“I like to be the catchall, figuring things out. And I really like working directly and face-to-face with residents and their families.”
Patrick Carroll is very much the warm and welcoming go-to guy at Oak Trace senior living community in Downers Grove. The Resident Services Manager said that he views his role as helping new residents move into and get assimilated with the community and become comfortable in their new homes.
Patrick, who has years of experience in senior living, said that what he has liked best consistently throughout his different roles has been helping residents. “I like figuring out the best way to do things and helping implement them. I like being the guy people go to,” he said.
Oak Trace just completed its $112 million multi-phase expansion and renovation project which includes a new 140 independent living apartment building. Patrick was intrigued when his friend and former colleague Dan Harrington reached out to him. Now the executive director at Oak Trace, Dan encouraged Patrick to consider coming on board with him for the new role of resident liaison. “There are obviously exciting things happening at Oak Trace, and it was an excellent time for me to come in when there are all these new people to welcome,” Patrick said. He joined the Oak Trace team late last year.
When residents first started moving into the new independent living building in early March of this year, the first step was to initiate “new resident assimilation or orientation so that incoming residents feel comfortable in this new way of living,” he said. Orientation includes department heads talking to the residents about ways the team can help. Patrick is also creating ways to ensure new residents are getting to know and befriend not only other new residents but also current residents.
Well-suited for his new role, Patrick describes himself as “someone who takes things seriously but laughs a lot. I find humor in things.” He added that empathy is important to him. “I try to be in touch with where people are coming from. I want to bend over backward to make sure they feel good about their move.”
So far, so good…as residents are settling into their beautiful new apartments, attending programming, enjoying a cup of coffee at Oak Trace’s Starbucks, holding floor parties to meet their neighbors, and having meals with new friends.
