As Rick Miller settles into his apartment at Avamere’s assisted living center on SE 30th Ave., he tries to see his new environment through his grandfather’s eyes.
Miller’s grandparents had spent part of their retirement years in a cottage at this same complex. His grandfather had spent his working years in construction and would have had a keen eye for the details that can make daily life more pleasant — or aggravating.
Miller, though, is not a typical resident. First of all, he’s far too young. But he’s also founder and chief executive officer of Avamere Group. That makes him boss of the 4,000 staff at its health care service companies throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Miller had taken a couple of years away from Avamere to serve as chair of the American Health Care Association, based in Washington, D.C. After his return at the start of 2009, he decided to acquaint himself with the company’s current operations by first-hand observation and by listening to Avamere site residents and employees, rather than reading reports from its upper management.
He made the decision to live for about six months in each of the three types of Avamere facility: Independent-living cottages, assisted living center and a skilled nursing facility.
First, he took up residence in a cottage at Avamere Bethany. Although these cottages are a roomy 1200 to 1,300 square feet, Miller says he faced the same decisions as customers do when they decide to downsize from their single family homes to retirement living centers. He had to adapt to less storage and less room for spare clothing and to keep only those things he’d actually need.
Note his choice of the word “customers.” Miller says he uses it intentionally because he’s aware residents choose to live in Avamere’s facilities, just as they select the products of other businesses.
He sees his on-site presence as an advantage. “If the residents have concerns,” he said, “I will hear about them at meals. If someone is really unhappy, they’ll just leave.”
Miller’s skill at picking up clue’s as he chats with his neighbors has already paid off in changes he’s overseen at the center.
One woman told him she was uncomfortable walking between her cottage and the main building. With a little prodding, he learned that she had difficulty negotiating her driveway’s incline. Miller had a handrail installed.
Miller himself noted details in the dining area. On his very first day, he turned to the salad bar. “The bowl was so small, I couldn’t make a satisfactory salad,” he said. Staff told him that the elderly preferred smaller portions. (Miller is over 7 feet tall and probably has a more hearty appetite.) Miller’s reply, before he ordered the small bowls discarded and replaced, was that they could still make small salads in a larger bowl.
He also noted that the hole in the bleu cheese dressing dispenser was too small to allow any clumps of cheese to pass. That too was fixed.
Within his own apartment, Miller noted that cupboard openings were too narrow to allow a dish to be put down without first turning it sideways. Light switches were not in the most logical or convenient spot. Water pressure was too low, so he had the showerheads replaced throughout the facility.
“Each little thing that didn’t make sense to me, I thought about grandparents,” he repeated.
The biggest change Miller has made was to management at both Avamere sites where he’s stayed thus far. He replaced them — within a month. He says his regional managers have also been put on notice. “They shouldn’t have to wait for me to tell them about the problems,” he said.
In a few months, Miller will move on to Avamere Rehabilitation, at 650 Oak St. Staff there would be wise to scout out ahead of time a hospital bed that can accommodate their boss’s height, a potential problem Miller’s grandfather would have noticed.
This story appeared on page A1 of the Jan. 5, 2010 Hillsboro Argus.
