Cardiff by the Sea CA— The California Assisted Living Association (CALA) is pleased to announce that Robert Montez, a driver at Belmont Village Cardiff-by-the-Sea, will receive the organization’s prestigious Outstanding Team Member award at their Fall Conference & Trade Show in Rancho Mirage. CALA chooses recipients of these awards based on their commitment to providing outstanding, quality care and service to residents in the Assisted Living communities where they work. Montez will receive his award on October 24, 2016.
According to a resident, “Robert is a man of all seasons. He is terrific at whatever he does and has the love and respect of all the residents.” Another says, “He’s the absolute best. There’s no one like him, ever.”
Equal parts educator and entertainer, Montez turns each outing into a travel destination. Residents particularly enjoy his “mystery drives” such as a recent surprise trip to a state beach. He also created a master book of San Diego hot spots, complete with maps, fun facts and history about each destination, that other community drivers could utilize.
Montez began working at Belmont Village Cardiff-by-the-Sea a month after it opened in 2009. A veteran of the Air Force intelligence service, he previously worked as a branch manager for CocaCola for 30 years. When he’s not driving residents to appointments and outings, Montez is busy assisting them with their cell phones, computers, or e-readers, teaching them Spanish, and leading book club discussions. Nursing and care staff share that they appreciate his rapport with residents and his observations regarding changes in a resident’s condition or other factors that could impact the care plan.
About Assisted Living
Currently, nearly 180,000 Californians are residents in Assisted Living communities and the need for Assisted Living continues to grow. Assisted Living provides residents with the care they need to perform activities of daily living, medication management, social activities, housekeeping, meals, and transportation; some communities also offer dementia care programs and health-related services. A 2016 study commissioned by CALA showed that Assisted Living staff has a positive impact on residents’ quality of life. Ninety-eight percent of residents say the staff members in their communities are friendly and 94 percent say they receive the help they need.
About CALA
With more than 575 provider members, CALA is the only association solely representing the state’s Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly, which encompass Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Continuing Care Retirement Communities. CALA is dedicated to the betterment of Assisted Living and provides leadership through advocacy efforts and education to support providers in their efforts to offer the highest quality programs and services to their residents.