August 1, 2024
Our Culture of Caring: At the Forefront of Older Adults’ Mental Health Challenges
Attending the National Council on Aging’s Center for Healthy Aging’s 7th Annual Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day symposium was an incredibly enriching experience for AHEPA Senior Living’s service coordination team, reinforcing our company’s commitment to the field of senior living. The conference proved how continuous staff training and development are vital for providing unparalleled services to our residents at AHEPA Senior Living. This emphasis on growth and learning sets us apart, ensuring we remain at the forefront of providing quality supportive services for seniors.
The symposium offered many courses that taught us how to integrate mental health into aging services. Attendees were able to choose from various mental health topics that interested them, such as “Nutrition and Mental Health.” Mental health affects food security as it can lead to an individual struggling with standing, lifting items, or even attempting to use transportation. Consequently, poor diet can lead to negative health outcomes.
Another highlight of the symposium was hearing the validation that there is a mental health crisis that impacts the entire country and that seniors may be facing some of the same challenges. Our teams appreciated hearing and engaging with other professionals in the field. “Very informative,” and “We learned new things,” they said. They felt they were not alone in addressing these important matters about mental health. They are eager to bring more educational programs featuring expert speakers to their communities because of attending the symposium.
Reflecting on the symposium, it is evident that our staff’s continuous growth and development are crucial to our success. The lessons we learned from this event will help us continue providing exceptional supportive services at AHEPA Senior Living. Our commitment to learning and improvement enables us to offer an unparalleled experience to our residents. Through staying up to date about the latest advancements and best practices, we ensure that our community remains a leader in senior living. As part of our ongoing commitment to learning, the next step of our training demonstrates this. We will use the HUD-issued Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) issued at our training to teach us to identify, understand and respond to mental health and substance use challenges. The program is encouraging participants to #BeTheDifference. We are excited that HUD is offering this course to our service coordinators working in the field and will be proud to say that our entire team is trained in this area.
In conclusion, attending the National Council on Aging’s symposium was a transformative experience. It reinforced the importance of continuous education and development in providing exceptional care. At AHEPA Senior Living, we are dedicated to increasing the knowledge of our staff, which in turn enhances the lives of our residents. Our unwavering commitment to excellence sets us apart and ensures we continue delivering the highest standard of senior living.
Quality Assurance for Service Coordination
Learn how our Quality Assurance Management Team provides expert quality assurance reviews, consultation, and online training throughout the United States within HUD guidelines.