Business View Magazine - March 2016

98 Business View Magazine - April 2016 Business View Magazine - April 2016 99 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.” McCarthy adds that another way in which the Oaks stands apart from the competition is its combination of all-inclusive living and à la carte services. “A lot of retirement communities have a mentality where it’s ei- ther all-inclusive, or all à la carte. But ours is a combi- nation of both. We’re an all-inclusive retirement com- munity, but we customize our services to fit the needs of the residents,” she says. McCarthy believes that the Oaks truly offers its resi- dents a senior living life style that challenges the ste- reotype that many have about retirement communi- ties. “The perception is often misconstrued,” she says. “A lot of seniors have a vision of retirement living as if it’s the wheelchair in a dark corner. It’s got a negative reputation and something that we’ve tried to negate, over time. And what we try to do through our advertis- ing is let them know that it is not a beginning to an end, but a new beginning. That coming to a retirement community, as a senior, is life-altering in a positive way. They have the opportunity to thrive and grow with The Preferred Pharmacy for Memory Care, Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing Facilities • 24/7 pharmacy support • True partners focused on superior service • Personal attention with the benefits and resources of a larger pharmacy group • Local billing and dispensing - no remote hubs or 800 numbers • Innovative technology to eliminate med errors and streamline communication • Custom education and training for facility staff 866-440-1341 | guardianpharmacyflorida.com …where personal service is the most powerful medicine