care that allows Sunrise to really exceed industry standards,” said Minor. “Every team member goes through the same training that you would need to pass the essentialALZ certification exam. It's part of what’s embedded in what we do at Sunrise.” Minor says what they do at Sunrise every day is the direct result
of the training employees receive and that families have taken notice of the quality care the staff has been rigorously trained to deliver. “When we talk to our team members about their orientation, and then their memory care, the training is what really helps them to connect on an individual level with residents who have Alzheimer's or other types of dementia. That’s why we make it standard and it's something we train on every single year; it's not just a one and done. We continue to focus on providing and reminding people about the whys of what we do,” she explained. “I think it shows families that entrust us with the care of their loved one that we are committed and our training is backed by the Alzheimer's Association. It really gives them a sense of security.”
Certified Director of Assisted Living (CDAL) The Certified Director of Assisted Living (CDAL) offered through the Senior Living Certification Commission (SLCC), which is a division of Argentum, is a cre- dential designed to allow senior living executives to demonstrate they understand the measurable, industry-recognized practices expected of professionals in their role. In order to earn this certification, people are required to pass a written examination that tests them on their knowledge of tasks they need to master to provide the highest quality care in the field. While the SLCC does not provide training for this certifica-
Tighe Hammam
tion, those interested in earning it can order the Assisted Living Community Executive Director Primer, which includes detailed information created by a panel of subject matter experts and validated by senior living executives around the country. Some of the topics covered in the primer include resident care and services, customer experience, sales and marketing, leadership, and financial management. For Tighe Hammam, vice president of residential sServices at
Eskaton Support Center, which runs continuing care retirement communities, as well as assisted living and memory care facilities, the study materials were a good complement to his work experience that helped him feel confident about taking the challenging CDAL examination.
“I felt like I was well prepared because you need to have the
mindset that every decision you make is centered around the resident and the resident’s well-being,” Hammam said. “If you read each question, and have worked in the industry for any length of time, I think you can find the test to be pretty fluid. But the questions are very challenging in how they’re worded, so you have to keep that resident-centric focus to do well on it.” All of the executive directors working for Hammam also get
the certification to help the company demonstrate that resident- centered focus. “I require all my executive directors to get a CDAL because I
think it’s a very good certification,” he said. “Families know that our directors have gone through an additional training to really become fluent in managing an assisted living community and it gives them that added value.” Tana Gall, President of Mer-
rill Gardens, which operates a combination of independent and assisted living communities in 20 states, also sees the added value that CDAL provides, so her executive directors are required to earn the credential – and their work performance has benefited from the experience as a result of the training. “I think it does help improve the
Tana Gall
way they work. We have a whole spectrum of levels of experience with our executive directors and certification does improve the way you work either by opening your eyes to new things that are happen- ing or opening your eyes to a way of doing something,” Gall said. “I think there was a lot of thought put into that certification to make it very worthy. It’s not an easy thing to get, you work hard to get it and we like that, we think that’s a good thing. In the sea of executive directors, it gives our executive directors a way to stand out, to be a differentiator, and they should have that feather in their cap.” But Gall believes all of her employees’ caps should be feathered
in this way, so she encourages everyone who works for her to seek out the credentials they believe will expand their knowledge and enhance the way they work. “I look at it as just a way to help people grow in their career and
that’s really why I come to work every day – to help people strive to do the next thing that makes them happy in their career,” said Gall. “It shows a real commitment to the industry and I think you get some respect from people who know you went through that process and got that certification. I think it’s a great way to build confidence and continue a career path in this sector.”
EARN THE CERTIFIED DIRECTOR OF ASSISTED LIVING CREDENTIAL
Differentiate yourself and your community by earning a CDAL credential. CDALs demonstrate a high-level of knowledge, ethical fitness and leadership in assisted living community management. Learn more at
argentum.org.
JULY/AUGUST 2022
ARGENTUM.ORG 17
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