Treemont Retirement Blog

Senior Living Houston: Business Manager Star Flores

A smooth operating business office, balancing “the books,” listening to residents and employees and helping both start off on the right foot are key parts of a business office manager. Barbara McNeal will be joining her husband in retirement at the end of February. Until then, she will be training a new employee to receive the hand-off of a very busy business office. Thus, we are now welcoming Business Office Manager Star Flores to our Treemont family.

Star says, “Working in the retirement industry has been so rewarding. I appreciate my resident’s life stories and wisdom. The fun and knowledge working with this population is unmatched” In her new role, Star will take over resident billing, community finances and human resources.

Treemont Management believes that a top-quality Business Office Manager is important in our day to day operations for both residents and employees and having an “open door” policy is key. Executive Director, Rodney Brooks said of Star, “We are excited to have such a bright Star

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

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

Senior Living Houston: Driver Jessica Hinojosa provides support during COVID-19

Transportation service is often a key reason Treemont residents choose to move to a retirement community. Jessica Hinojosa joined the Treemont Transportation Team two years ago in January to provide additional support to Mark Thomas in providing transportation services for our residents.

What is the role of our Transportation driving team? Treemont offers scheduled transportation for: (1) doctor’s appointments within a 5-7 mile radius; (2) grocery store and Wal-Mart shopping trips; (3) pharmacy pickups and (4) personal trips such as to the bank. With about 300 residents, residents are asked to call the Front Desk (or leave a message for Mark or Jessica) one week in advance, to reserve a spot on the Treemont van or car. With fewer outside excursions these days, Jessica is also making sure all visitors answer the “coronavirus questionnaire” and get their temperature checked.

Senior Living Houston: Housekeeper Esther Renteria supports residents

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’s monthly rent. We are fortunate to have Esther Renteria tending to our residents’ apartments.  With her friendly demeanor and great work ethic, Esther is a valued employee.

Esther is one of the many long-tenured employees (31 years!) that support our residents. Esther is the housekeeper for many of our Building A residents. Her duties also include upkeep of common areas in the community. Each Treemont resident is assigned to a housekeeper to do weekly housekeeping in their apartment, as part of Treemont’s all-inclusive monthly senior apartment rental. This covers vacuuming, dusting, wiping down counters and cleaning the bathroom. Extra services include weekly change of bed linens

Senior Living Houston: Welcome Cook Donna Alexander!

A key reason seniors choose retirement living is a desire to have the option of three meals a day, seven days a week, to help residents stay healthy and also provide more social opportunities. Since most Treemont residents, however, dine three times daily at our community, it is extra important that our Dining Staff make dining a pleasant and enjoyable experience. Naturally, food preparation is important. A key ingredient to a wonderful dining atmosphere is also the attitude of staff.  Dining Service Manager Chef James Renshaw works to hire capable team members that are in tune with customer service. Most recently, Donna Ann Alexander was hired as our senior living Houston's newest Cook.

Says Chef James, “Donna has 14 years of experience in senior care, cooking, providing customer service so that she offers a valued perspective on what we do at Treemont. Donna is a quick learner and has gained the respect of fellow staff.”

 She is working with James, Myra, BJ and the Team on rolling out the new menu items.

Senior Living Houston: Welcome Monica Muniz, Activity Director

Social interaction, activities, companionship and making new friends are key reasons many seniors choose to move to a senior living community. It’s convenient to be able to walk out of your apartment and enjoy activities, including entertainment, and one’s neighbors. At Treemont, the goal is to sponsor activities that our current residents value. We’ve been fortunate to have Activity Director Nikki Andress at the helm for most of 2018. We are now welcoming another experienced Activity Director Monica Muniz to the Treemont family.

Monica says, “I envision my role is to fulfill the lives of our residents with active engaging activities such as exercise, outings, brain games and socials that will be beneficial for our residents.” This includes working with the community to bring in relevant instructors, performers, and speakers as well as designing appropriate programs.

Senior Living Houston: Spotlight on Food Server Deborah Hughes

Treemont provides three meals daily, seven days a week, which is atypical for most independent living communities. Residents benefit from staying well-nourished, having built-in social opportunities as well as minimizing grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning. That being said, the service in the dining room is an important contributor to resident happiness, particularly for those who tend to eat most meals in the Treemont Dining Room.

The dining room team members play a key role in the dining experience — and Food Service Server Deborah Hughes is a new team member that epitomizes the type of food service employee Treemont desires.  “Deborah is the most positive individual we have on our team! When asked how she is doing,, Deborah  responds “fan flipping tastic!” It’s really