Living Where I Work: Insights and Connections in a Senior Facility

Working as a manager of senior living communities, I realized that I missed forming personal bonds with the residents. Therefore, when the chance to manage The Watermark at Brooklyn Heights arose, I decided to embrace it despite others seeing it as a career regression, eager to revolve my career around meaningful interactions.

Relocating from Philadelphia—a distance too far for a regular commute—to Brooklyn involved more than personal logistics. I brought along an essential companion, my loyal dog, Diego. Weekends are reserved for family time back home with my husband.

Dining with Residents: A Daily Routine

Each morning, at 7 a.m., I commence my routine with a run as I prepare for the upcoming New York City Marathon. The residents enthusiastically support my training, greeting me warmly with inquiries about my morning run each day I return.

I purposely skip using my apartment’s kitchen, preferring the communal atmosphere of dining with the residents instead. This choice fortifies our bonds over shared meals.

Post-work, dog walks become a joint activity, leading to the creation of a dog-walking club. Residents adorn their pets with reflective vests for evening strolls.

Creating Meaningful Interactions

The shared stories and rich conversations with residents have granted me fresh insights into valuing the transient nature of life. It's a perspective shift I treasure.

Once detached from their complaints, like insufficient shower pressure or cold communal areas during cooler months, I learned to empathize by living among them, seeing the world from their eyes.

Stories and Bonds

Observing a resident leave dinner untouched inspired me to follow and ask about his well-being, which led us to a therapeutic walk together that transformed his mood that evening.

These moments of togetherness offer me a front-row seat to their emotional struggles, allowing me to empathize and provide support.

Often socially marginalized, seniors demand our attention to acknowledge their stories—tales rich with experience and wisdom.

The diversity of their backgrounds serves as a valuable resource. With nearly 200 residents as mentors, I find myself constantly learning—be it arts from a Juilliard teacher or business advice from an experienced entrepreneur.

While maintaining boundaries might seem challenging when living with work colleagues, I’ve found individuals here respect my off-hours, treating me as one of them, not the director.

Despite potential exhaustion from keeping up with their active social schedules, the experience is overwhelmingly rewarding, and I cherish every moment of it.