October 15, 2019 —Denise Makay doesn’t hesitate for a moment when asked if Kendal values differ from what she has encountered in other places she’s worked.
“Most definitely, it’s more caring,” she says. “It’s down to earth. One-on-one, person-centered values are very, very important. It’s important to treat each person as an individual. Listen to them and pay attention so you can learn what both staff and residents need.”
It’s not surprising then that Toni Merleno, Kendal at Oberlin’s Director of Human Resources, thought of Denise when Executive Director Barbara Thomas said she wanted a staff member to attend the Friends Services for the Aging Values Summit with her in June. Toni says that Denise, a housekeeper, “loves the residents.”
“Denise doesn’t start work until 8 a.m., but she often arrives at 7 and greets residents,” Toni says. “She views residents as her friends—same with staff.”
FSA’s Values Summit, held June 15–16 in suburban Philadelphia, brought together 75 people from FSA’s nationwide membership “to identify ‘Hallmarks of Quaker Values-Inspired Senior Living.’” The resulting document was shared with attendees at FSA’s annual meeting in September.
“That was fun,” Denise says of her participation in the Values Summit. “We did it in groups with people from other Kendals and other FSA communities. Everybody there had good input—no matter if they were a CEO, a housekeeper or someone who worked in the kitchens. It was really cool that they wanted to hear everyone’s opinions.”
Denise began work as a housekeeper at Kendal at Oberlin in 2013. About a month after she started, though, Denise fell during her off hours and got a painful hairline fracture in her pelvis.
“We convinced her to go home and recover,” Toni says. “A couple of months later, with her doctor’s approval, Denise reapplied for her job.”
“They took me back with open arms,” Denise recalls. “It was a blessing.”
As a housekeeper, Denise was responsible for maintaining 20 to 22 cottages and residential apartments. “I had my own little zone,” she says, “and I got to learn about the residents’ backgrounds, where they came from and what they did for a living. It helps me to help them.”
Last year, Denise filled in as a supervisor for someone who was on maternity leave. “Denise substituted as a supervisor of six or seven housekeepers in independent living for a couple of months. She handled it very well,” Toni says.
In February, Denise was named Supervisor for Housekeeping of Kendal at Oberlin’s Stephens Care Center.
“In the health center, I’m supervising a staff of four,” Denise says. “It definitely will be different because there will be a lot more rooms to clean quickly. That won’t be a problem, though, because the rooms are smaller and the residents are friendly.”
She might have to move from room to room more quickly, but Denise says she will still take time to talk to the residents. “Age is wisdom and you can learn so much from the residents,” Denise says. “I just adore them, and I try to treat them the way I would want to be treated.”
“Here at Oberlin, we really do talk about Kendal’s values all the time,” Toni says. “It really governs everything we do, and Denise exemplifies those values.”