WHAT BROUGHT YOU HERE
chef position at Clarendale of Algonquin, a Life Care Services community in Algonquin, Illinois, he decided to give senior living a shot. He hasn’t regretted it. “When you're working for a restaurant or a hotel, you have
some repeat customers, but mostly you're just trying to make people happy that night,” said Prager, who has been at Clarendale for two years. “When you're working in a community like this, you have to feed the same 150-plus people every single day, three meals a day, while still trying to keep them happy, being innovative, and coming up with new ideas and new dishes. I definitely saw that as a challenge when I started here, and I’ve loved it.” Prager’s background in high-end restaurants prepared him for
the responsibilities of his new job, but he also had to adjust his methods and approach. Residents’ tastes and dietary restrictions don’t always align with Prager’s cooking instincts and training. “Some of the things that I enjoy cooking aren’t necessarily the things that our residents want to eat,” he said. However, Prager has loved the collaborative nature of the
job – working closely with residents, getting to know them and what they like to eat. Prager said he has found residents to be “very opinionated in a good way.” As a chef, he appreciates the unvarnished feedback that helps him refine his menus to his din- ers’ preferences and needs. “It’s been a team effort between me and them, getting together
to talk and finding out what they do and don’t like,” continued Prager, who won LCS’s 2022 Chef of the Year cooking competi- tion in July. “It’s been a big challenge, but it’s promoted a lot of growth in me as a chef.” Prager appreciates the relationships that he has developed
not only with the residents but with their families, who visit and sometimes attend community events. He has been moved to be a part of their lives. “I take a lot of pride in what I do – cooking is a passion for me,”
Prager said. “When you have people who appreciate what you do, it means a lot. It’s special. Food plays a huge role in our residents’ day-to-day lives, and I get a lot of satisfaction knowing that I’m making a difference for them that way.”
“I take a lot of pride in what I do – cooking is a passion for me. When you have people who appreciate what you do, it means a lot. It’s special.”
— Mike Prager
Prager also has found that healthier work-life balance that he
craved when he went looking for a career shift. “Clarendale has made that possible,” Prager said. “I have an
11-year-old son at home and being able to spend quality time with him – cooking together at home, attending his extracurricular activities, helping him schoolwork – has made an impact on both of our lives, which is something that I wasn’t able to do before coming to Clarendale and working in this field. That’s something I really appreciate.”
Joshua Bredimus, fitness specialist at Sagewood in Phoenix
When Joshua Bredimus was in college, he held a part-time job in a physical therapy clinic, where he frequently worked with the active aging population. “I remember thinking, ‘I love
this. I can’t believe I get paid to do this,’” Bredimus said. Following college, Bredimus worked in club fitness and then
served a longer stint of about 15 years in the hospitality industry as a spa and fitness director. A couple years into the COVID-19 pandemic, Bredimus found himself reconsidering his career and “what I really wanted to do.” “What popped up in my head was, ‘I’d like to work with active
aging again.’ And as soon as I figured that out, an email showed up about an opening with the National Institute for Fitness and Sport for exactly that. And I thought, ‘Wow, that’s serendipitous.’ So I applied and luckily I was the chosen candidate.” Later, Bredimus would take a position as the fitness specialist at
Sagewood, a senior living community in Phoenix. Bredimus said he revels in the opportunity to educate older adults about the ways that fitness can improve their daily lives, and he finds it rewarding when they get results from their efforts. “My favorite thing is when someone says, ‘I can actually do
Clarendale of Algonquin honors Mike Prager, executive chef, with the LCS Chef of the Year 2022 award.
10 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022
this activity a little bit better now,’ or they realize they can now do something that they couldn’t do previously,” Bredimus said. “That’s the biggest compliment that someone can give me.”
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