Career Blog

We are excited to recognize our wonderful Resident Engagement Directors! Their dedication ensures our communities thrive, enriching the lives of residents through thoughtfully designed programs that promote engagement, joy, and connection. These leaders go above and beyond to create meaningful experiences that provide a supportive and stimulating environment. Meet a few of the amazing Resident Engagement Directors who make a difference every day!

Resident Engagement Director: Alison Murphy
Community: Riverbend at Farmington

What first made you interested in working in Senior Living?

I have always had a strong affection for seniors, even from a young age. When I was growing up, both of my parents were involved with various programs/activities that were geared toward their elders: volunteering at the local senior center, Meals on Wheels, Christmas caroling and giving musical performances at various nursing homes, running errands for elderly neighbors. I would go with them to all of these activities, and I loved it! I loved to see the joy and excitement on their faces, the appreciation in their eyes, the light in their smiles. And it filled me up! It is such an amazing feeling to see when you make a difference in someone else’s life; when you know you’ve touched someone, and connected with them on some level. My parents are both 92 years old. They live in a senior community, much like a Northbridge community. They are both very independent and active. And they are absolutely thriving! It was a very big and difficult decision for them to sell their house and move into a community-based living situation. They were apprehensive and overwhelmed. But now that they have settled in and acclimated, they are having the time of their lives!  All of this inspires me to do the very best that I can in my job, to enrich the lives of my residents and bring them true joy every day!

How long have you been working in Senior Living and what was your first job in this field?

April marks three years that I have been working in Senior Living. I started out as the Lead Concierge, (at the former Anthology of Farmington), before stepping into the Engagement Director role. Working at the front desk, I was able to create and maintain connected relationships with residents, their families and the staff. It gave me so much satisfaction to be able to problem-solve and multi-task, in order to provide the very best possible customer service to our residents, and to also represent our community. Moving from Lead Concierge to the Engagement Director role was a fairly smooth transition for myself, but more importantly, for my residents and their families. During my time at the front desk, I was able to establish relationships of trust and reliability, and those things are key when creating activities and programs that will enrich their lives here at Riverbend.

What is your favorite part about working in Senior Living?

I absolutely adore the Senior population! I love to spend time with them, listening to their stories from the past, hearing about the amazing and rich lives they have lived, learning about and learning from their vast life-experiences over the years. It brings me so much joy to be able to share connection with them, and to know that I can be part of their final life chapter.

What is one thing you wish everyone knew about being a Resident Engagement Director?

Being a Resident Engagement Director is a big job. It is a busy job. And it requires a lot of different skills – good organization, good time management, the ability to multi-task, good communication skills, high energy level, creativity, flexibility, patience, empathy & compassion, being detail-oriented, and so much more. It is long hours of planning, creating, following up with emails & phone calls, decorating, running programs & activities & big events, supporting your associates that work on your team, attending lots of meetings, and so much more. But it truly, in every way, is a labor of love! Being a Resident Engagement Director in a Senior Living community is the very most rewarding job (other than being a Mom!😊) that I have ever had. The days are long and tiring. But at the end of the day, when I sit back and reflect, I know that I have helped bring so much joy and happiness and fun to my residents.

What is one piece of advice you would share with someone thinking of starting a career in Senior Living?

Always remember that when you are in the community, you are in the residents’ home. The building and the property which surrounds it, is their home. Not just their apartment. So as an employee in a Senior Living community, we need to have the utmost respect for this fact. We work for them, in their home. Be gracious. Be kind. Be respectful. Be responsible. Be punctual. Be helpful. Be pleasant. Clean up after yourself.

What keeps you invested in the field?

For me, my genuine love for the residents is what keeps me invested. I know that probably sounds too simple or cliche, but that is honestly what keeps me motivated and enthusiastic to keep doing what I’m doing. I am a people-person. And my greatest sense of personal fulfillment is when I can make a positive difference in the life of someone else. It fuels me to see and feel that I have “touched” someone; that I have impacted their life (or even their day) in a meaningful and positive way. 

What is your favorite part about your job?

There are a lot of favorites!! But I think probably my very most favorite is seeing how happy and excited they are during any of our large events. It exhilarates me when after a large event is over, the residents tell me how much fun they had, and they continue to talk about it throughout the rest of the day and even into the next. So much planning and time and energy goes into pulling off a successful large event. And it all can be extremely draining, both physically and mentally. But when it’s all said and done, and the residents are thrilled with the event, there is no greater feeling for me in this job. It feels pretty awesome!

What is the best part about working at Riverbend at Farmington or at Northbridge?

Love the residents!! Love the families! Love the staff! Working here feels like a second family to me. And with the transition to Northbridge, I have felt extremely supported in my role within this community. I am excited to be part of the Northbridge family, and excited for all of us here at Riverbend at Farmington, as we have been so warmly welcomed.

What is your favorite program to do with the residents?

This is a tough question! I really just simply love any program or activity that I do that makes them happy and brings them joy. But if I had to name just one, I think I would say that I most enjoy our Happy Hours. Our residents here really love live music, and I am fortunate to have some awesome entertainers that come to perform during Happy Hour each week. These folks are very talented, and also very engaging with the residents. The genre of music that they perform brings them back in time, and they just light up. I love to be a part of this, along with my fabulous Engagement staff, as we serve them food and beverages and sing and clap and dance with them. Along with an aide or two, we are able to bring down the majority of the residents who reside in Avita. They enjoy this so much! And because all of the residents in the entire community come to together for these Happy Hours, our AL/IL residents are forming relationships and connections with those that live in Avita. This makes my heart smile! 😊