Written By: Hannah Wadlington, Administrator – Homeplace, Adams Lane
When I think about what makes Homeplace of Henderson special, I don’t think about the building first. I don’t think about the activities on the calendar, the meals we serve, or even the many services we provide. I think about the people. I think about the relationships created between our residents, between our staff and residents, and between the people who walk through our doors every day. Those relationships are something that can’t be put on a schedule or measured on a checklist, but they are such an important part of what makes Homeplace feel like home.
When someone moves into assisted living, they aren’t just moving into a new apartment or room. They are entering a new chapter of their life. There can be a lot of change that comes with that transition. They may be leaving a home they’ve lived in for many years, a neighborhood they know, or a routine they’ve had for a long time. One of the things that can make that transition easier is having people around them who care, listen, laugh with them, and make them feel like they belong. That’s where relationships become so important.
One of my favorite things to watch at Homeplace is the friendships that develop between our residents. Sometimes two people who may have never crossed paths before moving here find themselves sitting beside each other at lunch, participating in the same activity, or simply visiting in the hallway. Over time, those small interactions can turn into genuine friendships. You start to notice one resident looking for another at breakfast. Someone saves a seat for their friend during an activity. Two residents sit together after lunch and talk for an hour. They learn about each other’s families, share stories about their lives, laugh together, and sometimes even fuss with each other. And then, before long, they’re back together again. Those friendships can become such an important part of a resident’s daily life. Having someone to eat lunch with, someone to look forward to seeing, or someone to share a laugh with can make a tremendous difference in how a person feels about their day. We all need companionship, regardless of our age, and our residents are no different. Sometimes a neighbor becomes a friend, and sometimes that friend becomes family.
The relationships between our staff and residents are just as meaningful. Our staff members do much more than complete the tasks associated with caring for someone. They get to know the person behind the care. Over time, they learn the little things. They learn who likes their coffee a certain way, who enjoys telling stories, who loves to joke around, who needs a little extra encouragement in the morning, and who might just need someone to sit down and listen for a few minutes. They learn about families, careers, favorite songs, childhood memories, hobbies, and the things that make each resident who they are. That’s one of the things I love about working in assisted living. If we are doing it right, our residents aren’t strangers to us for very long. We become familiar with one another. We develop routines, inside jokes, conversations, and connections. A staff member may walk into a resident’s room and immediately get a smile simply because that resident is happy to see them. Those moments matter more than we sometimes realize.
A resident may not remember every activity they participated in that week or exactly what they had for lunch, but they may remember the person who sat beside them and listened to their story. They may remember the caregiver who always made them laugh. They may remember the staff member who noticed they weren’t having a good day and took a few extra minutes to check on them. That is care, too.
In healthcare, there are always tasks that need to be completed and things that need to be documented. Those responsibilities are important, and we take them seriously. But there is another part of caring for someone that doesn’t always fit neatly into a form or a care plan. It’s getting to know who they are. Our residents have lived full lives long before they came to Homeplace. They have raised families, built careers, served their communities, traveled, experienced incredible joys, overcome difficult times, and made memories that are important to them. When we take the time to listen to those stories, we are showing our residents that their lives and experiences still matter. And they do.
Sometimes knowing that someone remembers your favorite dessert, knows which song will make you smile, or asks about your grandchild can mean more than we realize. Those little details tell someone, “I see you. I know you. You matter to me.” We talk a lot about quality of care in assisted living, and there is a good reason for that. Our residents deserve to be safe, comfortable, healthy, and well cared for. But I also believe quality of life is an important part of quality care.
Ask yourself… Are our residents laughing? Are they making friends? Are they participating in things they enjoy? Do they have someone they look forward to seeing? Do they feel like they are part of a community? Those things matter.
Sometimes we can get caught up in making sure every task gets completed and forget that one of the most important things we can give another person is our time. Sitting down for a few extra minutes, listening to a story we’ve heard before, stopping in to say hello, or simply sharing a laugh can have a bigger impact than we know. The little things often become the big things.
At Homeplace of Henderson, I want our residents to feel that they are part of something. I want them to have opportunities to make new friends, maintain old relationships, develop connections with our staff, and continue making memories. I want the dining room to be a place where conversations happen, not just where meals are served. I want activities to be a place where friendships grow, not just something to fill an hour on the calendar. I want our hallways to feel familiar and welcoming, with staff and residents knowing one another and taking the time to stop and say hello. Because that’s what makes a home feel like a home.
A home is more than the walls around you. It’s the people inside those walls. When I walk through Homeplace and see residents laughing together, staff members stopping to visit with someone, or a resident’s face light up when their favorite caregiver walks through the door, I’m reminded of why these relationships are so important. These are the moments that create a sense of belonging, and belonging can make all the difference in someone’s happiness and quality of life.
We aren’t just providing a place for our residents to live. We have the opportunity to create a community where they feel known, valued, included, and cared for. And at the end of the day, that’s what I hope Homeplace of Henderson continues to be—a place where relationships matter, where friendships are made, where people are genuinely cared about, and where our residents can feel that they truly belong. A place to live is important – but a place to truly belong is something special.