Sunrise Senior Living

In 1981, the very first Sunrise Senior Living location was opened by founders Paul and Terry Klaassen in Oakton, Virginia.

Today, that location, just down the road from company headquarters in nearby McLean, serves as the cornerstone for an impressive network of senior living facilities that was, as of 2017, the fifth-largest in the United States, spanning more than 320 properties and employing approximately 32,000 people.

Equipped with an overall capacity of nearly 29,000 units, Sunrise Senior Living offers an all-encompassing selection of care options across its facilities in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom, including independent and assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing services.

PRE-CARE ASSISTANCE

The Sunrise Senior Living team is dedicated to providing the highest quality care possible, but they also want to take the time to speak to potential residents and their families to determine the right level of care — or conclude if a form of living assistance is even needed.

Before an individual is admitted as a resident into a Sunrise Senior Living community, it is recommended that he or she (or a family member) complete the Care Questionnaire, a four-minute survey that pre-screens an individual based on specific criteria pertaining to varying levels of care. From there, the prospective resident and family members are encouraged to schedule an appointment with Sunrise staff to discuss the next course of action.

Questionnaire Assessment

Though prospective residents can use the results of their questionnaires to consult the Sunrise website to find a community that best fits their location and care needs, it is recommended that any future resident meet face-to-face with a senior living counselor to be 100% sure the right choice is being made.

The goal of the counseling session is to validate the results of the questionnaire and then discover if the Sunrise experience is the right fit for the prospective resident and his or her family.

Has The Time Come For Senior Living?

For those who opt out of the Care Questionnaire, Sunrise provides a number of resources and self-screening tips that help prospective residents and their families more easily make a decision on senior care.

The Sunrise website contains a resource that asks eight very straightforward screening questions — including whether basic everyday tasks, such as eating, bathing, cleaning the house, and decision-making, have become too cumbersome — and if any one question is answered in the affirmative, further talks about senior care are recommended.

Additional resources available specifically target the families of prospective residents, providing invaluable guidance in how to approach a loved one with the idea of senior care and what signs to look for when contemplating what level of care that loved one may need.

Flexible Financial Options

Residents at Sunrise Senior Living may qualify for a diverse selection of financing options to help them and their families afford quality care.

Sunrise is a partner of Elderlife Financial Services, which works with more than 2,500 senior living communities and home care companies nationwide to provide payment assistance to senior care recipients and their families through bridge loans, real estate services, reverse mortgages, VA benefits, and more.

THE SUNRISE TEAM

Members of the Sunrise Senior Living team are hired because of their commitment and dedication to the company’s core values and principles, but within each employee lies a specific set of skills and abilities that defines where he or she will make the biggest contribution in executing this mission.

Designated Care Managers

The job of a Designated Care Manager (DCM) is to serve as the helping hand to Sunrise residents, whatever the need may be. This is accomplished by getting to know each resident over time, learning his or her likes and dislikes and relaying this information to the rest of the staff to provide a personalized and perfectly calibrated care experience.

Senior Resource Counselors

Many times, the aforementioned senior resource counselors are responsible for making the all-important first impression with incoming residents at Sunrise communities. These new residents and their families have many questions, and it’s the task of the SRCs to utilize their knowledge, as well as the info available in a Care Questionnaire, to precisely determine what level of care is appropriate or needed.

Life Enrichment Managers

Life Enrichment Managers (LEMs) receive ongoing, highly specialized training as key members of the Sunrise memory care team. The main objective of an LEM is to assess the interests and abilities of each memory care resident and then craft a plan that is designed to reinforce this identity, therefore paving the way for an everyday experience characterized by meaning and purpose.