Friday, December 17, 2021
JAA is pleased to announce the following personnel changes in Memory Care.
In September, Liz Powell (pictured here) became the Director of Anathan Adult Day Memory Care Services (formerly known as Anathan Club), opening the facility following months of closure due to COVID. Members are back and enjoying the outstanding memory care programming Liz and Program Assistant Mary Milko present on Mondays and Tuesdays at Anathan. As more members come on board, it is likely services will soon be provided on Thursdays and Fridays as well. Thanks to a generous grant from a local foundation, Liz is about to initiate a cutting-edge program that will provide multisensory stimulation to improve awareness and attention for members with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
Liz stepped into her new role after three years as arts education coordinator, with specific responsibility for running the Opening Minds Through Art program for AHAVA and Arbor. Previously she was the assistant curriculum intern in Anathan in 2018. Liz is a graduate of Carlow University with a degree in art therapy. Her skills, talent, and enthusiasm in working with people with dementia are invaluable to the growth of JAA’s memory care services.
Also enhancing our memory care team, Trent Wilburn rejoins the JAA staff after spending the last several months assisting as an interim care coordinator at Riverview. Trent is now moving into memory care marketing/outreach and education, previously managed by Kelie Schneider who has left JAA for personal reasons. Trent will work closely with Andrea Cohen in AHAVA, Nicole Morgan and Daniel Kohanbash in Arbor, and LeAnne Wait in Business Development to enhance memory care services and increase census in those important areas. Many of us know Trent from the three years he served as JAA’s Director of Business Development. He is 20-year veteran of the healthcare industry and is a graduate of West Virginia University with a degree in Political Science and Government. Welcome back, Trent!
Finally, we greet our newest member of the AHAVA Memory Care team, Director of Activities Robin Sullivan who comes to us from BRiTE Wellness where she served as program director for the past five years. Affiliated with UPMC, BRiTE (Brain Training and Exercise) promotes overall health and wellness in older adults to optimize their level of cognitive, social and physical function. Robin is a licensed occupational therapist with 20+ years of experience. She obtained her Bachelor’s of Science degree from Domincan College of Blauvelt in New York.
Among her glowing references when applying for the position, it has been said that, “Robin’s professional credentials, work experience, and personality make her particularly well suited to direct AHAVA’s resident activities. She is very diplomatic, energetic, well-organized, and creative and exudes a positive, kind, and compassionate demeanor.” We could not ask for a better fit for our AHAVA staff. We look forward to Robin’s arrival on January 3.
These three additions bring expertise and skills to an already strong and robust group of team members in memory care.