Brookdale Senior Living

Resident Care Associate

June - August 2019 • Silver Lake, WA

What I liked

I loved my coworkers and the residents we worked with. Everyone was really nice, helpful, and patience while I learned how to be a caregiver

What I wish was different

I wish I could go back but it’s too inconvenient for my family since they moved to a different state.

Advice

Be open-minded and listen and watch more than you speak. You learn more that way.

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CNA

June - August 2019 • Kenosha, WI

What I liked

I love being a CNA and helping my residents everyday. The people are what make everything worth it. My shifts management team and other CNAs became some of my closest friends.

What I wish was different

The salary is extremely low for the type of work we’re doing. I’m not making that same salary in a retail job while doing a quarter of the work.

Advice

Don’t be afraid to stand up for what’s right. If you see someone doing something wrong, report it.

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Med Tech

June 2019 • La Crosse, WI

What I liked

I liked getting to know the residents and the fast pace of the job.

What I wish was different

I wish we were fully staffed more often.

Advice

Brookdale is a great employer that is very flexible with students’ schedules.

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Sales Assistant

May - July 2019 • Brentwood, CA

What I liked

The interaction with the residents who lived there.

What I wish was different

My availability once starting school.

Advice

You have to be passionate and believe on what you’re selling for success.

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Housekeeping Staff

June - August 2018 • Spokane, WA

What I liked

Great coworkers and people. My bosses were supportive of me and they helped me secure opportunities outside of work.

What I wish was different

More hours would have been nice, since I got cut back to 35/week halfway through the summer. However, overall it wasn't a bad job.

Advice

It's not for everyone. Housekeeping at a retirement home is not only physically demanding but also a mentally demanding job. Residents aren't always aware of who you are, or what you're doing in their room. In addition, they don't normally have much company and they'll want to talk to you as much as possible. You have to have the right balance of stamina, patience, and openness to not only get by but also effectively provide for the residents.

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Medication Technician

June 2017 • Chubbuck, ID

What I liked

I absolutely love me job. Getting to know the residents and the work environment is so great.

What I wish was different

Just like any job there is a lot of drama. It can become very tiring , but I feel like the good things definitely weigh out the bad.

Advice

This is such an awesome job to get you into the medical field. You work closely with nurses and doctors to make sure the residents are getting the best care. It definitely takes a special person to do this job though. You have to be able to leave any problems you have at the door and put a smile on your face. If you walk in with a bad attitude, then you can affect the entire facility.

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Personalized Living Assistant

September 2018 • Colorado Springs, CO

What I liked

Flexibility with other commitments

What I wish was different

Doesn't pay well

Advice

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Resident care aid

July 2018 • Pittsford, NY

What I liked

I was able to provide care for people in need

What I wish was different

I would like to see other coworkers put in the effort that i did

Advice

Do the best you can, not everyone is in the healthcare field for the right reasons.

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Certified Nurse Aide

June 2018 • Groveport, OH

What I liked

The residents I worked with

What I wish was different

staffing and increase pay

Advice

be able to adapt

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Resident Care Associate

May 2017 • La Crosse, WI

What I liked

Although I am no longer fond of my job, I do believe it gave me a terrific background of a variety of experiences. I learned many new skills and was able to apply old skills to a real life situation almost every day at work. I have become proficient in problem solving and conflict resolution and have become much more comfortable in a patient care setting. These attributes, along with many more, will be easily transferred to my future career setting as a physical therapist.

What I wish was different

The workload that was expected of the associates at this facility is completely unrealistic. The rules and guidelines implemented by the Brookdale company seem to have been made with only the general population in mind. Working with dementia/Alzheimer's patients at this particular facility made me realize that this whole book of regulations and rules can essentially be thrown right out the window. Alzheimer's is a very nasty disease and effects every person differently. There is no way that this company should feel like it can create a generalized care plan for every resident they admit into their facility. Given the resources that I had and the staffing that was available for each shift, I did my absolute best to right the wrongs that I felt were unethical.

Advice

If you are looking for experience and great examples to bring up in a job/school interview, then this is the place to work. But you need to be prepared to do exactly that....WORK. Additionally, this job requires a ton of patience and ability to work through adversity, so if you are a genuinely kind-hearted, hard-working individual, Brookdale would benefit from employing you.

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