![Leadership Spotlight: Amber Evans, Director of Memory Care & Resident Engagement Leadership Spotlight: Amber Evans, Director of Memory Care & Resident Engagement](https://www.lcbseniorliving.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/CopyrightAndyRyan_6595_FAVORITE-e1684874533820.jpg)
When selecting a senior residing group, it’s simple to deal with the aesthetics and logistics. But it surely’s additionally essential to know in regards to the folks and the philosophies behind the care and way of life. For that purpose, we’re introducing you to Amber Evans, the Director of Reminiscence Care and Resident Engagement at LCB. She loves what she does – and it exhibits! We chatted with Amber to be taught a bit extra about what makes her so captivated with her career.
- What does it imply to be the Director of Reminiscence Care and Resident Engagement?
I’ve the distinction of making the footprint of what high quality of life and thriving residing seems to be like for the residents at LCB. We’ve created a complete new philosophy about vibrant residing.
One of many coolest issues is that we’re making a motion… and altering the best way high quality of life is seen in senior residing. It’s much more than simply conserving a full calendar–which we definitely do–however we’re offering high quality engagement choices which have depth and which means.
- You have got a whole lot of letters after your identify (MA, LCMHC, R-DMT, CDP, BC-DEd). What do they imply/what sort of coaching do you’ve got?
I’ve my Double Masters in Scientific Psychological Well being Counseling and Dance/Motion Remedy, which is a type of expressive artwork remedy. I’m a Licensed Scientific Psychological Well being Counselor, Registered Dance/Motion Therapist, and Board Licensed Dementia Educator. I’ve been working in senior residing for a bit of over a decade.
I’m additionally the Vice Chair of Training and Outreach for NIDE (Nationwide Institute for Dementia Training). With this position I’m in a position to have an effect on advocacy and sources to assist grant funding and analysis initiatives, and create a group that’s striving to know extra–and do extra–in regard to reminiscence loss.
- How did you land at LCB?
I started my profession working with kids at an expressive artwork remedy middle. These kids had been dealing with quite a lot of challenges comparable to PTSD, nervousness, and ADHD. Via the middle, I used to be invited by means of a grant to steer a dance/motion remedy group for ladies with early-onset Alzheimer’s illness… and it simply modified my coronary heart. I shortly realized this was what I needed to do perpetually… So I began doing contract work as an expressive artwork therapist for senior residing communities and was then requested to use because the reminiscence care director at LCB.
I began with LCB in one in all their stand-alone communities, serving 87 residents with reminiscence loss, then I used to be promoted to a specialist, then to my place now, overseeing all communities. LCB has turn out to be my household.
- What are an important elements of your job?
With reference to reminiscence care, we’re actually main the cost in our crew’s dementia training, writing new items of training, bringing in new analysis, and making use of it to assist extra people. I’m thrilled to be surrounded by so many like-minded people who find themselves impressed to lift the bar.
- What’s your favourite a part of your job?
My favourite a part of my job is with the ability to contact folks’s lives and make the lives of seniors distinctive. I like inspiring folks to step exterior of themselves and notice that this mission is larger than a job; it’s a motion.
- What units LCB aside from different Senior Residing communities?
Before everything, our excessive customary for a thriving high quality of life. I typically take into consideration my very own mother and father… they’re educated, had profitable careers, raised two children, and now… I take into consideration how they’re getting old and what they may need of their later years.
We consider that simply since you’re getting older, you don’t must water your self down. As you age, you deliver your knowledge with you and also you proceed to develop. You deliver these experiences with you into the group–you don’t depart them behind. I like that we’re bridging the hole between who persons are and who they’re nonetheless changing into. Actually placing the LIVING in Senior Residing.
One other factor that units us aside is our dedication to training for everybody. Not only for the management crew–everybody from the road cook dinner to the nurses, to the COO, and anyplace in between–everybody has entry to training in order that they frequently have extra to supply the communities.
- Anything you assume is essential to notice?
After I look again and take into consideration my grandparents, my Pepere (my Mother’s dad) and Grandma Evans (my Dad’s Mother), who each had Alzheimer’s… it’s laborious as a result of I didn’t know what I do know now. As a caregiver, granddaughter, and advocate… I might have finished a lot extra if I knew. It brings me to tears, however now I do know there’s nonetheless hope, and there’s nonetheless pleasure inside an Alzheimer’s analysis. At LCB, we discover that pleasure; we discover the budding wildflowers alongside the journey.
Amber’s dedication to serving to seniors stay their fullest lives is inspiring to all who work along with her. Her ardour is simply one of many causes that LCB is such an unimaginable group. Should you’d prefer to know extra about Amber, her crew, or what LCB has to supply, please attain out to us. We’re all the time right here, with hearts and arms extensive open.