New Community Outreach Coordinator Calls Radford Green “Home”
“It was meant to be,” said Cissie Gerber of her position as Community Outreach Coordinator at Radford Green Health Care and Rehabilitation on the campus of the Sedgebrook continuing care retirement community in Lincolnshire, IL. “I had goose bumps during my interview; I just fell in love with the building, the grounds, the people.”
Hired in February 2013, three months before the grand opening of Radford Green’s memory care assisted living neighborhood and dedicated rehabilitation center, Gerber came to the community with five years of professional experience in senior care and a lifelong love for this growing population. A stay-at-home mother for 15 years, Gerber devoted much of that time to interacting with seniors in various volunteer capacities. “I’ve known for a long time that working with seniors is where I need to be,” she said. “After all, we’re here because they’re here.”
In 2008, Gerber’s passion for elderly people led to a part-time job in activities at a suburban retirement community which eventually became a full-time field marketing position. “I loved it,” said Gerber of her work and her “unbelievable rapport” with the residents. After three years, Gerber took a job as a hospital liaison in which she had “too much market space and no real home.” That all changed when Radford Green made known its need for a marketing professional. It immediately became evident that it was a perfect match.
“Now, I’m out doing what I love again in a place I can come home to and be proud of,” said Gerber, who visits hospital patients, family members, doctors and nurses, social workers, senior centers, home health and hospice organizations, orthopedic groups and others, all in the name of educating people on the benefits of the Radford Green community. “I want people to feel what I felt when I first saw this wonderful community. It’s important for me to be out getting referrals and cultivating mutually beneficial relationships that result in referrals. These referrals then all get the opportunity to experience all the Radford Green has to offer.”
While 84 private suites, 24-hour security and views of Plume Lake on the 92-acre Sedgebrook campus might be attraction enough, Gerber underscores Radford Green’s licensed memory care neighborhood, where residents have access to a secure outdoor garden with walking paths, and are often found gathering in the lounge while someone plays the grand piano. “It’s a warm homelike environment, very different than what one might expect from a traditional memory care neighborhood. Our philosophy is to let residents live as if they are in their own homes. They find meaning and purpose while actively engaging in daily programs that they love and enjoy,” Gerber said.
Gerber also cites the serenity of the Radford community, its physical beauty, clinical excellence, dedicated staff, and “all for one, one for all” team spirit. “Our goal is to be far above the average here, and our goal is to be the best we possibly can for our residents and their families,” she said.
Sedgebrook is a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) offering a diverse lifestyle, maintenance-free living and outstanding amenities. Radford Green Health Care and Rehabilitation is located on the 92-acre Sedgebrook campus in Lincolnshire, Illinois. Sedgebrook is owned by Senior Care Development LLC and managed by Life Care Services LLC. For additional information visitwww.welometosedgebrook.com or call 847-901-3319