Growing Hospitality Initiative Builds Connections While Helping Residents of Millcroft Senior Living with Daily Tasks 

April 11, 2025 | Blog | Reading Time 4:00 Minutes

Millcroft Living senior living community has introduced their new hospitality program for their rehab and long-term skilled care residents. They’ve done so, with the understanding that often, it’s the simple things that really make a difference when providing the best possible care. 

Millcroft Living is a full-service, rental, continuing care retirement community offering independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, and rehabilitation.  

Through their new initiative, hospitality aides are on hand to help answer residents’ most simple but important needs. Whether it’s getting a glass of water, helping to find their TV remote, or visiting for a chat, they are there and ready to respond.  

Millcroft Living’s hospitality aides were specially chosen to be a part of a unique pilot program geared to best serve the non-medical needs of residents in the healthcare center area of the community. When a help button is pushed and the call light goes on, hospitality aides are trained to respond within moments to find out what the residents in short-term rehab or long-term care need.  

If the needs are medical, the hospitality aides immediately find a certified nursing aide who will respond.  

But, if a resident just needs help adjusting the covers on their bed, turning off a light, closing a window shade—or any other minor task—then the hospitality aides are there to help.  

“Our hospitality aides do those little, simple things that make a big impact on our residents’ comfort,” says Holly Hudson, healthcare admissions coordinator. Additionally, she says, “It also takes some of those items off of the plate of the nursing staff so they can provide our residents with the most attentive medical care possible.”  

Hudson says hospitality aides are there to serve, from the first day a resident comes to Millcroft Living to welcome them and help them feel at home.  

“I let our hospitality aides know of any new guests arriving, and they go to greet them,” Hudson says.  

One of the hospitality aides is Sandra Hess, a 21-year-old college student, who took on the role because she wants to help seniors and because she’s planning to go into nursing.   

“As soon as we see a call light go on, we try to answer it,” she says. “That’s our priority.”  

Hudson says hospitality aides also routinely walk the halls and make themselves available for friendly visits, monitor any other needs they may have, and update their daily informational whiteboards. 

Hess likes that her work helps not only residents but her co-workers, the nursing staff.  

“It takes a weight off their shoulders so they can really focus on medical care,” Hess says.  

Hospitality aides are required to have CPR training and may also take advantage of other programs that Millcroft offers. Hess, for instance, is enrolled in training to become a CNA, which is offered by Millcroft.  

Although Hess has only been at Millcroft for a few months, she says she’s already building bonds with residents, including one sweet lady who refers to her as “Bubbles” or “Honeybun.” “I love being able to connect with residents and help them,” she says. 

“I expect to make this a much bigger program,” says Hudson. “In addition to caring for our residents and assisting our nurses, this is an excellent way for young people exploring career possibilities, to learn about senior living and healthcare. It’s such a rewarding field. Since we are wanting to grow our program, now is an excellent time for people to check it out.”   

For more information on the hospitality program at Millcroft Living, contact Holly Hudson at [email protected] or call her at 302-366-0160.