Twenty-two of the 40 senior living and care operators named to Fortune’s first-ever “Best Workplaces for Aging Services” list, released Thursday, are especially active in senior living as evidenced by their membership in either Argentum or the National Center for Assisted Living.

Senior Star, an Argentum member, earned the top spot among operators described by Fortune as senior living-dominant (independent living, assisted living and/or memory care). Eighty-eight percent of the 1,105 employees who completed a survey about the Tulsa, OK-based organization as part of Fortune’s selection process defined the workplace as great.

“I wasn’t surprised but overjoyed and grateful when we heard the news that we were among Fortune’s 50 Best Workplaces for Aging Services,” CEO Anja Rogers writes in a new guest column appearing exclusively in McKnight’s Senior Living.

Senior Star placed No. 3 overall on the list, behind Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center & Gurwin Jewish ~ Fay J. Lindner Residences of Commack, NY, and Hawthorne, NJ-based Van Dyk Healthcare, which were identified by Fortune as predominantly skilled nursing operators. Fay J. Lindner Residences offer assisted living, and Van Dyk is an NCAL member.

Other “stars” active in either Argentum (*) or NCAL (+) include:

  • No. 6: Merrill Gardens, Seattle*+
  • No. 7: Sunrise Senior Living, McLean, VA*+
  • No. 9: Pomperaug Woods, Southbury, CT (managed by Life Care Services, Des Moines, IA)*
  • No. 10: Vi, Chicago*
  • No. 12: Generations Healthcare, Santa Ana, CA+
  • No. 13: Agemark Senior Living, Orinda, CA+
  • No. 14: Holiday Retirement, Winter Park, FL*
  • No. 15: Belmont Village Senior Living, Houston*
  • No. 16: Benchmark, Waltham, MA*+
  • No. 17: Vetter Senior Living,  Elkhorn, NE+
  • No. 20: MBK Senior Living Communities, Irvine, CA*
  • No. 23: Watermark Retirement Communities, Tucson, AZ*+
  • No. 27: Silverado, Irvine, CA*+
  • No. 32: Masonic Communities Kentucky, +
  • No. 33: Mansions Senior Living, Edmond, OK*
  • No. 34: Asbury Communities, Frederick, MD*+
  • No. 35: Solvere Senior Living, Princeton, NJ*
  • No. 36: The Forum at Rancho San Antonio, Cupertino, CA (managed by Life Care Services, Des Moines, IA)*
  • No. 38: Legend Senior Living, Wichita, KS*
  • No. 39: Juniper Communities, Bloomfield, NJ*+
  • No. 40: Thrive Senior Living, Atlanta*

Argentum member companies on the list “have found the right recipe for workplace success,” Argentum Vice President of Workforce Development Brent Weil said. “We applaud their innovative programs that foster a sense of pride among employees.” The senior living industry needs to attract 1.2 million professional workers by 2025, making employee retention vital, he added.

Fortune’s research partner, Great Places to Work, analyzed results from more than 162,000 employees in creating its first aging services certification and recognition lists. Dozens of companies were notified over the summer that they had attained “certified” status. To qualify, organizations had to apply and pay a fee to have their employees answer 60 questions about engagement, company culture and more.

“Great Place To Work Institute and Fortune realize that senior care is a legitimate industry and deserving of its own list,” said Jacquelyn Kung, Ph.D., CEO of Activated Insights, which has overseen data collection for Great Places to Work and Fortune magazine.

“This is different than just surveying a company,” she added. “For our industry, it will be taking off the stigma a bit, so it becomes, ‘Wow, this is an industry where you can build a career.’ ”

Additional communities on the Best Workplaces list offering senior living include Seabrook Retirement Community, Baltimore (No. 4); Embrace Living Communities, Oak Brook, IL (No. 5); Raya’s Paradise, West Hollywood, CA (No. 8); Wesley Enhanced Living, Warminster, PA (No. 11); Peace Village, Palos Park, IL (No. 18); Continuing Life, Carlsbad, CA (No. 19); Buckner Retirement Services, Dallas (No. 21); Ohio Living, Columbus, Ohio (No. 22); Atherton, Alhambra, CA (No. 26); Covia, Walnut Creek, CA (No. 29); Phoenix Senior Living, Roswell, GA (No. 30); St. Camillus Life Plan Community, Wauwatosa, WI (No. 31); and Fox Run at Orchard Park, Orchard Park, NY (No. 37).

The Best Workplaces list also includes 10 home healthcare providers.

See additional information about each organization on Fortune’s website.

See sister publication McKnight’s Long-Term Care News’ coverage of the skilled nursing-dominant operators on the list here:

Related Articles