Creating a Quality Home for Hawaii Seniors with Cara Giorgio

Interview Transcription

ADRIENNE: 
Welcome back, and thanks for listening to the team Lally Real Estate show home of the guaranteed sold program or we’ll buy it. I’m Adrienne and I’m Attilio. And if you have any questions, just give us a call at 7999596 or check us out online at Teamlally.com.

ATTILIO:
Well, hey, our guest today grew up in California. She came to Hawaii through the Navy and has made Oahu her home for 15 years. She’s a graduate of the Hawaii Pacific University with a BA and an MBA an MBA degrees.

ADRIENNE: 
She joined The Plaza Assisted Living in 2017 as a Sales Manager and was promoted as the Director of Sales in 2019. In 2023, she became the Director of Sales and Marketing. Please welcome our guest Cara Giorgio.

ATTILIO: 
Giorgio. Hey, Cara.

CARA: 
Hello, thanks for having me on.

ADRIENNE:
Welcome, welcome to the show. And we’re excited to share a little bit more more about The Plaza Assisted Living.

ATTILIO: 
Well, we gave everybody everybody your story. Now let’s let’s go into the story of the of the how did The Plaza Assisted Living, how did it get it starts?

CARA: 
Yeah. So Plaza started by two local businessmen here. So they were looking for care for their aging parents. One of them had an aging parent on the mainland, and they found a community for her in California. It’s much like the plaza is now she moved in, she got a boyfriend, she got married, she called her son and said, Oh my gosh, thank you so much for finding me this place. I love my new life. And the businessman who had an aging parent here, he wasn’t necessarily able to find anything like that here. So these two gentlemen got together. And they decided to bring that same model of care that they found in California to be in local neighborhoods for the kupuna here. And so 20 years ago, we started we opened our first community, The Plaza at Punchbowl. And now we have six thriving communities with about 700 Happy seniors. So that’s how we started.

ATTILIO: 
Wow, just like that Disney movie I Robot, the CEO of the robot company. He said See you need fill a need. So So Cara

ADRIENNE: 
was your original location at Punchbowl? I know that one is there’s a little bit of a uniqueness to that one. That’s that’s different from the rest as far as the age requirements. Let’s talk to our listeners about the punch about that Punchbowl location.

CARA: 
Absolutely. So all of our communities are 60 and up however, the Punchbowl location that one doesn’t have an age restriction. And that’s just because when we built it, there wasn’t that that restriction in place. So it is it is unique in that regard. That we have had some younger residents below that that six year old threshmark, come in, and we’ve helped serve them there as well.

ATTILIO: 
Yeah. What about millennials?

ADRIENNE: 
I mean, I think I think anyone that needs that extra help, right? If you’re going through, you need that extra service. Maybe you had an accident or you know a surgery.

ATTILIO: 
Maybe you live here alone, you don’t have family to help take care of you. Yeah,

ADRIENNE: 
so there’s a there’s numerous reasons why you could be in there at any age. Nice.

CARA: 
Definitely. Yeah. I I started as a sales manager over at Punchbowl so I it has a special place in my heart. And we actually, we did end up moving in someone he was like in his 30s and had experienced an accident went to rehab and the rehab. You know, usually they say Your time is up once insurance says time is up there, but he wasn’t necessarily safe to live on his own. So he came into Punchbowl, and he was on our assisted living floor so we could help him. He was very popular there.

But it does, you know, give people that flexibility if somebody needs a little bit more support, and is maybe not safe to live at home.

ATTILIO: 
Yeah, did did he end up staying there or he recuperated and

CARA: 
yes, he recuperated and, you know moved out on on his own one amazing

ATTILIO:
experience. You should read a book you probably you know, got all that wisdom of all those people I was hanging out with and hopefully you took a lot of notes and learned learned a few things.

CARA: 
Okay, some good friends.

ATTILIO: 
So now let’s go on to the other communities. How would we describe and where are they? Yeah, where are the locations? Tell us about them?

