Helping Lenbrook Residents Navigate Life’s Transitions
When residents move into Lenbrook, the LIVE team members are some of the first people they meet. LIVE stands for “Lenbrook Individuals are Vital and Engaged.” The name reflects the department’s vision for the impact it intends to make on residents in the community.
Lenbrook created the team after identifying a need for a dedicated resource to assist residents who found themselves navigating unchartered territory while experiencing life changes. The LIVE team consists of three social workers who serve as a support system for residents and their families, helping them navigate the many options and resources available at Lenbrook. Also on the team is a credentialing coordinator who onboards outside personal service providers and contractors and supports a safe and welcoming environment for everyone.
These team members help residents smoothly manage life’s transitions, offer education about how to live vital and engaged lives, and provide referrals to quality service providers. They help people transition to the Lenbrook community and handle tedious moving tasks such as updating a resident’s driver’s license without visiting the DMV and completing change of address forms. From taking care of these small tasks to serving as a resource for big life decisions, the LIVE team is an integral part of life at Lenbrook. New Lenbrook Residents often don’t know about LIVE before joining the community, but after experiencing the value and impact the team provides, they quickly share that the team is one of their most utilized and beloved resources!
Cristina Ramey, Director of LIVE Supportive Services, describes the team as the place where, “if you don’t know where to go, think of us.” The team wants residents to feel comfortable coming to them with questions and concerns and to know its members will provide caring and competent advice.
However, the team doesn’t wait to solve problems! It brings in subject matter experts to speak about topics that will help enhance residents’ quality of life and hosts sessions about navigating Medicare open enrollment. In fact, the LIVE team holds more than 100 meetings with residents every year to help them compare and pick the right insurance plan for their needs. According to Cristina, this service collectively saves residents from $100,000 to $500,000 every year!
If residents experience a health bump, the LIVE team is there to support them and help create a care plan. In moments that can have a lot of stress, team members help residents feel cared for and supported.
Resident Charles Maddrey moved to Lenbrook in 2022 with his wife who has Alzheimer’s disease. He was impressed by the LIVE team right away.
“Everyone on the team has helped me in some way during my year at Lenbrook. This team are all such nice people and a joy to work with,” he says.
The LIVE team listened and supported Charles when he needed it, helped him find a caregiver for his wife, and guided him to a support group. And, when his son needed advice for his father-in-law who lives in D.C., Charles asked Cristina for guidance. “I had no doubt whatsoever that the team would help if they could, I turn to LIVE for direction and they provide the right people to contact to fit our needs,” says Charles.
In resident Merrily Baird’s three years at Lenbrook, her appreciation for the LIVE team has grown. The small but mighty team is, as Merrily says, “wizards at helping change official documents when residents have moved addresses, and their knowledge of Lenbrook’s administrative functions is formidable.”
Merrily sums up the LIVE team’s impact by saying, “LIVE’s commitment to creating an environment of kindness shaped by the needs of an aging population is entirely congruent with the nurturing value system that makes Lenbrook such a superior retirement community.”