Colorado Assisted Living Association (CALA)

I am here in Bayfield, Colorado.  It is abut thirty minutes east of Durango.  I stay at my Aunt and Uncle’s A-Frame in Forest Lakes.  I come here to relax and try not to think too much about work.  I bring a bag of books, files to sort through.  But there are always things I think about or worry about, some problem I need to work on when I return.

I just hired someone as a caregiver/activities person.  I also put in the ad “Trainee for owner/operator.”   I have a ten bedroom home.   I decided I should start training people to own and operate their own homes.   This is a way of giving back .  It took me a long time to learn what I do and I think I do it well.  It’s time to share the knowledge.   Several people called.  There is an LPN I am interested in, but I need to check her references.  She has a five year gap in employment.  She said this was when she was getting her LPN and raising her kids.  I stopped the ad, but I am still getting calls.  I will set up interviews when I return.  I will keep you all informed with my adventures in hiring and training.

I will leave you with a thought.  If you hire someone and all of a sudden they realize they cannot do the job due to outside reasons, talk to them in a few weeks or a month after they are gone.  Ask them for advice and what their impressions were.  I learned a lot about my staff’s work ethics–or, lack of.

Chris, owner of Timberline Lodge