With the number of seniors in American rising with 90 percent of them wanting to remain in their homes for as long as possible, Terry Walsh is committed to helping them thrive. “We think we can help them thrive for longer in their own homes by bringing our senior living and senior care core competencies to bear for them to support them in their own homes, and perhaps as importantly, for the benefit of their adult children so that we can reduce the burden on them as well,” Walsh said.
Friendship Villages of St. Louis is an independent, faith-based, nonprofit senior living and senior care company providing all levels of senior living and senior care in the St. Louis region. The company is an industry leader and early adopter of cutting-edge technologies to care for seniors and to enhance their health and well-being to extend and enhance their quality of life. Friendship Villages has been recognized with major national, regional and local “Best of” lists for every level of care.
Over the past two years since Walsh was first named a Titan 100, the organization has innovated to grow on its own population of skilled employees by starting its own certified nursing assistant school and a senior living culinary arts school that attracts and teaches students all the way up to sous chef.
“Both of these are very hard to find in the open market, so we decided to grow our own and, among other innovations in recruiting and retention, it has enabled Friendship Villages to remain fully open to help meet the needs of our aging community,” said Walsh.
Respect for others is the single greatest corporate value that Walsh said he wants his teams to demonstrate. “It’s about respect for our residents who made huge, purposeful decisions to live with us while they are still very active and on to higher levels of care, for the rest of their lives,” Walsh said. “It’s also about respect for their families who have entrusted Friendship Villages with helping their loved ones thrive in their senior years and respect for the staff who make all of the things happen that make our residents feel loved, active, happy and that they have made the very best decision to be with us.”
Walsh said he learned a lesson in his first three days in the military that has stuck with him ever since. “The troops eat first,” he said. “There is much wisdom in that simple statement and, if you heed that, your career will be richly rewarded, and you will be blessed with success.”
For his success as a leader and advocate for the aging community, Walsh has been inducted into the Titan 100 Hall of Fame.
