Today we’d like to introduce you to Tom Ford.
Hi Tom, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
When The Cardinal at North Hills, a Kisco Senior Living community, opened our doors in January of 2017 we did so with a commitment and dedication to serving our residents with the number one goal of inspiring trust each day. With our location in the North Hills Midtown District of Raleigh, we are able to provide our residents with an active and independent lifestyle on their own terms. Since opening, a key component of The Cardinal is our five-star lifestyle, which is purely focused on promoting the health and well-being of residents.
Here at The Cardinal at North Hills, we seek to provide a unique lifestyle experience founded on principles that promote the health and wellbeing of our residents. Our approach focuses on each resident’s intellectual, physical, social, spiritual and vocational needs.
The Cardinal became the first senior living community in the nation to partner with Forbes Travel Guide. This partnership has since elevated the community’s environment to one reminiscent of a luxury hotel, offering a resident-centric lifestyle that makes home feel like a true destination. We’ve been incredibly privileged to be the first community in the country to partner with Forbes Travel Guide and undergo this training and to provide this level of service for our residents. With this training, our team is equipped to not only meet those expectations but exceed them. Our goal each day is to provide five-star service in everything we do.
From the beginning, we’ve known part of our story would be in expansion. With a growing need from today’s seniors, construction is underway on an 18-story, 191-unit luxury high-rise addition scheduled to welcome residents in Spring 2023. The East Tower addition answers the growing need for premier senior housing in Raleigh but enables us to meet the desires of today’s seniors who are eager for a community that provides a vibrant urban location with convenient access to high-quality amenities, five-star hospitality and a full continuum of health care services if the need arises. This addition to our community will be a true asset, not only to those who call The Cardinal home but for the North Hills Midtown District as well.
It’s an honor to serve as Executive Director of The Cardinal at North Hills, and I look forward to being a part of The Cardinal’s journey in the years ahead.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
In early 2020 as we began the process for breaking ground on the East Tower addition, we were thrown a curveball in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our objective shifted, and rightfully so, to focus on ensuring the health and safety of our residents and associates. While changes were made, we never lost sight of our dedication to providing residents with high-quality service and striving towards excellence, even when certain programs had to be paused. Now, as we begin to see a return to normalcy, we’ve been able to adapt the lessons we learned through the pandemic to plan for the future.
Whether it was cleaning protocols or an adaptation for wellness programming, we were able to see how to adapt our way of thinking without changing our level of service. Further, since the pandemic, we’ve seen an increased interest from those interested in coming into the community. One of the most important lessons we all learned over the last year was how much we need one another. While we did have to close our doors to the greater community, our residents were never alone. There is value in community, and we’re more equipped than ever to maintain a safe and secure environment now and in the future.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
The Cardinal at North Hills is a full-service life plan community offering a full continuum of desirable lifestyle options from spacious, well-appointed Independent Living residences to Assisted Living, Memory Support and Skilled Nursing Care.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
The Cardinal is special because of those individuals who live and work here. These men and women are what make this more than a building but a home. Around 80 percent of our residents are Raleigh natives and continue to play an integral role not only at The Cardinal but in the greater community. When it comes to choosing a senior living community, we know there is much to consider, but what we want to convey most is the lifestyle. When anyone walks through our door, the intention is a feeling of welcome and quality for themselves. Looking back on the last year, our history and commitment were integral to our ability to meet the needs of residents through the pandemic. Our aim was to provide peace of mind and confidence for everyone, and that is something that will never change.
Contact Info:
- Website: lifeatthecardinal.com
- Email: Tom.Ford@kiscosl.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCardinalAtNorthHills
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/KiscoSeniors
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/KiscoCommunities
Image Credits
The Cardinal at North Hills
