Our newest interview in our “5 Questions” series was with Sam Khan of Aaspen Village Care in Yucca Valley, California. We asked Sam the following questions about their facilities (they have more than one), and about the assisted living industry:
Q: Please tell us about Aaspen Village Care assisted living, where your business is located, and how long you have been in the senior care industry (perhaps in terms of the “History” of Aaspen Village Care.)
A: Aaspen Village Care is located in the beautiful desert community of Yucca Valley, California. We, as a family, have owned and operated Aaspen Village Care since 2007. Here at Aaspen Village Care we are committed to our residents. Our friendly staff is devoted to giving our community the best possible care and service as well as creating a lovely new home for our residents. We strive to create a family environment and treat every resident with the care, respect, and love they would receive from their own family.
Q: You have two locations for your business. Does having multiple locations within the same city have any advantages, or are there some challenges to operating and managing multiple locations?
A: At Aaspen Village Care we are committed to the best possible care. In order to achieve this, we have two locations each serving a distinct clientele. We have a twenty three bed assisted living residence as well as a fifteen bed residence specializing in memory care. We take pride in serving the community of Yucca Valley, and having multiple locations allows us to do this. The challenges of operating and managing multiple locations are outweighed by the benefits we can provide to our residents.
Q: High employee turnover can, at times be a problem in the senior care industry. How do you find good employees, and how do you keep your staff happy and motivated, and working at Aaspen Village Care for the long-term?
A: Our staff members are a part of our family. From a management standpoint, we have high expectations for our staff and we expect the best. When a new employee is hired, they are trained to meet and exceed our expectations. We take pride in the fact that we have many long term employees. Our top priority is offering the best care and service available, which is why we invest heavily in hiring and retaining great caregivers.
Q: You mention as part of your services and amenities “daily social activities.” What are some of the more popular activities that you offer to your residents, and how do you come up with your activities every week, or month? Is resident feedback encouraged when it comes to activities, and other services such as dining and menus?
A: Our residents at Aaspen Village Care are the driving force behind everything from activities to dining. We have a monthly calendar incorporating activities such as daily exercise for all abilities, adult appropriate crafts, collaborative cooking, pet therapy, and local entertainment to name a few. Providing our residents with an enriching daily life is the goal and motivation behind designing our activities program. We encourage all of residents and residents’ families to offer suggestions to better help us meet their needs.
Q: What do you believe are some of the benefits, or advantages that a smaller, more residential home (such as yours) can offer over a larger, more corporate-style assisted living facility?
A: Aaspen Village Care feels like a home. The residents have the ability to become familiar with every aspect of Aaspen Village Care from caregivers to management. We are able to provide personalized care and service to a degree that is not possible in a corporate style assisted living.
ALD: We have heard many times that smaller facilities allow for the resident to feel more at home, and to learn the layout of the building more quickly. This can be especially helpful to those residents with memory disorders, dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Sam, thank you so much for taking the time to share your expertise with us, and for letting us know more about what your Aaspen Village Care facilities have to offer! – Assisted Living Directory
Smaller facilities are definitely good for dementia residents in terms of remembering the layout. My mom is pretty comfortable and happy in a 5 person/capacity home.
To Whom It May Concern,
My name is Enkhtsetseg, a Head of Nursing Department of a local hospital in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. As part of our expansion of the facility, I am looking for an opportunity to visit Assisted Living homes in the States in order to share experience. I found your interview very interesting and would like to meet you in person for your wonderful experiences. .Would it be possible for your facility to accept a visitor for a short time? My email address is enkhtsetsegnurse@gmail.com if you would like to learn more about my mission.
Thank you in advance for your kind consideration in improving our services!
Yours Sincerely,
Enkhtsetseg from Mongolia
Hi Enkhtesetseg, San Francisco has a number of assisted living homes, you should check it out. But since you’re from Mongolia, I suppose you’re gonna need one like this which I found very useful in getting through the streets of San Francisco, a printable map: http://vectormap.info/product/pdf-map-san-francisco-california-us-exact-map-adobe-pdf-editable-city-plan-v3-09-full-vector/. Hope it helps!
That’s a nice map. Thanks for sharing.