Written by: Hannah Wadlington, Administrator at Adams Lane
Every time I head to a KCARE event, I tell myself I’m just going to “learn a few things.” But honestly, it ends up being so much more than that. I come back with a full notebook, a full heart, and about ten new ideas I want to bring straight to our teams at the Homeplace of Henderson. Working in senior care isn’t something you just do, it becomes part of you. You carry residents’ stories home with you. You worry about them on your days off. You celebrate their little victories and feel it when they’re having a hard time. And as much as I love what we do, I also know how important it is to keep growing and keep finding ways to make things better. I’ve been to plenty of trainings where everyone is just counting down the minutes until lunch. The KCARE Annual Conference is different. The things I learn there actually hit home. I sat there thinking: “Oh, that would help Mr. ___ so much”, “We could use that during morning shifts”, “This is exactly what our staff needs right now.”
It’s practical, helpful stuff, whether it’s about dementia care, communication, activities, fall prevention, or just understanding our seniors in a deeper way. It makes me want to walk into Homeplace with a fresh perspective, like, “Okay, I’ve got something new to bring to the table today.”
One thing I’ve learned is that improving resident care isn’t just about what we know, it’s about how supported our staff feels. When our team feels confident and valued, everything changes. The energy in the building changes. The way we communicate changes. And the care our residents receive definitely changes. KCARE gives ideas, tools, and resources that help us create a better work environment. I want Homeplace of Henderson to be a place where our employees want to come to work. I want them to feel proud, encouraged, and prepared, not stressed out and overwhelmed. And honestly, when I come home inspired, it rubs off on everyone around me.
Probably one of my favorite parts of the KCARE Conference is meeting people who understand. People from all over Kentucky who know exactly what it feels like to invest yourself in seniors every single day. It’s comforting to talk with others who’ve had the same challenges, the same successes, the same questions. And we don’t just talk—we share. We swap ideas, resources, and sometimes even phone numbers like, “Hey, call me if you ever deal with this again.” Those connections help me bring even more support back to Henderson—little things that end up making a big difference.
Every time I get back from the KCARE Conference, I walk into Homeplace with this sense of renewed purpose. I look around and think:
– We can do this better.
– We deserve to do this better.
– And our residents deserve the absolute best we can give them.
At the end of the day, KCARE gives me what I need to keep growing as a leader and as a person. It reminds me why I love this work, and why both of our properties, Adams Lane & Green River Road, matter so much in this community. So yeah.. every time the Annual Conference comes around, you’ll probably see me there with a notebook, my emotional support water bottle, and way too many highlighters. Because if there’s a way to make life better for our seniors and our staff, I want to learn it.
I want our seniors to feel safe, loved, and understood.
I want our staff to feel respected, supported, and appreciated.
I want our buildings to feel like home for everyone who walks through the doors.