ClareOaks SENIOR LIVING Mentoring nurses of the future at Clare Oaks During high school, Maria Castro worked as a server in the dining room at Clare Oaks, the continuing care retirement community in Bartlett. When she expressed an interest in nursing as a possible career, her supervisor recommended that she become a resident assistant (RA) in the assisted-living community. where she soon began co-leading activities for the residents. "I didn't expect to stay this long," says Maria, now a 20-year-old who juggles her business classes at Elgin Community College with her job at Clare Oaks. She has taken a more hands-on role with residents, providing support with activities of daily living and even interacting with some residents in the memory care neighborhood. "I got the hang of it pretty quickly. And I really enjoy being a caregiver." Maria is exactly the kind of person John Hurley has been seeking. Hurley joined Clare John Hurley and Maria Castro of Clare Oaks become a CNA - certified nursing assistant, the position for which Hurley sees the most demand - or even go on to advanced certification in the skilled nursing field. Oaks as healthcare administrator about five months ago, and with decades of experience in the field, he knew what to expect. "One of the As a state-licensed healthcare administrator, real headaches for healthcare administrators and the 63-year-old Hurley, who lives in Naperville, nursing administrators is that there's not enough spends much of each day overseeing regulatory requirements for the healtheare industry. But he views the RA program as an investment in the future; so does Clare Oaks director of nursing Laura Lelis who, like Hurley, carves time out of her busy schedule to administer the program. staff," he says. The wave of current and future retirees has strained the pool of qualificd and dedicated workers. "It's a crisis facing the country," he adds. "The baby boomers are coming, 72 million strong, and the CNAS just aren't there." The acronym refers to certified nursing assistant, qualified to assist residents under the direct supervision of a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse. Faced with the shortage of CNAS to meet the needs of an increasing population, Hurley expanded the RA program at Clare Oaks to make it a potential pipeline into the licensed- nursing profession. "The program is designed to introduce people into this career at a very basic level," he says. "Let's face it, these jobs can be quite challenging. They can see if it's a profession they might consider, and if they do move into it, the transition might be smoother." An RA assists with tasks that require limited highest for skilled nursing and short-term rehab, supervision: helping a resident into an easy chair, for instance, or offering a steady arm for hallway walks. If it's a good fit, the next step would entail studying to become a certified resident assistant, which in Illinois requires a little over 100 hours of training, split between classroom lessons and clinical rotations. Maria Castro can't thank them enough. "I've already learned so much," she says with pure enthusiasm. "I would recommend this program for anyone who's thinking they might want to go into healthcare." From Hurley's standpoint, the feeling is mutual. About Clare Oaks Since 2008, Clare Oaks provides independent living apartments and cottages as well as a continuum of care for nearly 300 residents on its 41-acre campus. Lifestyle and healthcare programs include independent living, assisted living, memory support, short-term rehabilitation and long-term care. Clare Oaks boasts a five-star rating, the from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. In both 2018/19 and 2019/20, US News & World Report awarded Clare Oaks a high-performance ranking for Short-Term Stay Rehab. For more information about Clare Oaks, 825 Carillon Drive, Bartlett, Il., call 630- 372-1983 or visit ClareOaks.org. After that could come further training to ClareOaks SENIOR LIVING Mentoring nurses of the future at Clare Oaks During high school, Maria Castro worked as a server in the dining room at Clare Oaks, the continuing care retirement community in Bartlett. When she expressed an interest in nursing as a possible career, her supervisor recommended that she become a resident assistant (RA) in the assisted-living community. where she soon began co-leading activities for the residents. "I didn't expect to stay this long," says Maria, now a 20-year-old who juggles her business classes at Elgin Community College with her job at Clare Oaks. She has taken a more hands-on role with residents, providing support with activities of daily living and even interacting with some residents in the memory care neighborhood. "I got the hang of it pretty quickly. And I really enjoy being a caregiver." Maria is exactly the kind of person John Hurley has been seeking. Hurley joined Clare John Hurley and Maria Castro of Clare Oaks become a CNA - certified nursing assistant, the position for which Hurley sees the most demand - or even go on to advanced certification in the skilled nursing field. Oaks as healthcare administrator about five months ago, and with decades of experience in the field, he knew what to expect. "One of the As a state-licensed healthcare administrator, real headaches for healthcare administrators and the 63-year-old Hurley, who lives in Naperville, nursing administrators is that there's not enough spends much of each day overseeing regulatory requirements for the healtheare industry. But he views the RA program as an investment in the future; so does Clare Oaks director of nursing Laura Lelis who, like Hurley, carves time out of her busy schedule to administer the program. staff," he says. The wave of current and future retirees has strained the pool of qualificd and dedicated workers. "It's a crisis facing the country," he adds. "The baby boomers are coming, 72 million strong, and the CNAS just aren't there." The acronym refers to certified nursing assistant, qualified to assist residents under the direct supervision of a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse. Faced with the shortage of CNAS to meet the needs of an increasing population, Hurley expanded the RA program at Clare Oaks to make it a potential pipeline into the licensed- nursing profession. "The program is designed to introduce people into this career at a very basic level," he says. "Let's face it, these jobs can be quite challenging. They can see if it's a profession they might consider, and if they do move into it, the transition might be smoother." An RA assists with tasks that require limited highest for skilled nursing and short-term rehab, supervision: helping a resident into an easy chair, for instance, or offering a steady arm for hallway walks. If it's a good fit, the next step would entail studying to become a certified resident assistant, which in Illinois requires a little over 100 hours of training, split between classroom lessons and clinical rotations. Maria Castro can't thank them enough. "I've already learned so much," she says with pure enthusiasm. "I would recommend this program for anyone who's thinking they might want to go into healthcare." From Hurley's standpoint, the feeling is mutual. About Clare Oaks Since 2008, Clare Oaks provides independent living apartments and cottages as well as a continuum of care for nearly 300 residents on its 41-acre campus. Lifestyle and healthcare programs include independent living, assisted living, memory support, short-term rehabilitation and long-term care. Clare Oaks boasts a five-star rating, the from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. In both 2018/19 and 2019/20, US News & World Report awarded Clare Oaks a high-performance ranking for Short-Term Stay Rehab. For more information about Clare Oaks, 825 Carillon Drive, Bartlett, Il., call 630- 372-1983 or visit ClareOaks.org. After that could come further training to