Why is the CEO doing laundry?

Why, you may ask, is the CEO doing laundry?




A) He needs the overtime and cash?

B) His wife said he needs practice?

C) He has nothing else to do?

D) None of the above?





If you answered "A", sorry you're wrong. The CEO is an exempt position and not eligible for overtime pay, although in these tough economic times, who couldn't use more cash?

If you answered "B", sorry you're wrong also. My wife won't let me even go in the laundry room at home. Okay, it was only a little laundry mishap a long time ago and for the record, I did offer to replace all of her sweaters I shrunk!

If you answered "C", sorry you are really wrong. That same day I also had to respond to a Medicaid Assistance appeal, work with our broker on an insurance renewal proposal, work on a strategic planning process and participate in a late afternoon community health committee forum.

The correct answer is "D", none of the above. I was participating in our periodic "Walk in My Shoes" program. This is a fun and informative program where staff is able to spend most of the day shadowing and assisting a peer staff member. The objective of the program is to help us better understand the work of others so that we can have a greater level of support and teamwork among us.

I chose to work with the laundry staff, although when I made that choice I wasn't aware that the first shift starts at 5 a.m. They cut me some slack knowing I had a late day scheduled and only gave me a little ribbing when I showed up at 7 a.m. If they were intimidated by the CEO in the laundry room, you couldn't tell. Within minutes of my arrival they had me sorting and labeling personal laundry, making deliveries to the resident rooms, picking up and sorting dirty laundry from the households, running washer and dryer loads, folding and storing clean linens.


It was hard work, but I was amazed at the efficiency of their processes and how well they all worked together as a team. Piles and piles of dirty laundry flowed in and just as quickly it was sorted, weighed, washed, dried, folded and put back on the shelf. When noon came, I was exhausted but looked proudly at the shelves of neatly stacked rows of clean linen that we all had worked so hard to process.

And then......................they started loading the carts to bring clean linen back up to the households. "What are you doing?" I asked with a selfish whine. "We just cleaned those!" I have to admit I was a little overwhelmed by the fact that life in the laundry room is a recurring and never ending cycle of clean and dirty laundry.

My time in the laundry room was very informative. In addition to getting to know the staff better and seeing first hand how efficient and knowledgeable they are in their roles, I was able to see a critical cog of our operation and mission from the front lines. We talked about the equipment, the supplies needed and why we do things the way we do. I was even able to make some suggestions for adaptive equipment to help protect them from injury or infectious waste.

As the old adage goes, "you can't begin to understand what another person goes through until you have walked a mile in their shoes". At Seniorsfirst every person and every department is of equal value to our mission and we are reminded of this with the help of our "Walk in My Shoes" program.

Thank you to all who have participated in this program and keep on walking!


Helen Bennett (Therapeutic Recreation) walks in the shoes of Pamela Davis (Housekeeper)

Valley Manor 40th Anniversary

July 2011 marked the 40th anniversary of Valley Manor's first year of operation back in 1971. Organized in 1967, the Presbyterian Residence Center Corporation opened the doors to Valley Manor 40 years ago as New York State's first full-service retirement community.


On Saturday, September 10, 2011, we held a special 40th anniversary celebration to commemorate this wonderful milestone with our residents, staff, families, board of directors and other friends of Valley Manor.

















We were blessed with a beautiful evening that was just perfect for pre-dinner fellowship in the lovely Valley Manor courtyard, where the Mayor of Rochester proclaimed the day as "Valley Manor Day" and reflected on his own fond memories of when his father lived at Valley Manor.




























The Valley Manor food service staff then treated everyone to a first-class dinner experience that showed off the culinary and customer service skills that Valley Manor residents enjoy every day.




























The evening was capped off with a dessert and coffee bar followed by a formal celebratory program that recapped the history and highlights of Valley Manor's past 40 years and included remarks from board Chairman, Sam Huston, Resident Association President, Reverend David Dubois and past Valley Manor President and current President Emeritus, Michael C. Walker.




























I concluded the program remarks with my own congratulations and reflections since taking over the CEO reins shortly after the 1999 affiliation between Valley Manor and Kirkhaven under the newly established parent umbrella organization of Seniorsfirst.

In my remarks, I commented on the 3 primary reasons for this affiliation:

1. To provide a more seamless continuum of services for our residents.



2. To better compete with other senior care communities who were offering a similar array of senior services and levels of care within their own organizational structure.



3. To benefit from cost saving by cost-sharing certain "back office" functions that were being duplicated in both organizations.

I then commented on the 5 keys to success that have guided us for the past 40 years:

1. Location: located in the heart of Rochester's Arts & Cultural district in a real neighborhood, just a short walk to shops, restaurants and many of the city's finest attractions. For the best in city living on beautiful historic East Avenue, Valley Manor is the only logical choice!



2. High-Rise Convenience: Every amenity is just a short elevator ride and a few steps away. The views are incredible. The one-foot concrete walls provide unparalleled privacy, soundproofing, security and safety. They just don't build them like that anymore!



3. Custom Apartment Homes: As individual as our residents, every apartment is customized to meet the unique desires and needs of its occupants. Other communities give you paint and carpet choices, but at Valley Manor we can offer complete floor plan reconfigurations that truly enable you to make it your home!



4. Arts, Culture & Lifelong Learning: Our residents are active, vibrant and engaged. Our full calendar of special events, social gatherings, wellness programs and day trips in collaboration with leading arts and cultural venues is a tribute to the active lifestyle of our residents. No other community offers as much and as rich a lifestyle as Valley Manor.



