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Business View Magazine
domain: “What also is unique about our community is
that we have an à la carte service for our residents in
the independent living setting,” she says. “It’s a go be-
tween, so to speak, before they get to assisted living,
to afford them the ability to age in place.” Another ser-
vice provided at the Oaks is Home Health Aides, who
“go to the residents in their independent setting and
assist them with the services that they are in need of,”
adds Davis. “We also have a companion service, which
is utilized in all levels of care, not only in independent
living, for residents who may require escorts for shop-
ping, or one-on-one socialization, or companionship.”
The Oaks of Clearwater has a little over 200 employ-
ees. The community has approximately 125 inde-
pendent living units; 125 assisted-living residents;
50 memory-care residents; and a 60-bed nursing,
rehabilitation unit. According to McCarthy, about half
of its residents come from the surrounding area and
half have originally come from up north. “They moved
down to Florida as a lot of seniors do, sometimes as
snow birds and sometimes just to migrate down here
because the Clearwater area is paradise,” she exults.
“We’re very fortunate to be on the water, so we really
are the retirement dream. People joke in our industry
about retirement living being similar to life on a cruise
ship with all the activities and fun, with meals and ev-
erything provided for you. And when you look out our
windows over the water, to some it could be confused
for a cruise ship.”
Davis, herself, also relocated from up north and moved
down to Florida in the early 1990s to join the staff at
the Oaks. She says that what has kept her there all
these years is the facility’s resident-driven culture.
“We tell our staff that we work in their homes, they
don’t live where we work.” Regarding her personnel,
Davis is effusive in her praise. “It takes a very special
person to make us successful. There are a lot of good
people who work here and I’m very proud to be a part
of that team.”