CARA: 
Yes. So we have six communities here on Oahu. They are The Plaza at Waikiki. The Punchbowl we talked about that one, we have Moanalua, that’s in the Red Hill area. We have The Plaza at Pearl City. Mililani. And then our newest community opened in 2019. And that’s on the windward side, The Plaza Kaneohe. Hey. So, yeah, we feel like, you know, people on Oahu we’re so geo specific, right? We want to be in our local neighborhoods. So I think plazas been able to kind of find those little pockets and be able to grow within those neighborhoods people want to stay in.

ATTILIO: 
Well, we heard the next one is going to be at Kapolei. And then the next one after that is Vegas. We’re just

CARA: 
we’re putting it out there. Yeah.

ATTILIO:
Well, you’re gonna have zippys in Vegas, so they might also have a plaza. That’s right. Yeah.

CARA: 
You know, maybe I’ll pitch that the ownership, the next one.

ATTILIO: 
Because then you know why? Because we know like, I mean, on a serious I liked the fact that if somebody was visiting, you know, like, maybe the because we always forget about the caregiver. And maybe the caregiver needs a break. And maybe they will feel more comfortable if they went to Vegas and took their person, their significant other with him, and then let them at the Plaza there. And then when you know, we’ll play some Blackjack, and then come back and get your hubby. And

ADRIENNE: 
so speaking of that idea, like Cara, what kind of programs are offered at the different locations? Yeah.

CARA: 
Yeah, absolutely. Um, I love that idea, though. So we actually offer four care programs that support seniors through the aging process. So we have independent living, and that’s for people who are really able to do everything on their own, perhaps they want to move into a more social setting, or they’re kind of tired of like the home maintenance and going shopping and cooking and cleaning. So they really want to maintain that independent lifestyle, then maybe live more maintenance free. So that’s our independent living. We also have assisted living, and that’s for people who need a little bit more hands on care, maybe they need help bathing or dressing or toileting. So our assisted living neighborhood provides that support, we have our Halia Memory Care neighborhood, and that’s for people who have a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. And it’s, it’s a really beautiful, personalized approach to memory care. And it’s, it’s coupled with an activity program that’s specifically designed for cognitive health. So it’s a wonderful program. And then we have our fourth Care Program, which is Lamaku extended care. And that’s for our residents. as they age, sometimes their mobility starts to decline, they start to become a little bit more wheelchair-bound bed-bound. So it is a heavier amount of assisted living that we can provide in the Lamaku extended care neighborhood.

ATTILIO:
Okay. And, you know, you’re kind of describing the being in the communities, the programs that you guys have and the origin of it. But is there anything else that you would add to that that makes the plaza stand out?

CARA:
Yeah, I think there’s, I mean, there’s a lot of reasons why Plaza stands out three things that really come to mind for me, is we’re locally owned and operated. So I think having ownership and management here on Oahu, and understanding the unique needs of the kupuna really sets us apart. And it allows the communities to feel supported, should any needs come up or questions, we’re able to quickly respond. Another thing that makes Plaza stand out is the company has a culture of developing their employees, both personally and professionally. And they look to promote from within. So I think by doing this, they have dedicated team members, some that have been with us almost 20 years, right. And they’re passionate about their roles. And I think knowing they feel supported trickles down into the quality of care that they end up providing for those residents, right. And then I think the third thing that makes us stand out is really that continuum of care that we provide. So that umbrella of care that we provide knowing somebody can move in independent, but we can support them through the aging process as things start to change and meet them where their needs start to arise. So I’d say those are three things that really make us stand out.

ADRIENNE: 
So So Cara, we were we were talking to your associate on we did a live show on our social media, right? Yeah, with Rei and one of the things that she had mentioned was that you know, when you’re when you’re in your people when they have visitors? Yeah, talking about visitors? How does that happens with the visitors?

