Congratulations to a valued member of our leadership team, Lindsey Sherron.
She is our Director of Social Services and is a distinguished professional. Lindsey is licensed in Clinical Social Work and is Masters-prepared. She is certified by the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners and as such has undergone extensive training in Alzheimer’s and dementia. Lindsey is a certified instructor for the Virtual Dementia Tour created by Second Wind Dreams, a non-profit agency committed to changing the perception of aging, and offered to the community free of charge through Residences Senior Living. She is also a facilitator for the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support Group offered on-site at Residences Senior Living through Alzheimer’s and Dementia Services of Northern Indiana.
Most importantly, Lindsey views her career-path as a calling.
“She is not a nurse or typical caregiver. She is a caregiver at heart and in deed, taking good care of the mental health and well-being of residents, their families, and our staff,” according to Karen Ayresman, Executive Director, of Residences at Deer Creek Senior Living. Karen nominated Lindsey for the 2024 Indiana Assisted Living Association (INALA) Caregiver of the Year because she exceeded the criteria in every way. INALA seeks to honor the hard-working employee who has enriched residents’ daily lives by:
- Nurturing the spirit of each resident
- Treating each resident with dignity and respect
- Promoting the individuality of each resident
- Providing a safe, residential environment
- Allowing each resident choice of care and lifestyle
- Making the assisted living residence a valuable community asset.
Karen emphasized how the feedback from residents, families and staff was all that was needed to nominate Lindsey, a mental health professional, for caregiver of the Year.
Karen explained how Lindsey assists residents and their families “from the very beginning.” She helps older adults voice their concerns about the fear of losing independence. She takes the time to describe what to expect when making a transition, the emotions and feelings that come with adjusting to a new environment. “Lindsey is an integral part of the family’s adjustment to our community. They are also adjusting to their loved one moving forward to assisted living or memory care and all of the accompanying stress that comes with downsizing, financial responsibility, family dynamics and more,” said Karen.
“Lindsey nurtures the spirits of our residents with her reassuring confidence and confidentiality to preserve their dignity. She has helped residents who have suffered unresolved childhood or adult trauma as well as veterans with PTSD. Our residents and families have expressed heartfelt gratitude for all she does to support their needs.”
Lindsey also serves in these same ways at Residences at Coffee Creek Senior Living in Chesterton. “Lindsey is certainly integral to what Residences Senior Living emphasizes as ‘a unique approach,’” noted Kaitlynn Redmon, Executive Director. “Assisted living communities are not required to provide the services of a social worker. Rather, we choose to enrich our care through a professional who is both certified and devoted to the emotional well-being of older adults and their families. We are thrilled to share Lindsey’s expertise with the greater community as well,” said Kaitlynn in reference to the support groups she helps to facilitate at both Deer Creek and Coffee Creek Senior Living.
Lindsey supports the greater community by participating in mentorship programs for interns through Indiana University’s Masters level Social Work program. “ Interns are grateful for her leadership and guidance as she helps them understand the role mental health professionals provide in senior living and healthcare overall,” Karen pointed out.
Lindsey is the person everyone wants on their team; a caring and compassionate participant who makes the world a better place through her many daily contributions for the well-being of others.
