Aegis Living Debuts New COVID-Era Future for Senior Assisted Living

BELLEVUE, Wash., July 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Aegis Living, a national leader in assisted living and memory care, unveiled a series of company-wide commitments for advancing resident care, safety and wellness during the COVID-19 era. The comprehensive commitments – which were debuted in a short, animated video – span all aspects of the organization from leadership to operations, research, resident care and more.

"Families are facing unprecedented challenges as they work to care for their loved ones during this uncertain time," said Kris Engskov, Aegis Living President. "Our number one priority is to apply our 23 years of experience and deep clinical expertise to continue to innovate well ahead of this virus to ensure we are the safest place for our seniors and also a place where they can thrive – physically, mentally and emotionally – now and well into the future."

Aegis Living's commitments include:

• Appointing a dedicated Infection Control & Safety Officer.
• Accessing and applying the latest infection control research and highest operational standards per direction of the newly appointed Coronavirus Advisory Council.
• Launching a research partnership with Fred Hutch to study the virus, identifying transmission insights and containment best practices.
• Deploying FDA-approved, virus-fighting technologies from Molekule, Inc. and Viking Pure to clean indoor air and kill the virus.
• Dramatically increasing nursing care capacity to support its 32 communities and 2,500 residents.
• Developing new clinical culinary expertise to define a Culinary Wellness Program designed to offer residents immune-boosting meals and nutritional supplements.
• Creating new spaces, Aegis Chat Suites, for residents to connect virtually with their families and medical providers.
• Continuing to explore new opportunities for safe in-person visits and engagement with programs like the recently announced Outdoor Living Room initiative.

Aegis Living commitments were driven by insights and experience gleaned over the past four months navigating the pandemic, coupled with medical expertise and direct feedback from residents, families and staff.  

At the center of these new advancements is building the most qualified team to drive this work forward. Appointed as Infection Control & Safety Officer, Tom Laborde has a 22-year tenure at Aegis, most recently as their Chief Operating Officer. In his new position, Laborde will work closely with Aegis' senior management team to assess, develop and implement new infection control technologies and measures across all of Aegis' properties.

The company also recently hired Senior Vice President of Operations Tony Pisa to provide operational leadership in California and Nevada. Pisa joined Aegis after a successful career leading large-scale, multi-unit operations at Starbucks, Kinkos and Kizuki Ramen. His position is mirrored in Washington state by Executive Vice President of Operations John Carpentier. Aegis Living also announced Ashleigh Pedersen will join the team as Enterprise Culinary Service Director, helping evolve and develop its Culinary Wellness Program. Jennifer Alexy was appointed Senior Vice President of Sales.

"We hire people who have excelled in their careers, often in outside industries, who bring incredible insights and fresh thinking to senior living," said Dwayne J. Clark, Aegis Living founder and CEO. "I call it the weaving of the quilt—we're building a phenomenal team to take Aegis to the next level."

For more information on how Aegis Living is responding to the coronavirus crisis, visit: www.aegisliving.com/communications.

About Aegis Living
Aegis Living is a national leader in senior assisted living and memory care with a simple philosophy: make every day count. With more than 22 years of experience, it is known for its approach for supporting residents along the continuum of care, from light assistance to advanced dementia; an eye for innovation and staying on the frontlines of design; and an employee-centric company culture. With every community, Aegis Living creates a living environment where residents can feel at home and inspired to live life to the fullest. The privately held company is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and operates 32 communities in Washington, California and Nevada, with 7 additional communities in development.

For more information, visit www.aegisliving.com. Follow the company on Twitter @Aegisliving and Facebook at www.facebook.com/AegisLiving.

SOURCE Aegis Living