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Get to Know the Grand Oaks Team: Jill Youens

Nov 23, 2022 | Featured, Grand Oaks Team, Health & Wellness | 0 comments

The Grand Oaks team’s main goal is to improve the quality of life for all residents by prioritizing physical, social, and spiritual activities, as well as top-tier care, services, and medical care. They form deep connections with residents, promoting a sense of family amongst those who live and work at Grand Oaks.

Behind the scenes of Grand Oaks’ resident care is Jill Youens, RN, CDP. Jill is the Director of Nursing, previous Oasis Coordinator, a Certified Dementia Practitioner, Certified Musical Therapist, and a Certified Wound Care Nurse. Read the following Q&A to learn more about Jill and her role at Grand Oaks.

Grand Oaks: How would you describe your role and the care you provide residents? 

Jill Youens: My role is to guide, nurture, teach, embrace, and love each resident and staff member and to help them be their best every day.

Grand Oaks: Why do you enjoy working at Grand Oaks? 

Jill Youens: I show up to Grand Oaks truly because I want to be there. Grand Oaks is a place where residents are not treated as residents but as family.

Grand Oaks: How does being a Certified Musical Therapist benefit your work? (How does music aid memory care?)

Jill Youens: Music is a door to the soul.  When you play music, even for the most severely impaired, you make a connection with that person that comes from somewhere deep within.

Think about how you feel when you hear your favorite song or music genre; you find your foot tapping, you hum, or even show off some dance moves. We see this happening with our residents, which is why music is so important. It helps them feel joy, and when they feel joy, their personalities really show.

Grand Oaks: What differentiates the Oasis Neighborhood at Grand Oaks from other memory care facilities?

Jill Youens:  The Oasis staff are Trained and Certified Dementia Practitioners. We allow the residents to be themselves. We work in their world; their reality becomes our reality. We treat them as the intelligent people they are, not were, and that truly makes a difference in their lives.

Grand Oaks: What is your advice for families considering memory care for their senior loved ones? 

Jill Youens: Don’t wait! You must put your feelings about memory care aside and be open to seeing how wonderful a place like Oasis can be for them. If you think your loved one may need more specialized care, it is most likely time to make a move.

Grand Oaks: Share a favorite moment or memory at Grand Oaks. 

Jill Youens:  My first time meeting the team was a favorite moment because I felt immediately welcomed and accepted. I knew from the beginning that I was in the right place.

Meet Beth Abate

Learn more about Grand Oaks’ Nurse Practitioner.

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