By Brandon Hair, Executive Director of Springmoor
In March 2024, I held my first Coffee & Conversation event with a wonderful group of South Village residents. I was unsure how many people would attend, and I was beyond excited to greet a packed room with standing room only. I then quickly remembered the free ham biscuits on the counter and put two and two together. I’ve always said effective marketing and successful event planning often rely on delicious food, and I’d like to thank Kari Richie and Jessica Riviera for their help with the planning and the refreshments.
The March session went exactly as I had hoped. For an hour, I had the opportunity to answer residents’ great questions and respond to their comments, suggestions, and compliments. It was an hour well spent! Key takeaways included new ideas to consider implementing, positive messages to relay back to staff, and new knowledge about a few items I was unaware of.
My goal for each of these talks is for a group of residents to have my undivided attention. They can ask any questions they like, and I will answer to the best of my ability or get back to them with an answer. I know how important this was for all residents during COVID-19 when I provided virtual town hall meetings. I wanted to provide something similar on an ongoing basis to respond to general inquiries and updates regarding the community.
Below I’ve included just a few of the questions and suggestions from the March 2024 Coffee & Conversation. Some items were still in progress or still being evaluated at the time of this writing.
Question 1: Why can’t couples sign up for a trip on the resident portal simultaneously?
Answer: We realized this option was not enabled for all trip signups, and our IT Department has fixed this.
Question 2: When should you call EMS instead of the front desk?
Answer: Residents should call EMS anytime they feel it is an emergency. Examples include a stroke, heart attack, or any other concern needing immediate medical assistance. Springmoor always has a nurse on call who will respond, but if in doubt, residents should call 911.
Question 3: What is the update on the large Springmoor bus?
Answer: The bus was in the shop for a time in March, but it’s now back up and running. Unfortunately, the vehicle needed a few repairs back-to-back.
Question 4: When will another waste receptacle be installed in front of South Village?
Answer: I did not know it was not installed yet, and I passed along the approval to order.
Question 5: Can we get larger coffee urns in the Bistro, as the current ones run out quickly?
Answer: I have already asked Dining Services to order these and install them as soon as they arrive.
Suggestion 1: Engage employees to help residents learn Spanish.
Response: We are determining which employees would be interested in doing this and the best times to hold the lessons.
Suggestion 2: List the emergency contact numbers on the portal.
Response: We have implemented this already. Great idea!
Suggestion 3: Make magnets with emergency contact numbers that residents can place on their refrigerators.
Response: We are trying to find a vendor to give us the best price for this project.
These were all great questions and suggestions, and I look forward to answering more questions at these monthly events. I am hopeful this will be a good addition to our Pathways programming by fostering more social wellness. In addition, we can all benefit intellectually by asking great questions, hearing the questions of others we may not thought of asking, and processing and providing answers. I have learned so much from residents over the course of my career at Springmoor, and I hope to be able to give back just a tiny portion to each of you during these conversations.
I’m excited to continue conducting this new program each month to facilitate dialogue. The first event was held in the Terrace Room of South Village, and the location alternates monthly between South Village and North Village. All residents are invited to join me for a cup of joe (and ham biscuits!) and an hour of conversation about Springmoor.
Springmoor is a nonprofit Continuing Care Retirement Community offering seniors a variety of residence options that range from apartments to larger villas and homes. If you’re looking for an active senior living community in Raleigh, call us at 919-848-7080 with your questions.
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