Mennonite Village employee April Kiger has spent a 25‐year career assisting residents at the Mennonite Home and Quail Run, the community's assisted living apartment community.
In May, Kiger was recognized for her long tenure by the Oregon Alliance of Senior and Health Services with the Silver Star Award.
"The Silver Star Award is for employees who have served for 25 years in one of the Oregon Alliance communities," Quail Run Administrator Mark Diller explained.
Kiger, who works as Team Leader at Quail Run, manages staffing and scheduling. She is also a Certified Medication Assistant.
"April is an important part of our team," Diller said. "Our team really notices when she's not here. She has a lot of responsibilities and takes care of them very well."
Kiger is one of a handful of employees at the Mennonite Village who have been in their positions for more than two decades.
"We've had several 20‐year‐plus employees," noted Diller. Typically, he said, the elder‐care industry has trouble keeping employees for the long term because of the challenges involved with caring for seniors in their final years.
"I think developing relationships with residents and other staff is important for a person to stay in this industry for a long time," he said.
Bob Johnson, Mennonite Village's Vice President of Operations, said that it's vital to the health of the community to make sure staff members are valued and supported.
"Over the 60 years of Mennonite Village, we've always placed residents first, and we've always placed staff right there with residents," Johnson said. "We have very, very good longevity here. All throughout the campus and all the different communities we have here, we have very long‐term staff. It is through, I think, a continued focus on quality care and recognition of the value of staff."
Kiger accepted the award at the Oregon Alliance's Annual Conference May 20 in Eagle Crest, Oregon. |
