Posted: September 22, 2021
Having the right leadership at Someren Glen is an essential part of community living for our residents, and we are excited to announce the addition of two new team members.
The community welcomes Robin Heppler as Someren Glen’s new Director of Sales and Marketing. Robin has worked in sales and marketing for more than 25 years and specifically in older adult living for more than nine years. Robin has experience in life care, residential rental, assisted living, and memory support neighborhoods.
A previous team member at Clermont Park for seven years, Robin is excited to make a return to Christian Living Communities (CLC). “I am passionate about helping families learn how older adult living communities have evolved from care settings to engaged active living communities that offer care support,” she explains.
Her return to the CLC organization stems from the desire to work within an organization and community that is committed to fostering independence and improving the quality of life for residents, and working alongside team members who work hard to put their mission into action. Robin looks forward to getting to know residents and future residents. “The lives of the older adults we serve are impactful, and I consider myself lucky to know them,” she says. “They have lived and experienced things that I may never have the chance to experience. I am grateful to have the opportunity to hear their stories and learn about their successes and their continued purpose.”
Robin brings with her plans for initiatives she’d like to pursue in her new role. The benefits of planning ahead is one of them. “Often we work with families in crisis,” Robin explains, “and this can be challenging and overwhelming for families and can also have a very short amount of time to make a decision.” She hopes to host ongoing educational events that highlight the benefits of visiting communities, getting on a waiting list, and planning ahead to help our elders stay in control of their next chapter.
She also hopes to streamline the move-in process for new residents. Robin explains that the community recognizes that a move can have so many different emotions tied into it. “My hope is that we can improve upon the current processes by collaborating with departments, current residents, and waitlist prospects to elevate the experience and ensure that regardless of the moving parts, new residents feel comfortable and welcomed as they settle in,” she says. Robin shares that she sometimes meets with prospects who are struggling with the timing of their decision or the reality of their situation. She speaks openly with them and helps them recognize that planning ahead helps keep them in control of their decisions. “I have worked with so many amazing residents, but one particular couple has really stayed with me for quite some time,” she shares.
Robin goes on: “The husband was quite resistant to moving into a community, but understood his wife desired the comfort of a community that would offer higher levels of care as her needs changed. A recent diagnosis made their situation a bit more pressing.
After several meetings and discussions around the pros and cons of their decision, he agreed this move would be best for her situation. A few months after they had moved in, I stopped in to visit with them, and he shared with me that he had been attending some of the educational courses and even joined a resident committee where he could lend his professional expertise. He shared that while he had been resistant to the move, they were both enjoying the community, and he was glad they had made this move. He then shared how life had improved for them as a couple: They had become involved again, felt renewed, and hadn’t realized how many opportunities a community offered until he was here and living them!
“It was an honor to continue to visit with them over the years and watch this couple thrive, despite their changing care needs,” Robin concludes.
We also welcome Keli Swales, who recently relocated to Coloardo and joined Someren Glen as the Community Executive Director. Keli brings with her more than 20 years of experience in executive leadership within various types of older adult living communities—from life plan to standalone skilled nursing. Prior to joining Someren Glen, Keli was the Administrator of CreekView Health Center, providing assisted living, memory support, and skilled nursing care. CreekView is part of Stoneridge Creek Life Plan Community.
Among Keli’s goals in her new position is to create a servant leadership culture that values individual and team accomplishments while creating a resident-centric community. She encourages lifelong learning and mentoring and has precepted four administrator-in-training colleagues who all successfully obtained their state and federal nursing home licenses.
Keli obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from California Lutheran University in December 1991 and obtained her Certificate in Gerontology from the University of Arizona in 1993. She holds both a nursing home administrator license and assisted living administrator certification in California.
Keli enjoys cooking and traveling with her husband; she also enjoys the outdoors, including day hikes, bicycling, running, and growing vegetables in the spring and summer.
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