Treemont Retirement Blog

It is likely an understatement to say that most of us have “Covid Fatigue.” We yearn to return to “normal.” As we enter into cooler weather, however, nation-wide and locally, we are seeing a spike in Covid19 cases. No one is immune from this disease.

It is critical to safeguard ourselves and our neighbors. Studies show the risk for exposure reduces with the use of a mask. As we begin Flu season and continue dealing with COVID, it is imperative that we continue to wear our mask and follow social distance. It is easy to have the urge to relax but we must keep doing our part. As activities resume in Independent Living, we must make sure that everyone in the activity is wearing a mask. This includes small gatherings

Residents move to a senior independent living community with the desire to stay independent as long as possible. Treemont introduced the concept of “Independence Plus” on our campus. Seniors who need help with activities of daily living can receive personal assistance services (PAS) and Medicare home health services in their apartment instead of moving to a licensed assisted living facility. Senior Allegiance is the “Plus” in Independence Plus.”

Many of you recognize Medication Aide Myrtle Evita Lambert who administers medication daily to our residents and reports changes.

A key Senior Allegiance PAS Program is Medication Management. The most basic program is for a resident to be reminded twice daily to take their pills. A more robust plan involves the

Senior Living Houston: Maintenance Worker Cezar Garcia

A key reason seniors choose retirement living is a desire to no longer have to worry about maintenance and upkeep of their home. Treemont is known for the care and attention to resident’s maintenance needs. We are delighted to welcome Cezar Garcia to our Treemont Maintenance Department. He is the newest member of the maintenance team. Cezar’s duties include responding to work orders to fix resident apartment issues involving: plumbing, air conditioning, garbage disposal or TV issues. Sometimes he receives a request to hang a resident’s picture.

Treemont residents have this to say about moving to a senior living community such as Treemont.

• No more upkeep of a large home!
• No more chores or housekeeping!
• No more maintenance!

Senior Living Houston: Resident Counselor Keri Shaw

Patience and good listening skills are key attributes of a resident counselor, working with families and residents seeking to find a senior community to spend their later years. This is what distinguishes Resident Counselor Keri Shaw. Executive Director Rodney Brooks lured Keri out of retirement 3 years ago to work weekends to provide 24/7 customer service to our future residents. Rodney says, “Keri was retired from an accomplished career in the senior living industry, including as a General Manager in Oregon. I saw that Keri had the skill set to effectively help guide seniors in their retirement living decision.” 

Keri says, “I like helping people. Making a decision to move from one’s own home into a community is a big decision. Sometimes it has become necessary for many different reasons. I try to help the seniors and their families because usually everyone

There are many benefits to seniors of living in a retirement community. One is “peace of mind” that they will be safe and secure with people around to check in on them, particularly as we approach hurricane season. Hurricanes often pose more damage risks than just wind damage. During the 500 year storm of Hurricane Harvey, the biggest threat to Houston was flooding. Treemont is fortunate to be located where there was no building flooding during Harvey. But Treemont still had to minimize issues related to the general impact of flooding on staff access and power outages.

Living at Treemont provides a layer of comfort since the community prepares for all types of emergencies. Independent living has a small power generator that can keep its kitchen refrigerators and freezer operational. From that, Treemont can power its phone system for the front office and connect some lighting for the lobby area. Treemont staff is present to distribute flashlights

Senior Living Houston: Housekeeping Director Evelyn Arriola

The beauty of retirement living is that life is maintenance-free, with daily tasks such as housekeeping a task of the past, as this service is included in Treemont residents’ monthly rent. We are fortunate to have Housekeeping Director Evelyn Arriola join our leadership team. Evelyn brings with her a strong background in housekeeping management that will provide renewed energy and structure to our program.

The Housekeeping Supervisor manages a team of about 15 to 18 staff responsible for taking care of Treemont Independent Living common areas and resident apartments units plus supervising our nursing home commercial laundry facility. With Covid-19, there is also the extra work involved in protection cleaning — virus prevention that is added to daily tasks. The goal is to keep our community in a clean and orderly condition, in support of our residents.

Senior Living Houston: Activity Director Rose Marie Lau

Social interaction, activities, companionship, new friends, and safety are key parts of community engagement. Seniors choose to join the Treemont family for those very reasons. Monica Muniz moved to Corpus Christi to start her dream of owning a food business. Thus, we are now welcoming Activity Director Rose Marie Lau to our Treemont family.

Rose says, “I know the importance of stimulating and engaging residents to partake in activities such as exercise, outings, socials, and more which are beneficial to the well-being of our residents. I like to be the “helping hand.” In her new role, Rose will implement new and existing activities to maintain a diverse range of programming. 

Treemont Management believes that a top-quality Activity Program is essential to attracting new residents and keeping our current ones happy and engaged. We believe that social interaction is a key component of a long, healthy life. At a retirement community, you