At St. Anthony’s, we’re proud to provide a specialized memory care program we lovingly call Journeys. This is because we believe that life is a journey that doesn’t stop with dementia. Our residents continue their outstanding life journeys in a different, yet purposeful way, through our holistic and heartfelt program.
Central to the Journeys program are six key signatures highlighted to satisfy all the needs of your loved ones from physiological care to critical feelings of purpose and belonging. Our six signatures are:
- Team Development
- Family Partnerships
- Life Enrichment
- Personalized, Supportive Environment
- Dining Experience
- Wellness
The first key signature of our memory support program we’d like to highlight is team development. Our team consists of the people who will be responsible for the emotional and physical care of our memory care residents. With that essential element in mind, we have intentionally crafted team development to cultivate extraordinary staff today and in the days to come. Whether you’re looking for memory support care for yourself or for someone you love, you can trust that we’re cultivating an exceptional care team.
Take a look behind the scenes at how we focus on team development at St. Anthony’s and you’ll find out why our people are truly outstanding.
Leading with Memory Care Certification
Our goal for every staff member is to gain their certification as dementia practitioners — something not seen in other memory care communities. “This nationwide specialized training is something you won’t find ticked off by nearly the entire team anywhere else,” reports VP of Operations, Guest Services, Eve Ilten.
When you do see this certification, many other organizations only certify their top-line staff or managers. Here at St. Anthony’s, however, we believe everyone working in memory care should be certified to ensure the greatest care for our dementia residents. We are passionate about the fact that your loved ones deserve that level of care.
To become a Certified Dementia Practitioner, professionals must submit an application and complete a seven hour seminar. After two years with the certificate, 10 hours of continued education are performed to renew the certification. A Certified Dementia Practitioner is someone who has shown achievement and obtained specialized training in Alzheimer’s and dementia care. This important instruction is one way we ensure the best level of care for our residents at St. Anthony’s.
Building on Staff Strengths
One reason our memory care programs and events are so phenomenal is that we encourage our staff to incorporate their interests and skills into their creation. “Every one of our residents has their own strengths and things they like to do,” Eve notes. “So we encourage our team members to take those skills and hobbies and figure out a way to fit them into the puzzle of our memory care program, which is part of our ongoing development.”
It’s easy to imagine how real passion and enthusiasm for a program translate into the pleasure and enjoyment of our residents. Participants and staff have a marvelous time as they engage in activities that they all enjoy.
In addition to making our programs meaningful, focusing on staff strength improves our team as a whole. In fact, studies show that professionals who use their strengths are more engaged, perform better, and stay longer at their organization. Can you believe that people who use their strengths at work every day are six times more likely to be engaged on the job? This well-rounded focus on team development makes St. Anthony’s a happy place to be.
Encouraging the Next Generation
“Today’s labor market has seen people leave the senior living industry,” Eve says. “That’s why our team development really starts before someone becomes an actual team member.” Our work in developing a memory care team begins as we partner with high schools to find young people with a passion for senior living.
“I started in senior health care as a nursing assistant when I was 16 years old,” Eve shares. “I fell in love with it as a teenager and never looked back in over 30 years.” At St. Anthony’s we believe a passion for senior care is something to cultivate and deepen from the beginning.
Why is this passion so important? “We can teach tasks like giving a shower or feeding a resident,” Eve explains. “But we can’t teach compassion, empathy, or the desire to want to work with a specialized group of individuals.” This is one more reason why we begin team development by working with young people at the start of their careers.
With an aging population continuing to grow, senior care jobs offer security in addition to purpose and passion. Our team is excited to share the many benefits of senior care with Kansas City students and spark a fulfilling career.
We believe every presentation and program we give on senior memory care has the potential to energize and inspire the next generation to choose this vocation. St. Anthony’s has crafted a deeply meaningful environment that can bring purpose and satisfaction to the lives of those who answer the calling.
At. St. Anthony’s, creating a better future for your loved ones begins with developing our team to meet every need. We’re committed to providing memory care like you’ve never seen before. Learn more about our memory care program and our dedication to the details your loved ones deserve.
