salmon for our residents! Almost 200 residents placed orders and came to watch Ralph cook. Ralph has been using this famous salmon recipe for years and started at the Seattle World’s Fair in 1962. Thank you, Ralph, for a fun & delicious meal!
Over the past year, the global pandemic, remote work/schooling, economic instability, and racial injustice have placed a burden on each of us (young or old) – employees, residents, management and board members alike. As we all began this 2020 journey together, we had no idea how long it might last, or how long we would be asked to continue the necessary changes we had to make in our own lives and those of our loved ones. Nonetheless, it remains true that out of these uncertain and challenging times Panorama has come together as a resilient and supportive community. We are grateful that employees and residents alike have reached out to strengthen our community in this most challenging time. Daily there are interactions and moments when individuals demonstrate compassion and resilience, understanding and empathy, finding ways to work together and support one another. Through the ingenuity, caring, and dedication of both staff and residents, a number of activities have been restored and reshaped allowing community life to emerge despite pandemic restrictions.
As we move through the holiday and winter season, it will be more important than ever for each of us to focus on those things that help us stay safe, grounded, and in touch with what is truly important in our lives – staying home, visiting virtually, avoiding gatherings but making plans to gather in the future, being mindful of others, listening, and responding with care. The safety and well-being of each employee and resident remains our highest priority and is an essential building block of our community. Although we cannot predict with certainty when we will return fully to what we think of as “normal” life, we know that it will happen and we will all celebrate together again. In the meantime, we remain thankful for each resident and staff member and their individual contribution to the well-being of the Panorama community. We wish you a special season of true peace and joy with hope and confidence in a bright future for us all.
Every October, our Grounds department is busy putting together an extravagant pumpkin display for residents and staff to view and enjoy. This year, residents were invited to participate in a pumpkin decorating contest, which involved having their decorated pumpkins included in the community pumpkin display. Pumpkins were voted on for “Best Overall”, “Funniest” and other fun categories. We also had Russ Leno, Master Carver, carve a large pumpkin to include in the display, like he does every year. Thank you to our Grounds department, Russ Leno, and all the resident participants for making this year’s display the best one yet!
Check out the videos below to see Russ’s masterpiece as well as the amazing pumpkin decorating skills of our residents!
Martin Luther King Jr once said “There comes a time when silence is betrayal”. Right now, every single one of us is experiencing some level of anger, sadness and even fear as a complex climate of divisiveness seems to touch all aspects of our world. It is important that we acknowledge these feelings and consider those around us in need of support.
We understand why there are protests. That reason brought into sharp focus by the recent abhorrent and unconscionable deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Aubrey and now George Floyd. We are compelled to call out these terrible acts of injustice for what they are and to help eliminate all forms of racism and violence so that we all may find a better place together.
We believe deeply that equality is a human right. We believe that each person is to be cherished, honored and treated accordingly in an atmosphere of mutual respect and caring. Panorama encourages and welcomes all people without regard to race, color, gender, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, or any other characteristic, to live in our communities and to serve on our teams and workforce.
While these words have a shared meaning for us all, we don’t all share the same experiences. As a diverse community, residents, as well as team members, have had different life experiences. Many people of color have had to work harder, endure racism, and overcome negative experiences simply as a result of their skin color. Speaking to this condition is a shared responsibility. We owe it to each other and to our children for their future.
Each of our paths to this place have been different, we need to stand together to call out for a better way. For those who continually experience injustice, inequality and discrimination, in direct contradiction of our shared Panorama Values, we stand with you.
Thank you to our team members — heroes who get up each day and continue to serve — bringing your skills, compassion, dedication and courage to the work you do. YOU inspire us to stay at it and never give up in our determination to create change, to create something better for generations to come.
Together We Can Create Change
We recognize there is much work to be done, and we are committed to engaging in this work to stamp out racism. We acknowledge that real change takes time and education.
As we consider next steps for our organization, we turn to our mission and values. Some of the best antidotes to racism can be found in our values: Integrity, Excellence, Respect and Learning. Biases and prejudices are often learned at an early age. We need to commit to teaching ourselves and the people around us to understand and appreciate difference. To challenge discrimination. To respect the dignity of every human being.
One important way to learn about anti-racism is by reading. We understand books can serve as tools to help understand the ways that racism and white supremacy operate in our minds, our families, and the world, and offer suggestions for lasting change. We’re paying attention to the books Black scholars across the country are recommending Americans read right now, and are making a commitment to our staff to make books available to facilitate growth and learning for anyone willing to take the next step.
Matthew Murry and Bill Strader
Book Options:
“Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America” by Ibram X. Kendi
“Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence: Understanding and Facilitating Difficult Dialogues on Race” by Derald Wing Sue
“So You Want to Talk About Race” by Ijeoma Oluo
“The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In The Age of Colorblindness” by Michelle Alexander
“White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism” by Robin DiAngelo
“Racist America: Roots, Current Realities, and Future Reparations” by Joe Feagin
“White Rage; the Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide” by Carol Anderson
“How to Be Less Stupid About Race” by Crystal Marie Fleming
“How to Be an Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi
“Waking up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race” by Debby Irving
“An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States (REVISIONING HISTORY #3)” by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
