Everyone dreams of finding a career they feel they are meant to do. For Melissa Benefiel, Senior Lifestyle Counselor for Rittenhouse Village at Portage, it seems her previous experience led to her taking this role with Rittenhouse.
With a history of career decisions focused on seniors, finding Rittenhouse was a dream to Benefiel. She’s previously worked with Porter County Aging and Community Services and, during her time as a realtor, procured the designation of Senior Real Estate Specialist, which allowed her to work with the senior population while selling homes.
“I became very familiar with the resources and communities for seniors in Porter County,” explained Benefiel. “When I heard about this opportunity, it seemed like a perfect fit for me. I had never applied for a job before where it seemed like this was what everything had been leading up to. All of the skills I developed, I use in this position.”
From day to day she helps with many potential clients for the facility: hosting tours, speaking with families, and helping them come to an informed decision about senior care. Her ultimate goal is to allow them to walk away feeling more informed and better able to handle the next step of the process.
“My goal is for them to walk away feeling like they are more equipped to make a good decision and helping them know when to make the next step. If they don’t walk away with those two things, and all they did was see our community, I didn’t serve my role,” said Benefiel.
Additionally, she enjoys getting people into the community to experience it for themselves before making a decision. While most information can be found online or explained with a phone call, she believes it’s necessary to experience a community before committing to living there.
“You have to meet the staff. You have to walk in and see how you feel, and I’m proud of our community. I know people will feel like it’s a warm community. It’s very bright, the staff is friendly, and the food is good, but you can’t experience that if you try to do the research from home,” said Benefiel.
Experiencing these communities is important when making such a significant decision. With various levels of care available, the facility has a lot to offer. One of their many benefits is the ability to care for people as they progress through the stages of aging.
“I like that we have options, we have independent living. Then, if assisted living became more necessary, you can come into one of our assisted living apartments,” explained Benefiel. “If memory ever became a significant issue, we also have memory care. We cover the continuum of care.
Benefiel is passionate about the community she works with and excited to continue working with the Portage Community.
“I do feel that Portage takes really good care of their seniors. They have an amazing senior center; there’s some senior living options like ours. It seems like the seniors here are very active,” said Benefiel. “I do think a testimony to a community is how well they take care of their seniors, and so far, I’m very impressed with what’s going on in Portage.”
Excited, dedicated and knowledgeable in senior living care. Benefiel promises to be a great addition to the team at Rittenhouse Village at Portage.