Meet Jennifer Conrad of Gardens Care Senior Living

Today, we would like to introduce you to Jennifer Conrad. She and her team share their story with us below:

The Conrads built their first home for Jennifer’s father who needed care after having a stroke. They were inspired to transform assisted living for other families who want the very best for their loved one in a home cultivating a small family community with just a few other seniors. Their journey continues with serving seniors in multiple locations across the Denver metro area and being fierce advocates for families who want exemplary care and oversight in a continuous care model of independent living, memory care, and assisted living home options. 

We are a privately owned senior living company that provides a continuum of care, but in boutique settings and in residential neighborhoods. Family is of paramount importance in the golden years of a senior’s life, and we want to be part of that family of care. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Not a smooth road at all. There have been numerous obstacles including state licensing delays, permitting delays, skyrocketing construction costs in the middle of the projects, staffing quality people, numerous Covid related issues including failure to thrive and see family, ensuring seniors are kept healthy and safe. Financially, assisted living is scary to the banks as it is one of the most failed businesses. Many people are not able to sustain small assisted livings because just a few vacancies can be a roadblock to meeting bills. We have stayed the course and with the scaling of our business into 11 properties, we have overcome many of these. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Gardens Care Senior Living?
Much of what we do centers around our 3 Pillars. Plant Hope, Cultivate Health, Grow Relationships. Below is a description of all three and our disruptive proposition, setting us apart from others. Few have the amenities we have and our homes are absolutely stunning – quite different from other homes that are typically characterized by simple bedrooms in a small home and a small living space. Our homes are quite large and most bedrooms have bathrooms attached. Our small homes, from the very logistical sense, provides close oversight to the seniors. We hear and know everything going on in the home and provide close care. We also provide a continuum of care – independent living, assisted living (small and medium size), memory care. And we provide options for every budget – rooms from $3500 – $7000 depending on location and care requests. 

3 Pillars of Gardens Care 

Plant Hope 

At Gardens Care, we plant hope from the first moment in a relationship with you; from your first call to the day of move-in and throughout the day-in, day-out routine. As a seed that is planted in the spring, so is hope instantly planted in your heart, once the decision has been made for you or your loved one to begin spending every day with us. Along with aging, there is a quiet desire for life to provide deeper meaning and experiences with any number of things that have been forsaken including health, socialization, or oversight and care. Creating a culture of hope for a senior who has not had consistent medications and suffering health concerns fully or partly due to the misadministration of the prescribed medication has hope that health will improve with our consistent medication administration protocols. Hope is manifested as the moment seniors see the beginning of the day with a fresh pot of coffee and a smile on the face of the caregiver. The hope of being loved is fulfilled with a tender moment. The clubs and activities that pull seniors together for a social hour, meeting the deeper need for belonging and acceptance, achieves hope when the card game at Gardens Care is especially fun that evening with friends. Hope turns into trust at Gardens Care when we fulfill our promises every day to you. Begin this journey with us and begin Planting Hope today. 

Cultivate Health 

For a seed to thrive, it must be planted in richly prepared soil, provided with water and nourishment, and protected from harsh elements. Similarly, so must your health. At Gardens Care, we provide several components to ensure a rich environment for your physical, emotional, and mental health such as having an RN on staff to oversee concerns you or our care staff may have to ensure you are always well cared for. We also closely partner with weekly home-rounding geriatric medical professionals including physician assistants or nurse practitioners. Our day always begins with an exercise routine to sustain muscle strength and flexibility and is a major fall prevention program in every location. Opt into our hydration program to ensure prevention of dehydration and potential UTIs. We proudly are hosting a care initiative that includes incontinence technology and in-the-moment alerts to staff that assist with a change, and an electronic care plan and cues to ensure all care tasks are completed daily and on time! We also deliver daily reports to caring family members about how your day went and what they need to know to help support you. 

Grow Relationships 

A culture of positive and healthy relationships are of ultimate importance at Gardens Care. We create moments for you to enjoy life with your family, other seniors, and our staff. Our activities engagement program sponsors between three and five activities a day for you to choose from and contribute to the 15 personal contacts we provide daily. We offer crafts, music therapy, pet therapy, sports, church, gardening club, movie nights, book club, and many more things to keep you busy. But best of all, having strong relationships in our home will grow your confidence as well. Visit us to see the difference our home can be for you. 

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
My inspiration is the photos I require staff to submit to our company thread every day to ensure activities are happening and keeping seniors happy. 

Pricing:

• $3500-$7000 a month
• All-inclusive care packages

Contact Info:

• Email: info@GardensCare.com
• Website: GardensCare.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gardenscareseniorliving/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegardenscarehomes