Mark This: Episode 41, Great Expectations: SeniorLife+
Host: Heather Dotchel, Corporate Communications:
Guests:
Joe Gorman, President and CEO, Aramark SeniorLife+
Melissa Mercury, Vice President for Growth,
Heather Dotchel:
It's time to Mark This, a podcast in which we peel back the corporate curtain to reveal the cool and innovative people, programs, and projects that are happening all over Aramark's varied lines of business.
I'm Heather Dotchel. As a member of Aramark's communications team, I see and hear amazing things that are happening across our company every day. These remarkable initiatives happen because we have remarkable people behind them, building opportunity, building innovation, and building community. Today's episode marks the first exploration of Aramark's Senior Life Plus business on our podcast.
Aramark's Senior Life Plus focuses on delivering compassionate hospitality tailored to senior living communities. Centered around a people-first philosophy, it combines food service, wellness, environmental services, amenities, facilities management, and technology, to craft deeply personalized resident experience. Aramark Senior Life Plus supports communities in promoting resident wellbeing through immersive, empowered living. Joe and Melissa, welcome to Mark This.
Before we begin, Joe, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and why you are passionate about senior living?
Joe Gorman:
Thanks, Heather. So, when I was in college, I was primarily working on hospitality and culinary. And then I taught at the university for a while, and they told us that you needed to be in a sexy business like hotels and restaurants and all those things. So I did it, and I had a great time doing that, but I just didn't have the passion around the customer and who I was serving.
So, one time I had an opportunity to work in a continuing care community as a food service director, as a general manager. So when I went there, I found that I fell in love with the residents. And, one of the residents, she was this little lady and she was kind of angry. She was upset. She didn't want to be there, and she sat by herself in the dining room. So every day I found myself going over to talk to her to make sure that the meal went well.
And so, what I found was that she had a lot of other issues that were kind of making her feel this way. First and foremost, she didn't have a lot of family members around her. And second of all, she couldn't see. So, I would spend my time every night before I would leave talking to her, telling her about the food, and we just became friends. And so, one week I had the weekend off and I was coming back to work, and I went to the dining room to see her and she wasn't there. And unfortunately, she passed away that weekend.
And I knew at that moment that I had to find a way to contribute at a larger level. I knew that I was going to drive my career and to go further in an organization to really be part of making a difference. So, from that time, which was almost 30 years ago now, I continue to work in the senior space.
Heather Dotchel:
Melissa, what drew you to this line of business?
Melissa Mercury:
So unlike Joe, I did not grow up in this business. However, I did grow up in a family that was deeply rooted in the healthcare space. So, I come from a long line of nurses, my mother being one of them. And I actually cultivated the next generation of nurses and my daughter who's now working out there in the space in this field.
And actually through my life, I've obviously been touched by a family member of those that have lived in these communities. Additionally, each of my three children worked in a nursing home as either a healthcare worker, CNA, which was my daughter, or my sons who served the guests in the dining room. And, when I thought about my time here at Aramark, which I've been with Aramark for just over 12 years now, up until six months ago, all with the workplace experience group, as I thought about what was next for me and where I wanted to take my professional path, and how I could help converge what I bring to the marketplace with the passions and the values that exist in me from the family that I've been born into and now been able to help cultivate the next generation of, seniors was always a place that was on my mind.
And we got into this business a few years ago when I heard about it, it always was on that radar for me where I thought the mission and the passion and that impact that you can bring to your guests, to these residents, to the clients who are, like Joe, so tenured in this space and really deeply care about their residents and the communities that they're serving, it just felt right for me. And the excitement that we all have for the opportunity that we have here in senior life to really make an impact for the consumer, but also to help drive the success of our enterprise, is exciting. And I love to build, I love to create, I love to strategize and being able to be part of building this team and driving its success alongside Joe and the rest of our team, is really a fun place to be.
Joe Gorman:
Heather, can you see why it was pretty easy hiring Melissa to join the family?
Heather Dotchel:
I can. I can indeed.
Joe Gorman:
Absolutely.
Heather Dotchel:
And I want to thank both of you for sharing that personal viewpoint. Aramark is a big corporation and we are a business, but one of the things I do love sharing with our audience here at Mark This is how deeply personal all of this is to us. And as hospitality providers, that we're always looking to make an impact on those we serve every day.
Joe, what is the grand vision for Aramark Senior Life Plus? How does it shape the way you serve residents today?
Joe Gorman:
Well, Heather, I think I should give you a little backdrop of our industry a little bit. And so, I've been serving in this industry for a long time, and one of the things that's been pretty steadfast is that about 86% of the market doesn't outsource. They don't use a management service group.
So as I've been working in the industry, I stop and I think, why? Why are they not using an outsourced solution? I thought about a it a lot and said, "What really could we do to change the way that the industry views what's going on?"
And what really came to mind was that, are we really listening to what our customers want? They didn't want what some of the industry was offering, which was kind of a box solution. "Hey, we offer managers, we buy your food, we do this." They really wanted a business partner that could understand their needs, so they felt more comfortable of outsourcing and allowing you into their house. I mean, that's what it really is when you think about it.
