The Future Leaders Awards program is brought to you in partnership with PointClickCare. The program is designed to recognize up-and-coming industry members who are shaping the next decade of behavioral health, senior housing, skilled nursing, home health, and hospice care. To see this year’s Future Leaders, visit https://futureleaders.agingmedia.com/.
Caitlin Rokavec, connections director at Juniper Communities, has been named a 2024 Future Leader by Senior Housing News.
To become a Future Leader, an individual is nominated by their peers. The candidate must be a high-performing employee who is 40-years-old or younger, a passionate worker who knows how to put vision into action, and an advocate for seniors, and the committed professionals who ensure their well-being.
Rokavec sat down with Senior Housing News to talk about the need for creativity and innovation in senior housing, along with her excitement for the coming advancements the industry might see with technology.
What drew you to this industry?
My own involvement with a loved one’s care and the unique opportunities at Juniper drew me to the industry. I was familiar with Juniper’s values and reputation in the community. Their approach to whole-person wellness and commitment to enhancing “life in the third act” transformed my preconceptions of senior living.
What’s your biggest lesson learned since starting to work in this industry?
Creativity breeds innovation: this applies to programming as well as problem solving. I feel so fortunate to be in an environment where I am encouraged to not only say yes to arising wants and needs in my community, but also to be on the cutting edge of the industry – challenging what is possible for senior living not for the sake of doing something new, but for good. With that, people are the key. No organization can be successful without innovators and team players. When people feel valued at all levels in a community, it thrives and becomes a space for wellbeing, not just care.
If you could change one thing with an eye toward the future of senior housing, what would it be?
Juniper’s mission is centered around the idea of living “fully through all seasons of life.” This is something I meditate on frequently as each life we touch views this in their own unique way. It takes most residents a period of time before they embrace their “life in the third act” due to misconceptions and other factors. If we can shift the idea of senior housing as more than a place to receive transactional care into a true community that creates and inspires, it would change the industry as we know it.
What do you foresee as being different about the senior housing industry looking ahead to 2025?
In assisting with Juniper’s resident services software implementation, I have become excited at the potential and ease of connections for customers in the very near future. Technology has always been a tool for the industry, but I believe we are at a turning point with advancements where it will streamline processes both on the backend and frontend.
In a word, how would you describe the future of senior housing?
Empowering.
What quality must all Future Leaders possess?
Adaptability.
To learn more about the Future Leaders program, visit https://futureleaders.agingmedia.com/.