5. Customer Service: Our people make the difference and after 40 years of experience, no one does it better!

Yes, 40 years is a long time and we have certainly come "a long way baby". Over the years we have experienced peaks and valleys, challenges and successes, consistency and changes. Although the past is never a guarantee of what the future will hold, I suspect it will be much the same.

We know we have an aging building that while still has an historical and quaint charm to it, also needs constant restoration and upkeep. We'll continue to keep our fingers on the pulse of senior desires and trends and adapt accordingly. We'll monitor which way the winds of the economy are blowing and shift our sails to enable us to keep moving forward.

But most importantly, we'll continue to stay focused on the 5 keys to our success that have led us over the past 40 years.

Happy 40th anniversary Valley Manor and may I say, "you look marvelous!"

The Person Behind the Face

I learned an important lesson early in my career when I would read the obituaries of recently deceased residents of our Seniorsfirst communities. I learned just how little I really knew about the person behind the face.

Oh sure, I may have known the resident's name and probably had met their son or daughter a time or two. I may have had the pleasant opportunity to have had some conversation with the resident as I visited in the households or participated in a resident activity. Depending on the resident, it was very likely that I was privy to some other specific data about their medical history, current behavior tendencies or personal care needs. But did I really know them?

Too often we fall into the trap of "knowing" our residents only by the way they live their life today. Time and age may have robbed them of elements of their independence and health, requiring them to adapt in ways that threaten the identity of the person they once were.

Yes, I learned this lesson when I would read an obituary full of life-long accomplishments, active pursuits and a fulfilling life that often defied the person I thought I knew.

Behind that aged and sage face was a teacher, businessman, doctor, nurse, banker. Not that long ago they were world travelers, first-time authors, avid golfers or gardeners. Somewhere in their past are those wonderful childhood years, first loves, marriage, children and grandchildren. Their lives are as full as they are unique and each has an amazing and wonderful story to tell if we take the time to listen.

Thankfully, at Seniorsfirst we not only take the time to listen, but we take the time to ask. The relationships that develop between residents and staff are not only built on the person they are today, but the person they have always been. Resident routines and activities are established following their life-long pursuits and preferences. Of course, there are compromises and limitations brought on by aging, but it doesn't change the person inside or take away the person they have become over a lifetime.

At our Valley Manor retirement community, we take great pride in the cultural and learning pursuits that our residents continue to pursue. If time and age are slowing them down, it sure is hard to tell based on their active schedules and fulfilling lives.

At our Assisted Living Cottage and Adult Day Program, every resident and client is uniquely supported in a manner that recognizes their individual needs, preferences and lifestyle. Ensuring a safe and caring home where every individual can feel loved, respected and able to live in the manner they choose, is our primary objective.

At Kirkhaven, we don't let the nature of one's frailty or age detract us from this same objective.

Our residents are all unique, but they all have the same desire to live meaningful lives in the manner they choose and as independently as possible. Our role is to foster this desire by seeking out their preferences and learning to know the person behind the face.

All Good Things Come to Those Who Wait!

At the January 2011 annual Seniorsfirst General Meeting, I used the theme "All good things come to those who wait". It was a "tongue-in-cheek" optimistic twist on what certainly was a frustrating year of delays, stagnation and waiting, Waiting and WAITING.................


Nearly 6 months later, it appears that good things do come to those who wait, especially if you push hard enough for what you passionately believe in.


We pushed hard with our state legislature to implement the NYS Medicaid rate revisions, that were suppose to go into effect April 2009. It took a combination of many personal visits with several of our elected officials in Albany and a group lawsuit filed against the state of New York, but the final 2011 state budget passed in April includes the promised Medicaid rate revisions. This revision will rebalance Medicaid dollars across the state at no net cost to the state. There will be losers and winners in the rebalancing. Kirkhaven will be a big winner when the rates are implemented and retroactively settled next month.


We pushed hard with the local NYS department of health in finalizing our assisted living licensing application and, after more than 6 years of administrative red-tape that has delayed the licensing of all active assisted living facilities, we finally received our official licensure notice.

We pushed hard and after months of inconveniences and disruptions to our routines, we have successfully completed a Kirkhaven redecorating project that spruced up our resident households with a much needed "face lift" while we wait for the day when we are able to totally replace our antiquated building with our household cottages.


There is still much that we are waiting for, but we will continue to push hard for these as well. We are working hard with our board and leadership staff on strategies to strengthen our Valley Manor occupancy and fiscal operation. We are working hard with our strategic partners and contacts to pursue available funding for our Kirkhaven Replacement project.


There never seems to be a lack of challenges, a detour to navigate or a frustration to overcome, but we'll keep pushing and continue to believe that "all good things come to those who wait!"


Anne DiCesare, RN (Assisted Living Manager) and I proudly displaying our license

Re-dedicating My Blog!

I know I haven't been faithfully blogging at the pace I was, but to tell the truth, it seemed like I was beginning to blog on the same tired topics and running out of interesting material. I also think that every new fad has its time and place and then its time for something new.

I thought about closing down my blog and then decided that perhaps it still could serve a useful purpose even if I only used it to share monthly or quarterly updates on our Seniorsfirst Communities.

Heck, there must be something worth writing about that is new and exciting at least periodically. So, I will re-dedicate my blog going forward to simply providing periodic updates on what's happening at Seniorsfirst from the CEO perspective.

You can check me out from time to time on our website at Seniorsfirst.com.