For exemplary leadership and dedication to senior living
Belmont Village Senior Living Founder and CEO Patricia Will receives the Women of Distinction Award as she is inducted into the McKnight’s Women of Distinction Hall of Honor. Patricia is one of 19 female senior-level executives chosen from hundreds of applicants spotlighted for their exemplary leadership and dedication to senior living.
“What a tremendous honor it us to be recognized by McKnight as a woman of distinction in the senior living space,” says Will. “In 1997, when I was in search of a warm and engaging place to move my elderly mother-in-law, Josephine, who suffered with early-stage dementia, I had no idea I would be giving birth to our first Belmont Village Senior Living community about a mile from the Texas Medical Center. After repeated mishaps with at-home care, I discovered that there were no communities in Houston to meet Josephine’s care needs. I was looking for programs that promote mental stimulation, socialization, reduced stress, a healthy lifestyle, and specially-prepared meals that provided the nutrition Josephine needed.”
What began as one assisted living community in Houston’s West University neighborhood has now flourished into 31 Belmont Village locations in major cities across the United States and Mexico. True to the company’s origins and roots, all of the dining rooms are still named Josephine’s Kitchen, offering the highest quality nutrition-rich menus specifically designed for aging health and wellness.
As an advocate of research-based science since the company’s infancy, Will then developed programs in concert with leading institutions in the field of aging, like Vanderbilt University, University of California Los Angeles, University of Southern California, and the University of California San Diego. One of their most well-known, established, award-winning programs is the Circle of Friends, which addresses the needs and abilities of residents with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or mild to moderate memory loss. In conjunction with Belmont Village’s multi-faceted approach to Whole-Brain-Fitness, the Circle of Friends program enriches the lives of residents by allowing them to live in assisted living residences while participating in a structured day of activities designed to help maintain cognitive function.
The McKnight’s Women of Distinction Hall of Honor award recognizes women who have made significant contributions to senior living. Nominations were judged by an external panel of industry experts. All winners will be honored at a virtual awards celebration on May 18. An educational forum will follow on May 19.
“We strive to help our honored residents continue to live rich and fulfilling lives despite the changing world around us,” adds Will. “Everything we do is devoted to making our communities the kinds of places where residents are happy to live, and their families are confident that the environment and care Belmont Village provides are of the highest quality. We believe that aging is a gift and that caring for the aging is a privilege.”