Interview with Chartwell Erinview management, Tamara Billy

Three things I would say I love about my job would be the residents, the team members, and the culture. The residents make every day so wonderful. You never know what to expect, and putting joy into someone else’s life really makes you happy inside. The team that I work with is probably the most amazing team I’ve ever worked with anywhere. We have a really good family feel. Some of the team members that I have here have been here 25 years, some of them over 25 years, so it really builds that really good family atmosphere.

Prior to this, I was working with seniors in real estate, and I really enjoyed that aspect of it. Then I got this opportunity to work in a different capacity, and I loved it so much more. I found it way more fulfilling to be able to help them on this end in their journey, and that’s what drew me to it, and that’s why I stayed.

It’s just genuine. This is the time of their life when they are the most nervous. They’ve usually lived in their family home for 30 or 40 years, and to make the move into a seniors community, they’re really not sure what to expect. Giving someone the opportunity and educating them on how wonderful these years can be, and how much joy you can get, and some of the things that maybe they’re missing that they weren’t doing at home, is what makes it different. The socialization and the programs that we offer are a big part of that.

If I had to highlight one moment, I have so many, to be honest, with family members. But it’s honestly just the thank you, when a daughter or a son comes up to me and says, "My mom or my dad has totally changed, they’re just thriving, thank you so much for everything that you’ve done." I think that is probably my most gratifying moment.

The first thing I would say to anybody that is considering retirement would be tour a community. You have to really figure out what it is that you like to do. What are your hobbies? Do you have any hobbies that you used to do? Sometimes the adult children need to explore those options as well because their parents might not do them anymore.

When touring a community, you really have to figure out if that’s the right feel for you. We all offer wonderful features, but you want to make sure that the community that you choose has all the features that your mom or dad is going to love. There are so many more options than you probably think there are in retirement living.

Some of them don’t realize the immensity of the features that different communities offer, and just the socializing programs that are in place. There’s a bridge club, Bingo, live entertainment, different socials, and outings. There’s an array of features that they can do

The Erinview is owned by Sifton, which is a family-based company. So we have a really genuine family culture throughout the community. I think that’s what draws people. When they walk in the door, you really get that sense of, I’m home, this is my homey feeling. The staff know all the residents, and the residents know all the staff.

We actually just opened our brand new community in February of this year. We have a great new facility for all of our residents. We have brand new, large suites, a bright open concept, different multi-purpose rooms for them to use, gyms, hair salons, and lots of features and services. That definitely sets us apart from our competitors in the area.

Our culture sets us apart from everybody else. Our team is wonderful, and the family relationship that we do have with our residents sets us apart. We strive every day to make our residents’ lives wonderful. We go a step above and beyond, and the residents get to set the pace for what they want to do. We champion independence, and we’re able to provide amazing levels of care.

That would be the live entertainment. We do it weekly with different vendors that come in. The residents really get joy out of it. We try to pair it with some type of food and drink to make it a theme weekly. I always try to get in there, and the glow on their faces is wonderful with the entertainment.

We have an array of programs that we take the residents to and do within the community. We enjoy mall trips, we go outside the GTA into the Royal Botanical Gardens, we do the zoo, African Lion Safari, you name it, and we put it on the calendar. We’re a small-knit community, so we’re able to provide more personalized programs for residents. If someone brings up a suggestion as to where they might want to go or what they might want to see, we’re able to try to implement it within the calendar.

The residents who come to live at The Erinview come to live with us for many different reasons. We definitely champion independence, but we’re able to provide an array of care. We do individualized care plans for all of our residents based on their needs, and we’re able to accommodate most care levels .

I think we do a wonderful job of communication with the families at the Erinview. We do it via email, personalized phone calls, and one-on-one meetings. We kind of take an approach of whatever means necessary. We know that family members have different schedules and different lifestyles and prefer to communicate in different ways

I would say get the whole family together and come for a visit. That is the best way they’re going to know. If your mom or your dad is the one that you’re looking for, they need to be here. They need to decide if this is what they want.

When they get here, they realize that this is a lot of fun and it’s exciting. They end up chatting with people, which gives everybody a new perspective on retirement. I’d say just book an appointment for the community, get the feel for it, and meet the people.

We have a very family-based culture at The Erinview. Sifton created this wonderful family-based culture where we trust and respect each other. We have a very open-door policy, so our residents can definitely come in and talk to us and communicate as needed. And we really champion our residents’ independence here and thrive on making sure that they’re living their best life.

The chicken shawarma, although almost every soup we have here is amazing, and I have to say I probably gained a few pounds working here.

Take the time and find out what it is your parents are looking for in a home. What are their needs? Then tour. When you’re touring a home, the most important thing to look for is the team members' engagement with the residents and the residents’ engagement with the team members. That tells so much. You really want somewhere that feels like home. When you walk into anywhere, whether it is a retirement home or a grocery store, you get a feeling. The feeling that you want to take away is a wonderful homey atmosphere where you can see your parents.

One of the misconceptions that people have is that retirement homes don’t offer the services and features that we do. They don’t realize that when moving to a retirement community, there are an array of activity programs, a vibrant lifestyle, a great social calendar, and a chef that cooks all of your meals for you.

I would definitely say the culture. Our corporate office is very involved. They’re in the communities all the time. They know the residents really well. Normally, in organizations, you don’t see that. But here they’re right in there like everybody else.

There is no typical day for me in the community. Every day is different. Every day, I strive to make a resident’s day better. Depending on what that looks like, that shapes my day. I deal a lot with family members in the community. I help people with their transition from home into Erinview Retirement Residence, and then I spend time with my residents here with whatever they need.

Sometimes it’s helping them with their puzzle that they can’t quite finish on their own because maybe they’re missing a piece, or checking in on residents with their lunch, making sure everything’s wonderful. There is no typical day, and I think that’s probably why I love working here.

Every day we go above and beyond. To give you one scenario where we do that would be unfair. Every day, a resident has a unique need or a request, whether it is how to install an app on their cell phone, or a resident wanting interaction to go for a walk outside, but not wanting to go by themselves. There are a million different things that we do on a daily basis.