So when they found that, wait a minute, we were listening and that we would then find ways to say yes, and find ways to say, "Well, tell us a little bit more and how can we serve you better?" And we were able to create that curated solution, not only for their, meaning the client or the person who was buying the product, all the way down to the residents.
So we took that mindset and we tried to draw it all the way through the organization. So look, we have to have a great service model. We have to create an environment that feels very vibrant and upscale and contemporary. We have to be people-centric. We have to have transparency. There has to be this lifestyle alignment, and kind of destination of where residents live and how they interact, but really the vision was driven around being curated and listening, creating our family to move into their home and be part of their family, was the most critical part for us. We have to listen and deliver on what makes it most meaningful to them.
Heather Dotchel:
Let's talk about outside of that box of services, what makes us different from other providers in this space?
Melissa Mercury:
So Joe talks a lot about wanting to break things, and I think that that's a key indicator of who we are and how we think as a partner to our clients in this space.
One of the things that makes us really special when you think about all of the different industries and communities that we serve across Aramark, is that we can follow our residents all the way from birth to their retirement years. So, as we're leaning into the synergies across all of our different lines and using the insights that that gives us, we're able to speak to our clients in a way that truly demonstrates our ability to deliver on that commitment to really open up that box and think outside of it.
It's not just in the technology and all the innovations that we see emerging, and that frankly we are leading on in this space. But it's really about how do we, as an example in seniors, look just one chapter back with our residents and say, as you just left the workplace, these were the expectations you had. This was what was happening for you in your day-to-day and how do we get ahead of what's coming?
So, I really think it's the power of our enterprise and our ability to cross-pollinate, and to really break down all of those silos and barriers and be thinking very differently about what today and the future of a senior living community needs to look like.
Joe Gorman:
Heather, as Melissa takes us through a little bit the benefits, things evolve as you work in a organization. I think quite often other providers like to benchmark. They'll say, "Well, here's the best senior living community and this is what we should be benchmarking," or, "Let me show you something down the street," or, "Let me take you over here and show you what they do at this community."
And really what we're talking about and why Melissa is such a benefit to us is that let's not use that benchmark. Let's really use the benefits of Aramark holistically whole, and how do we take an idea like they're using in sports and entertainment about moving someone through lines to get people back to their seats so they can watch the game? How do we take that and translate it into a senior environment to help us get them through, maybe a bistro line, or maybe through a scattered system that we may learn from from business dining, or other areas?
And how do we then take that information and use that as the benchmark, whether it's because they did it through technology, they did it through other platforms. And that's really the value of having us in the space.
Heather Dotchel:
What are some of the examples of how our approach to hospitality and care creates unique experiences for residents?
Melissa Mercury:
The expectations of our consumers, and in our case, our residents, are changing, and really leaning into more of a modern, engaging, and social atmosphere. And pulling back from more of that clinical, or looking at our residents as patients in some cases approach, is really important to us. And really creating the ability for them to have a voice, to have that personal approach to the experience that they interact with day-to-day.
So Heather, I think you touched on it earlier when we were sharing our stories and how resonant that is with the culture that Aramark has cultivated with all of our team members. And that pushes through to the teams on the ground. And through the support that we're able to give them with all of the technology and innovations that help them execute on their day-to-day more seamlessly, more efficiently, and to deliver the outcomes, not only for our residents, but also for our clients. It then frees them up to really spend the time in the places they need to.
You heard Joe's story about when he was working in the senior community, and he had the time to sit and connect with residents, and how impactful that is. The more that we can allow all of our team members, at every level, to be in front of those residents, engaging, connecting, and being the voice of who we are as an organization and what we're delivering for them, and how we want to fit into their family and their home, I think that's where that hospitality culture shines through.
Joe Gorman:
These are the customers we serve. They live there, right? This is where they are day in and day out. And fundamentally, when you think about our team, our family, they have to be rooted in the same areas. And what I mean by that is geographically.
So when we build our platform, we created zones indirectly. And so, our market VPOs who have support structure from regional directors and subject matter experts, whether it be culinary or our clinical support. But also things that most people think that are fundamental that would sit in a corporate office, like human resources. Our human resource people work in the field. They geographically are in the area that they serve, so they're more connected. They understand what people are going through, whether it's an hourly associate or it's an upper level person. I know that I have to give them those resources so that they can connect with our customers and the clients that we serve, and that's why we build it that way.
So we're a little unique that way. We're definitely different than the rest of the industry, and our thoughts around that, I feel, are critical. They'll know what's happening in the industry in that geographical region because they're connected. So it's important that our structure is in alignment with what our clients are looking for.
Heather Dotchel:
Melissa, how is Aramark adapting its services to meet the lifestyle, wellness, and culinary preferences of this incoming generation?
