Vitalia North Olmsted Elaborates on Their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

As a company, Arrow Senior Living has made learning about and celebrating our unique differences a part of our company culture. So much so that, in recent years, it has become an extension of our core values. And now, going on our second year, Arrow has expanded beyond yearly diversity, equity, and inclusion workshops to create Arrow’s D&I Speaker Series, which pairs special guest speakers with residents from our communities to have conversations on a wide range of topics such as mental health, PRIDE, Juneteenth, and so much more. We believe that sparking conversations on what some may believe to be sensitive topics helps to shed light on misconceptions and ultimately brings about understanding as it relates to the experiences of others. This ensures our employees and residents have the tools to build a safe place to live and work, one where a diverse group can come together and feel equally seen, heard, and included. 

At Vitalia North Olmsted, DEI goes beyond training and mentoring. It is a way of life. One of my favorite conversations thus far this past year was An Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month Conversation with Dr. Maureen O’Connor and Don Bobula.

Don was a resident of our community and had first-hand experience on how dementia can affect a loved one. It was so special hearing him talk about his journey with his wife. He was great at shedding light on the reality of an early dementia diagnosis and what it means in the lives of not only the one diagnosed, but all of those around. Don and Dr. O’Connor speak about the three criteria that needs to be met for a diagnosis, the different types of dementia, and what it means to be a caregiver for a loved-one with dementia. I think this speaker series was so special because we were able to hear from someone that is experiencing this in real time.

Our DEI events are so important because it opens us all up to topics we might not have known about before. We get different perspectives from professionals in the field as well as people that may have real-life experience with the topics. Arrow is so lucky to have these resources for our residents, staff, and family members.

These conversations have only just begun, and I look forward to the conversations to come and all the new growth and opportunity that lies ahead as we work toward creating the greatest and safest place to work that we can!