Director of Capital Projects Kristina Chalfant joins Suzanne to talk about the environmental factors/design considerations that enhance resident quality of life at Era Living. Kristina says, “I’m responsible for a team of project managers and a project coordinator, facilities team, and a procurement coordinator. Our team is responsible for doing renovation projects, keeping the communities fresh and safe and clean, and for taking care of emergency repairs, like if the roof is leaking, or if there’s a pipe burst, or something like that, if the boilers stop working. We’ve got painters that go and keep the paints touched up and fresh-looking in the communities.”
When somebody new moves in, Kristina says, “The maintenance team does inspections to make sure everything’s working properly, and they should be introducing themselves. And get to know the new residents, welcome them on board, and let them know that if anything comes up during their stay in our communities, they’re going to be there to provide support, whether it’s replacing batteries or light bulbs, but also the bigger picture things, making sure the resident feels confident that they don’t have to worry about. You know, maybe the siding needs to be repaired in a few years, or maybe the roof is gonna need to be replaced or, you know, we’re making sure that the gutters and down spouts are cleaned, making sure the landscaping is maintained. There are a lot of things that are taken care of that hopefully are invisible to the residents.”
Kristina adds, “We try to keep accessibility in mind, and make everyone feel included. We want to make sure there’s room for everyone at the table. And if you’re in a meeting room, that you can hear — so there might be some sort of hearing assistant devices that we put in.”
Hear more podcasts from Era Living at Answers for Elders, including conversations with other residents, at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/era-living/
Learn more about:
Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/.
Era Living at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/era-living/
Era Living’s website: https://www.eraliving.com/
Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/
Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/
