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Why Caregiver Continuity Matters in Senior Living | Willow Brook

Familiar Faces and Lifelong Careers Promote Exceptional Care

Three Willow Brook teammates. Over fifty years of combined service. One community where callings become careers.

When families research senior living communities, they often compare floor plans, dining options, activities, and amenities. Those details matter. But one of the strongest indicators of quality care is something less visible: the people who provide it every day.

At Willow Brook Christian Communities, many caregivers have spent years, and in some cases decades, building relationships with residents and families. Their long tenure creates consistency, trust, and continuity of care that families value throughout every stage of aging.

From the Laundry Room to the Director’s Office

Janie Jordan first stepped into Willow Brook when she was five years old. Her mother, Dorothy Wheeler, worked at Willow Brook Home for 38 years. While observing and sometimes helping her mother, Janie absorbed the laundry room’s rhythm long before she tackled algebra.

When Janie was 13, a severe winter storm prevented a housekeeper from driving to work. Her mother stepped in to cover housekeeping. Janie, already expert in the work, took care of laundry by herself.

Those early visits provided her first interactions with residents, inspiring over three decades of caregiving.

“The relationships that I have developed with teammates and residents, as well as their family members, are what make this place feel like home,” Janie says.

In 1994, Janie officially joined the Willow Brook team. She started as an aide and later transitioned to laundry while she completed her State Tested Nursing Aide certification. After graduation, she returned to full-time direct care.

Janie’s career paralleled Willow Brook’s own growth. In 1997, she moved to Willow Brook Village as a Personal Care Aide. She earned her Licensed Practical Nurse degree in 2001, then worked evening shifts at the Centrum assisted living and treatment shifts in Cherith skilled nursing. In 2005, she became nurse manager, a role she held for almost two decades.

In April 2023, Janie became the Assisted Living Director at Willow Brook Home, returning home to the community where she folded sheets as a child.

“What has kept me at Willow Brook for almost 32 years are the remarkable people that I have worked with, the genuine family atmosphere that defines our community, and the privilege of serving our residents,” she says.

Those bonds extend well beyond a single building. Janie has cared for some residents across multiple settings over many years.

When Tim M. brought his wife, Deborah, for respite care at Willow Brook Village, Janie was there. Now, Deborah lives in Janie’s assisted living community at Willow Brook Home.

Janie also helped Helen N.’s husband, and later Helen herself, after she transitioned to assisted living. This continuity means families don’t have to start over from scratch when a loved one’s needs evolve.

“I have family members of residents that continue to keep in touch with me, even after their loved ones have passed, and I consider them friends,” Janie notes.

Childhood hours in the halls shaped how Janie leads today. She has done every job from laundry volunteer to nurse manager, so she understands what her team faces daily.

“I am the type of leader that does not just sit in my office,” she says. “I am walking right beside my team and helping make sure they are supported.”

From Table Service to Sales Director

In 2010, Rachel Roush was 17 and started as a server at Water’s Edge Restaurant at Willow Brook Run. Like many high school students, she expected a paycheck. She did not expect a calling.

Rachel grew up close to her grandparents, a relationship that fueled her desire to connect with older adults. She worked evenings and weekends at Water’s Edge, where she connected with residents, their stories, and their direct, unpretentious thinking.

“I’ve never really thought of it as a career,” Rachel says. “It has always felt more like a calling to serve others. I believe deeply in Willow Brook’s mission and vision, which has made dedicating myself to this work feel like a natural part of my life.”

She became Floor Leader in 2013 before she finished her degree. In 2015, she split time between the restaurant and social work at Willow Brook Home. By 2017, she worked full-time in social work. She advanced to Sales Director for Independent Living at Willow Brook Run in 2022.

She once carried plates to the tables where prospective residents now sit during events. Today, hers is often the first voice a family hears when they ask serious questions about the future.

For Rachel, the community’s stability provided another benefit. Residents and teammates shared in her life milestones, including her graduation, marriage, and the birth of her children.

