a message from the board chair

A MESSAGE FROM OUR Board Chair

shelley esden, President and CEO Sonata Senior Living

Welcome to the Winter 2023 Edition of FSLA’s Engage Magazine! As we round the corner for the final stretch of 2022, I look back with awe at the events of the year. Although we’ve made great strides in recovering from the pandemic, we continue to be challenged by workforce issues, inflation and increased interest rates, while many of us have not fully recovered from the impact of Hurricane Ian. Some operators have decided this is not the industry for them, but the majority of us remain, more committed than ever and dedicated to seeing this through. What I believe will be key, however, is how willing we are to move forward together.

Recently I had the opportunity to attend the National Investment Center (NIC) for Senior Housing Conference and the Senior Living Innovation Forum. It was interesting to hear two different conferences share similar messages about operators’ challenges and the need for increased collaboration between our industry’s organizations.

In an ideal world, all levels of senior living leaders are transparent and willing to share, despite their competitive relationships. When this occurs, we all benefit, right? Whether it’s a staffing dilemma, a challenging emergency evacuation or a new policy, tapping into our collective leadership acumen allows us to maximize our strengths. The challenges we face today are not going away any time soon, and the sooner we all understand the importance of embracing collaboration and transparency, the sooner we will collectively overcome even the most complex obstacles.

This concept resonated with me when I attended one of the conference events and had the opportunity to speak with former colleagues. Many of us have worked in senior living for most of our professional careers, and we all share an overwhelming disbelief of how senior living has changed over the last 1020 years. Operators’ margins are continually being compressed with workforce challenges and historically low unemployment, inflationary pressures, and the rising cost of insurance and expenses. In 2008, the RIDEA laws were changed, allowing REITs to participate in the ownership of operating companies; almost overnight, the number of capital partners for most providers increased. And over the last 10 years, the severity and frequency of weather events have increased dramatically across the entire country, with unprecedented activity and correlating damages significantly impacting Florida communities and their workers.

There is no one solution for any of these issues just like there is no one-size-fits-all approach to senior living. Nor do any of us truly have all of the answers, no matter how long we’ve been in senior living. The only way we’re going to survive and thrive is to share ideas, support each other and advocate as a group for this industry.

As FSLA continues to grow its membership and foster growth among the next generation of leaders, the transparency and collaboration between our different organizations, communities, and even senior leadership continues to grow as well. I believe this is what will sustain us in the years ahead, and I am proud to face those challenges together. If you are currently not a member of FSLA, join now and get involved.

FSLA STAFF

Gail Matillo, MPA President & CEO Jason Hand, Esq. VP Public Policy and Legal Affairs Sheri LeaJean Director of Education & Sponsorships Meredith Van Valkenburgh, MSAFA,

CGB, CPM Project Director Kathy Keiffer Project Manager Jimmie Fay Griffin, LPN Accounting & Membership Manager

FSLA EXECUTIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair: Shelley Esden President and CEO Sonata Senior Living Past Chair: Melinda Skirvin Vice President Five Star Senior Living Past Chair Emeritus: Mary Sue Patchett Vice Chair: Jay Thomas Asst. General Counsel – Ops Atria Senior Living Secretary: Joe Jedlowski President Distinctive Senior Living Treasurer: Chris Callahan Regional Director of Operations Brookdale Senior Living Parliamentarian: Robin Khanal, Esq. Quintarios, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A. Industry Partner Committee Chair: Matt Depenbrock Director of Business Development Guardian Pharmacy Education Committee Chair: Marisa Strain Director of Quality Assurance SRI Management Hospitality Committee Chair: Gilbert Bolivar Membership Committee Chair: Krone Weidler Principal Cadre Healthcare Realty Advisors PC Chair: David Nussbaum Senior Vice President Belmont Village

Editorial and Business Offices 2292 Wednesday St. Suite 1, Tallahassee, FL 32308 850-496-2562 | floridaseniorliving.org Publisher: Gail Matillo Creative Director: Katie Reeves gmatillo@floridaseniorliving.org ktcreative@me.com Executive Editor: Sheri LeaJean Advertising & Editorial Submissions sleajean@floridaseniorliving.org engage@floridaseniorliving.org

ENGAGE, Volume 1, Issue 3 is published quarterly by Florida Senior Living Association, 2292 Wednesday Street, Suite 1, Tallahassee, Florida, 32308. Florida Senior Living member companies receive subscriptions for communities as part of their membership. Free controlled subscriptions are also available to qualified individuals in the senior living business.

POSTMASTER, SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: ENGAGE, 2292 Wednesday Street, Suite 1, Tallahassee, Florida, 32308. Printed in USA. Copyright 2022. ENGAGE will not be responsible for the return of any unsolicited manuscripts or photographs.

Copyright © 2023 Florida Senior Living Association. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form – print, electronic, or otherwise – without written permission from Florida Senior Living Association.

For media inquiries and advertising information, contact engage@floridaseniorliving.org.

Featured on the cover: Noelle LaPonte, Executive Director, Lexington Manor Assisted Living and Mark Cox, Regional Director, Five Star Senior Living are poised and ready to protect the health and well being of Five Star residents and staff in any emergency.

CHAIR’S SPOTLIGHT

4 a message from the board chair

LEADERSHIP & TECHNOLOGY

14 frontline recruiting defined 18 riding out hurricane ian 32 using technology to augment your team and resident experience

HOSPITALITY & CULINARY

24 advice to new dining (and other) supervisors and managers

LEGISLATIVE POLICY & LEGAL AFFAIRS

12 long-term care sustainability

OPERATIONS & REGULATORY

16 drainers and energizers 17 ask monica 30 ahcaxiety

HUMAN RESOURCE INSIGHTS

6 the cost of the “i quit” trend 10 make mental health a priority

MEMBERSHIP

31 who cares for the caregivers

EDUCATION & GRANTS

15 the cna solution 34 bwing us back together

MEDIA RELATIONS & COMMUNICATIONS

8 the importance of good communication 28 2023 senior care marketing trends