Melissa Mercury:
What we know is becoming more and more important is, to really offer more flexibility, to be thinking differently about that service style. It's not as much about just coming in and sitting down at the dining room table for your lunch or your dinner, and being served the meal that's on that menu for the day. Our residents want choice. They want flexibility. They don't necessarily want to eat at the same times every day, in the same way we've been thinking about that service delivery.
I also think that their expectation when they're out there in the retail world is driving them towards this idea of customization, wanting what I want, when I want it, how I want it. So we really have to react to that. And so, really thinking through the lens of all of the insights that we have for what's happening out there in the consumer experience, and how do we translate that into our residents' day-to-day.
But then more importantly, this idea of being active, being social, and really connecting that lifestyle to the hospitality program, is paramount. Ensuring that we're giving them the fuel to be able to continue that level of activity, and then even marrying some really fun and engaging programs, or experiences of food and beverage, while also moving through those social or active moments.
Joe and I were at a community this week where we saw a really vibrant and invigorated set of residents moving through their day-to-day, everything from a wellness center with classes, to groups of individuals walking the community on a really beautiful sunny day in January, to the hustle and bustle of a food hall style environment. So that's really where we're starting to see the change and how we're really meeting our residents where they're at.
Heather Dotchel:
I'd like to touch a little bit more on resident satisfaction. Joe, how do you personalize services to ensure residents feel at home and maintain independence while enjoying community? I know this is very important. My mother-in-law, for example, is in a senior community and she is busier than ever with all of the activities that she has. We talk very frequently about the hospitality services there. How do we curate this?
Joe Gorman:
Great question, Heather. It's ongoing. You can't stop. How do we get our teams to recognize the importance of stopping and creating a touchpoint with somebody, creating a moment, listening to a life story, designing maybe even the environment so that it makes people feel more connected with each other, and not so restricted that we see in some of the buildings.
Constantly doing things with residents to ensure they still have independence. Quite often in our industry before, people would talk about care, and I'm not sure that that's really what our customers want. They want their independence. They want to have a purpose. So, we have to be careful of where the balance lies about doing something, caring for someone to the point where we don't enable them to have their independence, but how do we support them with that need when they have to have it? How do we make their life better, and how do we personalize it based on where they are in their journey?
So, it's an ongoing process. We need to make sure we hire people that can see that, can see those cues, really establishing a place of destination for them. How do they feel like they're on a cruise ship all the time? Or how do they feel like they're in a destination that they wanted to experience? If you're coming to a similar restaurant on an ongoing basis, how do we change that up to make you feel like you went somewhere else, that you're now experiencing something different, while you're still within the barriers of your community, because of multiple other reasons why they stay within that space, whether it's security or just need. So we've done a lot when it comes to how do you personalize that service or how do you look at it differently?
Melissa and I were talking to a customer who has a large group of older adults, and there's 15,000 of them that live in this community. And they're asking us about dining and they were saying, "Can you come in and talk to us? We want to create these restaurants. This is what we're looking to do. How can you help us?"
And Melissa and I, when we were talking to that group, we said, "Wait a minute, this is really a destination. What other things can we bring as Aramark, together, to make that experience better?" So personalized service, it's so broad right now, Heather, that we have to address in multiple facets. The only way to do it is to leverage the enterprise, leverage everyone's commitment to innovation and to serve in hospitality. That's what's going to drive us to make sure there's personalized service in the future.
Heather Dotchel:
Well, that brought it full circle. Before we go, is there anything that you want to make sure we say before we head out?
Melissa Mercury:
Heather, really just want to thank you for the opportunity to be here and have this discussion. As you can see, Joe and I, and this is really just a representation of the entire team, are so passionate about this space and the work that we're here to do.
We talked a lot today about curated solutions and how we show up for our clients and our residents. And one of the things that we understand is, as Joe mentioned, historically this space is heavily self-operated. And while it's important to us to continue to drive value for our clients in a managed services relationship, we know that there are lots of different ways that we can bring that value and generate the outcomes that our clients need, that go beyond just managing your service on your behalf.
We're really excited about our Aramark Solutions consultancy services. We know that this is going to be a big growth driver for our clients in terms of the efficiencies and the outcomes they need.
And so, we're really excited to talk to folks in the space about how we can really help them with that. And so, really excited about all the activity and the conversations we're already in, but really encourage people to come and find us, talk to us more. Hopefully, you can hear the passion and the commitment we have to really changing the face of this industry. And we know that we are that partner that will do that for the folks that are out there in this space.
And so, really hopeful that this was meaningful and impactful for everybody out there that's listening, and would love to talk to you more about that and really dive into how we can help you with those outcomes, help you achieve your goals, and ultimately provide the best, most vibrant, and invigorating experiences for your residents and their families.
Heather Dotchel:
If you'd like to know more about Aramark Senior Life Plus and all of the amazing ways it can meet our partners and our residents where they need us most, visit our newsroom on Aramark.com to access more information. Thanks to both of you, Joe and Melissa, for inviting us into your senior life world, and thanks to our listeners at Mark This.
