The Epworth Experience

Staff Member Angela Shaw

The sense of community here at Epworth Villa isn’t limited just to our residents. Staff members across our campus are an important part of the Epworth experience. We sat down with Epworth Villa’s Certified Dietary Manager to talk about her day-to-day experiences at Epworth and why she sees this community as such a special place to work and live.

Tell us a little about what you do here at Epworth Villa.
For most people, food plays a huge role in our lives, both in those really memorable events like vacations and celebrations, and our day-to-day routines. My job here is to make sure that the food we offer at Epworth Villa nourishes our residents both physically and emotionally. Together with our chef, dining director and kitchen team, our goal is to design menus that help our residents eat smart and stay fit, but we also delight them with new dishes and creative flavors. And our residents are a big part of this—they even get to decide a “resident’s choice” menu for some of our events like picnics.

So how is the atmosphere here at Epworth different in your opinion?
I do a lot of tours here, so I hear from a lot of prospects that are visiting other places as well. People always comment on how beautiful and neighborhood-like our campus is. It’s comfortable here. And beyond the physical campus, the people here are like family—whether you live here, work here, or are a routine visitor. People here are friendly, they greet you by name. And our residents are remarkable people from all walks of life—they’ve traveled the world, taught generations, achieved amazing things at work and in life. These aren’t bored, tired people. And you can feel it in the halls and across the campus.

What’s it like to be part of the staff at Epworth Villa?
Oh I tell people all the time not to wait! People really have no idea how much fun they’ll have coming here, both because there’s so much to do and because you get to leave behind the typical responsibilities of maintaining a home. It’s great! Really the hardest part was downsizing from a larger The most fulfilling part of my job is working directly with our residents. I’ve been here five and a half years or so, and it’s so great to know that the work I do is actually improving people’s lives directly. I love just the little interactions with residents and family members in hallways, those day-to-day greetings that seem small but brighten an afternoon.

What would you say about Epworth Villa to someone considering living here?
I believe to really understand Epworth, you need to come here and see this place and meet these people in person. To be here is to understand why people love it here. You can live a great life here. With any current or future healthcare needs covered, you can focus on really enjoying life, meeting new people, having new experiences. The tight-knit community feeling really permeates every part of our campus. Our staff and residents really take care of each other, like family does. There’s a lot of love here, and I want people to come experience it for themselves.

Just one of many Epworth experiences.

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