Meet Rebecca Guerrera, Avita Program Director at Riverbend at Farmington, whose passion for senior living was sparked early on while volunteering alongside her mother, a Therapeutic Recreation Director. With a heart for service and a lifelong commitment to helping others, Rebecca has built a meaningful career creating moments of connection, comfort, and joy for residents living with memory loss. At Riverbend, she brings warmth, purpose, and deep compassion to her role – greeting each day with a smile, a hug, and a steadfast dedication to making a difference.
Avita Memory Care Program Director – Rebecca Guerrera
Avita Program Director: Rebecca Guerrera
Community: Riverbend at Farmington
What first made you interested in working in Senior Living?
I would say that the thought of helping people who can’t help themselves is something that has always stuck with me. Helping people, in any manner possible, is how I want to be remembered and how I want to live my life.
How long have you been working in Senior Living and what was your first job in this field?
I have been working in Senior Living as long as I can remember. My mom is a Therapeutic Recreation Director and wherever she worked when I was younger, I would volunteer and then as I became older, I worked as a recreation assistant in programming.
What is your favorite part about working in Senior Living?
My favorite part about working in Senior Living is being able to make a difference in someone’s life, and making an impact when it may not always be recognized, but you know you are doing good.
What is one thing you wish everyone knew about being an Avita Program Director?
It’s not just a job, it’s a calling. Every day, I have the honor of helping people with memory loss feel safe, valued, and connected with. I get to create an environment where moments of joy still happen, where dignity is protected, and where families can breathe a little easier knowing their loved ones are cared for with compassion. That’s the best part of my job!!
What is one piece of advice you would share with someone thinking of starting a career in Senior Living?
My one piece of advice for someone starting their career in Senior Living would be to not take things so personally, and to love each and every person with your whole heart. You are making such a difference, even if you don’t always see it.
What keeps you invested in the field?
What keeps me in this field is knowing I can bring light into my residents’ lives, even on their hardest days. If I can give them a moment of happiness, a smile, or a little sunshine when everything around them is changing… that’s everything to me.
What is your favorite part about your job?
My favorite part of my job is walking in every morning and greeting each resident while they are getting ready for breakfast and seeing their smiling faces. The morning hugs, the kisses, the ‘how are the kids doing’, all the love I get, I try to give it all back to them in tenfold.
What is the best part about working at Riverbend at Farmington or at Northbridge?
Being welcomed by Northbridge has been something that still feels out of this world. Northbridge has built such an incredible community at the Home Office, and it just shines down to everyone and at every community I have been to. The support you have, the ability to be able to text, call, or email any questions you may have is something I am not used to. Kelly McCarthy is the Vice President of Engagement and Memory Care at Northbridge and every single time I talk to her; she makes you feel like you can do anything. Northbridge is a one-of-a-kind company, and I feel so privileged to be able to work at Riverbend of Farmington!
What is one thing you would tell families moving their loved one into memory cate to make the transition easier?
The one thing I would tell families is to trust the process. Trust that we will love your family member almost as much as you do. Trust that they are going to have some good days and when the bad days come, that we will be right beside them, to help make the difficult days not so terrible. Trust that we will do everything that we can do make their journey with Dementia, the best that we can. Trust that we are also here for you as well. I am just as much of a support to the families as I am to the loved one you are moving into the community.