Mallory Mixdorf, MA, LICSW, the Resident & Family Supportive Programs Director for Era Living, joins Suzanne at their Aljoya Mercer Island senior living community. Mallory is a licensed social worker.
Mallory says, “We provide mental health and support services to all of our residents as well as their families, as much as needed. As residents transition into our communities, or even if they've been there for a long time and are facing other life transitions, all of our communities have a licensed mental health professional to help that resident or their families navigate those changes, which is something that's really unique to Era Living. Our counselors will make an effort to meet with the residents pretty shortly after they move in and learn about what makes them tick, and validate their concerns. A lot of times, maybe it wasn't their first choice to move. On the other end of the spectrum, there's residents who come in really ready to go. They're so excited about this change. They're ready to let go of the responsibilities. They're ready to fill their day with enriching activities, have someone cook for them, meet folks that are just down the hall, are ready for these wrap-around services."
Couples may have challenges as well. Mallory says, "Couples are a family unit, but they're two individuals, and they may have very different approaches and perspectives on what's going on. And so that's another great thing that the counselors can do is, again, provide that space to listen, and provide space for the the residents to receive counseling as a family if necessary to help navigate those changes, or the rifts that maybe are growing in the different perspectives can cause some strain in a relationship. So the counselors are really there to help navigate and mitigate."
Mallory adds, “Something that's really special about our counselors is that we provide support groups for residents, and their families are welcome to attend the support groups, but really, the focus is on the residents. One of our support groups is actually a caregiver support group. So for a lot of those couples that come in, oftentimes one of the pair is the caregiver. So they can take the space away from the one that they care for. Sit with like minded folks and peers who are in a similar situation. They can learn from each other, they can talk, they can share stories in a space that feels safe.
"If families are looking for extra support, we do have a program called Almost like Family. it is an ancillary service, a case management program. There's two prongs really to the program. One is companionship visits fFor residents who need that extra support to prevent isolation, which is, I'm sure you've heard is an epidemic in the the senior population. We have staff who are dedicated solely to this role, to come in and spend time with residents and just engage them in things that bring those residents joy, whether it's talking about their past, going on walks, joining the life enrichment activities together, kind of calling them, pulling them out of their apartments, getting them more engaged in the community. That's the companionship aspect.
"The other aspect is the medical escorts. For residents who may need help getting to and from doctors appointments, don't always know how to navigate the medical system, or for times when they, God forbid, have to go to the emergency department, we have someone on call 24/7 to help get them to their medical appointments, meet them at the hospital should they have a fall, or some other medical emergency, especially in those times when families aren't available at the drop of a hat to drive an hour or two to the hospital.”
Aljoya Mercer Island has 114 apartments ranging from 700 to 2,000 square feet and is located at 2430 76th Ave SE, Mercer Island, WA 98040-2807. Learn more about Aljoya Mercer Island, and learn all about Era Living at Answers for Elders or at their website.
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