Adviser Winter 2019-20 LeadingAge New York Adviser LeadingAge NewYork Winter 2019-20 | Page 46

Feature
Friendly Senior Living Finds Unique
Solutions to Staffing Issues
T
he challenge of finding caring,
motivated and committed hands-on
caregivers is not a new issue in the
senior health care industry. What is new
is Friendly Senior Living’s innovative
approach to solving this problem.
Glen Cooper
“Throughout the country and in New York
State, providers of skilled nursing care
have been experiencing a critical shortage
of direct care workers,” says Glen Cooper,
president and CEO of Friendly Senior
Living. “This issue is further compounded
by the difficulty we find in attracting and
retaining top-quality staff to care for our
residents. To effectively address these
workforce challenges, employers have to be
creative.”
A solution arose when Michael Perrotta,
vice president and administrator of the
Friendly Home, matched the Home’s
need for a consistent and reliable staff
of Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs)
and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs)
with individuals who wished to pursue
health care career opportunities, but
lacked the financial resources to do so.
“As an organization, we committed to
removing those barriers to education – to
providing our current employees, as well
as individuals in the community, with the
support they need,” says Perrotta. “We
benefit by providing training and career
advancement opportunities, resulting
in the hiring of
top-quality staff.
Participants in the
Qualified employees
program benefit
receive their full salary
from being made
whole while
plus benefits while
pursuing their
undergoing training.
education.”
Other expenses such as
tuition, books and child
care are covered as well.
What does ‘being
made whole’
mean? Qualified
employees
receive their full salary plus benefits while
undergoing training. Other expenses such
as tuition, books and child care are covered
as well. Maureen Garbach, the Friendly
Home’s director of health services, points
to several success stories as a result of
Friendly Senior Living’s unique approach
to cultivating a stable, well-qualified staff.
“We’ve had people who have started out as
resident care assistants or housekeepers,
and they love it here – they get to know
our Members, their families, the culture
we promote,” explains Garbach. “When
they have chosen to take the next step to
become a CNA, they know that they are a
highly valued part of our team because we
have invested in their futures. I often hear
new CNAs say, ‘This is just the beginning’;
they want to continue advancing their
careers as LPNs and even RNs.”
Kelsey Ireland is one of Friendly Senior
Living’s success stories. She began working
at the Friendly Home as a resident care
assistant and quickly found that caregiving
for the elderly is her passion. Kelsey
became a CNA, with her training expenses
entirely covered by the program. “I can’t
express how thankful I am to Friendly
Senior Living for this opportunity,” says
Kelsey. “I want to continue my education
to eventually become an RN. The Friendly
Home has invested in me and in this
organization to make sure we are going to
succeed in improving other people’s lives.”
To date, over 40 employees across the
Friendly Senior Living continuum have
completed CNA training; several more
are currently enrolled in CNA or LPN
(See Friendly Senior Living on page 46)
45
Adviser a publication of LeadingAge New York | Winter 2019-20