Resident Council Improves the Quality of Life for All at Montevista
In senior living communities all over the nation, residents have the right to have a say in their living conditions and be included in the management of their communities. One of the best ways to improve senior living communities is through a resident council. A resident council is an organized group of residents who meet regularly to discuss and address concerns about their rights, quality of care, and quality of life. At Montevista Rehabilitation and Skilled Care, a lively group of residents head the active resident council, which is making great strides to continually improve the quality of life for all residents and patients in the facility, even in the face of challenges and obstacles that COVID-19 have presented.
This week, I got the opportunity to sit down with two-time president-elect, Muriel Schulte, to discuss the mission and goals of Montevista’s resident council. For the last seven years, she’s called Montevista home and seen many changes throughout the years. Mrs. Schulte states that when the former resident council president moved out of Montevista, she stepped up and volunteered to be the voice of the people. As an active participant in the resident council and a very social resident, she says that she heard all the concerns that other residents and family members didn’t want to voice and immediately took the opportunity to be their voice.
In 2018, Mrs. Schulte was voted in as the president-elect and states that she felt honored. She takes her role very seriously and enjoys being able to make positive changes and help her fellow residents and the staff collaborate to continually improve the quality of life and care at Montevista. A caring and compassionate woman, her peers say that she is a great representative, which was expressed by a unanimous re-election.
The resident council at Montevista various in participation, but Mrs. Schulte states that when the group meets each month, there are usually between four and eight members that come together to discuss the facility, their care, and offer solutions for their concerns. The council’s goals are to keep residents happy, comfortable, and informed. She states that listening to residents and offering a voice to facility administration is the main purpose of the council, and she is a self-proclaimed “loud voice!”
Mrs. Schulte and other council members had great things to say about Montevista’s response and the staff’s reactions to the council. They state that the staff is respectful and supportive of the meetings and has helped them overcome meeting barriers caused by coronavirus. Mrs. Schulte says that
Administrator, Russell Lanier, is incredibly receptive to what the group has to say and addresses meeting notes line-by-line, validating the group and all residents.
Montevista Rehabilitation and Skilled Care is proud to have residents like Muriel Schulte to help us keep our senior living community positive, comfortable, and thriving.