“They have consistently encouraged and supported me,” she says. “Experiencing major life moments alongside a team like that naturally builds a deep bond and a strong commitment.”

When she looks back, she sees each transition as timely and purposeful. The progression allowed her to maintain a predictable schedule for raising her family close to home.

“Throughout each step, I’ve seen God’s clear sense of timing and purpose guiding these transitions,” she says. “I have been able to flourish in both my professional and personal life.” any uncertainty and ensures everyone’s on the same page. 

Following Curiosity: From the Kitchen to the Care Floor

Chase Glassburn joined Willow Brook in 2020 as a server. He soon moved to the kitchen as a line cook, pastry chef, and production cook.
 
One of his favorite parts of his shift came after the kitchen work was done, when he could walk out to the dining room and ask assisted living residents, “How was your dinner?” and, “How are you doing?” Over time, those few minutes became his favorite part of the work day.
 
Chase lost his grandmother to cancer when he was 18. “Working with my residents, I felt like I was getting back what I had lost when she passed,” he says. “It became a win-win. I was helping the residents, and they were helping me feel closer to my own grandmother.”
 
For the past three years, Chase has worked as a Personal Care Aide, being present for some of the most private and difficult moments in residents’ lives.
 
One relationship stands out. As a longtime resident’s health declined, Chase and another aide were getting him ready for bed one evening when he took their hands and prayed for them, telling them he would watch over them from heaven. Chase said he and the other aide were both deeply affected.
 
“What I find most meaningful about being an aide is being able to make a difference,” Chase says. “It’s not just about helping someone to the bathroom or giving someone a shower. It’s about letting residents know that we’ve got them, that we’ll take care of them no matter what, and we’ll ride out any storm that comes, hand in hand.”

What Staying Means for Caregivers and Families

Together, Janie, Rachel, and Chase bring more than 50 years of service to Willow Brook. Each has built a career within Willow Brook.

As Janie observes, “As long as we continue to put our focus on our care and the happiness of our residents, we will continue to stand out above the rest.”

Chase puts it more simply. “This was my first job,” he says. “I can’t imagine a better place to work.”

Willow Brook’s not-for-profit mission focuses on people rather than profits, encouraging teammates to form a lasting commitment to the community.

For families, this stability is infinitely reassuring. Many caregivers have served for years. They know the residents, the hallways, and every name, a familiarity that fosters immediate trust.

“The people who work here are professionals who care about us and there are enough of them,” says Beth, a resident of Willow Brook Village.

Bill M. explains how one caregiver made life easier for his wife and him. “Darlene certainly made things easier for me during the seven years my wife was in Memory Care,” he says. “She often seemed to anticipate our needs. She’s a wonder.” 

Bill later spent several weeks in Assisted Living himself, during a respite stay, and found the same thing held true. “It means a great deal to have the same faces serving us year after year,” he says.

A mission rooted in love shows up in a lot of ways at Willow Brook. Most days, you will find it in a familiar face.

Investing in the Careers of Those Who Care

As a not-for-profit senior living community, Willow Brook’s priority is the people who live and work here, backed by investments in teammate career development:

• Health Insurance: Willow Brook covers over 75% of health insurance premiums.
• Tuition Help: Full and part-time staff are eligible for $5,000 in tuition help after 90 days, support that helped Janie earn her nursing degree.
• Retirement: A 5% employer match with immediate 100% vesting.

By supporting career growth, Willow Brook builds communities where caregivers stay, advance, and provide consistent, personalized care. A 2021 study in Health Affairs found that nursing staff turnover is one of the most telling quality signals available to families. The research showed that stable, long-tenured caregivers deliver stronger relationships, better communication, and more personalized care.

When looking at senior living options, asking about employee and caregiver tenure tells you a lot about an organization’s culture. If you’re looking at Willow Brook Christian Communities, some of those familiar faces already have names: Janie, Rachel, and Chase.