How Senior Living Helped Me Become My Mother's Daughter Again

About Cindy Baier

President & Chief Executive Officer

Lucinda (“Cindy”) Baier is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Brookdale Senior Living, the nation's premier operator of senior living communities. As of year-end 2020, the $3.5 billion company operates nearly 700 senior living communities and has the ability to serve approximately 60,000 residents through its independent living, assisted living, Alzheimer’s and other dementia care, and continuing care retirement communities and through its comprehensive network of services. The company's 40,000+ employees are taking care of America's seniors and, in 2020, Fortune magazine ranked Brookdale as one of the top 200 largest publicly listed employers in the country. Ms. Baier became Brookdale's President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors on February 28, 2018. As CEO, she initiated and is leading the company's operational turnaround strategy. Her accomplishments can be seen over an array of areas, including people, portfolio and operations. Retention rates of the company's top community leaders are strong. She helped focus the company's efforts on increasing diversity, resulting in the Board and executive leadership team approaching gender parity. Since becoming CEO, Brookdale has increased people of color in leadership roles on the executive leadership team. Ms. Baier led Brookdale's efforts to negotiate and restructure leases with its largest three REIT partners and to unlock significant value through the sale of assets, including Brookdale's interest in the unconsolidated entry CCRC ventures and the sale of the majority of its home health, hospice and outpatient therapy business. Within the second year after introducing the "winning locally" strategy, the company's Net Promoter Score® increased 20%. In her third year as CEO, J.D. Power recognized the company as #1 in customer satisfaction in assisted living/memory care communities. Ms. Baier has served for more than a decade as a board member of public and private companies and organizations. She currently serves as a member of the board of directors of Argentum and the Nashville Health Care Council, where she serves as Vice Chair, is a member of the NYSE Board Advisory Council, which identifies and connects diverse board candidates to NYSE-listed companies seeking new directors, and is on the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Audit and Compliance Committee and the Board Quality and Safety Committee. Ms. Baier has been recognized by a number of professional organizations, including being named one of The CEO Forum Group’s 2021 Top 10 CEOs Transforming Healthcare in America; she is a recipient of the Corporate Citizenship 2020 Award from the Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board; elected to McKnight's 2020 "Women of Distinction" in the Hall of Honor category; featured in the 2020 “In Charge” list by Nashville Medical news; named in WomenInc.'s 2019 Most Influential Corporate Directors list; recognized in the Nashville Business Journal's 2020 Health Care Leaders awards and for the second consecutive year was named to the Nashville Business Journal’s "Power 100" list, the "Most Admired CEO" list and the "In Charge" list by the Nashville Post. Prior to becoming CEO of Brookdale, Ms. Baier served as the company's Chief Financial Officer from December 2015. In addition to experience as a seasoned chief financial officer in several companies, she has had multi-billion dollar operations responsibility, been the chief executive officer for a publicly traded retailer, and served as an executive officer of a Fortune 30 company. Ms. Baier is a Certified Public Accountant and a graduate of Illinois State University, with Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Accounting.

brookdale ceo cindy baier with her mother and sister

“Yahtzee!”

I never got tired of hearing my mother triumphantly shout the word that signaled my defeat at her favorite game. I am a competitive numbers-person by nature (qualities I inherited from my mom), and last fall I lost more Yahtzee games than I care to count, but it never got old.

“Yahtzee!”

That’s because we were playing in my mother’s long-term care community, where my sister and I helped her move when her health started declining, and I was visiting. Instead of checking off a laundry list of caregiver tasks – did you take your medicine? check. did you eat three meals today? check. – we were spending quality time together. Living in long-term care those last months of her life was a gift. Not just for her, but for me as well.

My hope is that other adult daughters give themselves and their mothers the same gift. My experience is not unique; research shows that upwards of 75 percent of all caregivers are female and 65 percent of all care recipients are women. Caregiving for aging parents is tough, and making decisions for long-term care can be even more challenging. That’s why I am sharing my story. I am proof that senior living truly allows you to become your mother’s daughter again.

Our story starts like most of the stories we hear from adult daughters of Brookdale residents. My sister Lisa and I noticed our mother’s loss of independence and were concerned for her well-being. I visited on weekends and spoke with her several times a day, but it was apparent she needed more care and attention than my sister and I could provide from a distance. On one of my visits home to her small Illinois town, my sister and I spoke with our mom about her wishes and decided to tour senior living communities.

I wanted my mom to come live close to me in a Middle Tennessee Brookdale community, but we jointly decided that it was best to stay near my sister and her doctors. After touring several options, she settled on the same long-term care community her husband had called home until he passed in 2000. It felt like home to her – she still had relationships with the staff and she knew the layout. A sense of familiarity was comforting to her.

Moving was tough. I made sure Mom’s room was decorated with her favorite belongings, including her beloved stuffed animal – a cat. It took her about 24 hours to adjust, during which my heart was filled with a sense of guilt. Did we make the right decision? Did we move her in too early? Or too late? I completely understand the complex range of emotions our residents and families experience when choosing senior living because I experienced them myself. It is a hard decision.

On my next visit, my mom was a different person! She introduced me to every caregiver who entered her room, chatting about their kids and weekend plans. We splurged on her favorite meal, take-out from Avantis, while binge-watching the Hallmark channel. Laughing and looking through old photos while enjoying too many sweets became the theme of our visits. What a welcome change from the typical weekends I spent going over doctor instructions, preparing meals and picking up prescriptions. I became my mother’s daughter again, and my initial sense of guilt subsided. With a weight lifted, I knew we made the right decision. Those last few months with her were some of the best we ever had.

Reflecting on our senior living journey, I realize what a mistake we made by not making a decision about senior living sooner. In life, there are certain decisions you have to make, decisions that no one wants to talk about. Unfortunately, senior living can be one of those. By not making a decision, we were making a bad decision for my mom. It frustrates me to know that she – we! – could have had a better life if we made the decision earlier.

As an industry insider, you would think that I understood this, but ultimately I had to go through the senior living journey myself to fully understand.

This is why I am a passionate advocate for the services Brookdale provides. The experience changed my entire perception of senior living and gave me a new respect for our families, residents and associates. I am immeasurably grateful for the Brookdale associates who provide the same relief for our residents and families. It truly takes a community; everyone from the Executive Director to the receptionist has a hand in making our buildings a home.

If you are struggling with your senior living journey, or need tips on where to start, my hope is that you turn to Brookdale. Let us help you navigate this journey so you become your mother’s daughter again.