CARA: 
Oh, well, the plaza is just the residents home, right? So we allow for friends family, they’re free to come and visit. You know, if they have a daughter on the mainland from California that come into town, they that daughter can stay in the residence apartment, right, just as they would, you know, staying in that person’s home. So we want it to feel like a friendly family atmosphere. You know, sometimes people bring in the family dog, and it’s just, you know, this is the person’s home. Right? And so we want to respect that and, and make it feel welcoming for everyone.

ATTILIO: 
Yeah, cuz I think there’s a lot of misconceptions if you ever saw like Happy Gilmore when he was visiting his grandma, like somebody’s jumping on the windshield.

ADRIENNE: 
Definitely not The Plaza.

ATTILIO: 
hey, get back to needing those quilts. We need production, you know, slave labor and stuff like that. So that’s like, completely opposite of obviously, what’s happening there because of your guys’s growth. And the but I mean, there’s still mean, the humor aside in the fictional comedy aside, what other misconceptions that people have regarding senior living or senior living at the Plaza?

CARA:
Yeah, I think that’s a great question. A lot of people, they come tour and they are delightfully surprised. The type of atmosphere that it is, right. A lot of people like our grandparents or even our parents generation, they might have moved a loved one into what they termed like a convalescent home or nursing home. And those were so much more clinical, right. And now Senior Living has become a vibrant atmosphere. And I think it’s always good for people to go see what’s in their local neighborhood and check out different options, because there is that misconception of you know, what Senior Living is, and I think people would be delightfully surprised.

ATTILIO: 
Yeah, I think I like the fact that you guys are in the communities, because, I mean, that’s obviously the ideal for most people would probably be to age in place, unless the grandkids are rotten, then they want to get out of there and go to The Plaza. But the next second best thing would be to do that in the community that you’re familiar with, you know, if you’re out on and because we you know, everybody, if you grew up here, you know, Mililani is different than Kaneohe and Punchbowl, and in all those areas that just have a different vibe. And I think it adds to their quality of life, that they’re still in those communities that they’ve probably spent, you know, 60,70 years in.

CARA: 
Absolutely, you know, it’s so funny, there’s a resident over at the Kaneohe location, and I call him the mayor over there, because anyone who tours or moves in, he knows them or he knows their family, you know, and it’s, it’s nice to see the kupuna have these social connections because honestly, you know, when my grandmother was aging, she would call me she’s like, Kara, I feel so lonesome, right, and she was just kind of hunkered down in our home didn’t want to leave. But when you see people come into the communities, a lot of you know, a lot of their friends might have passed, but they come into these communities. And oh, my gosh, you know, I know, you know, Jane, because we taught together at the elementary school, and they start to really open up and find these connections socially, that help them thrive, as well. So I think it’s a beautiful thing to see.

ATTILIO: 
Yeah. And if you’re like a teacher, you’d be like, you see your students coming in visiting their grandparents, and they’re older and they’re like, oh, man, I’m glad you turned into a productive citizen man was in that math class, and it wasn’t looking good. But yeah, you you you a good boy, you come and visit your grandma and your grandpa, so I can see that where you know, it’s like, like a vibrant community because I think Yale did the longest human study almost 75 years now. They’ve gone through three directors, I heard a TED talk on it. And they say this. So they’re studying the graduating class like 1930s and now they were studying the spouses and now they’re studying the kids and now they’re studying the grandkids and I’m talking blood draws psych evaluations questionnaires. And what they found was the number one key to as you age still having that mental acuity connection. So it seems like you guys are still providing that providing that connection with within the plaza and within the community because there’s there’s still in the places that people are familiar with and comfortable with. So good job on that. It’s got to be the reason why you guys have so many locations. It’s got to be successful.

ADRIENNE: 
So So yeah, I think I was gonna say I Yeah, as we’re approaching the the end of our show yeah, I wanted to give you the last question on why are you so passionate about this industry? Yeah.

CARA: 
Oh, thank you for asking, you know, I’m passionate about this industry and especially in Plaza, because I’ve just seen the impact that we have on residents and their families and transforming their situations, ultimately, for the better. You know, ultimately, like one of my favorite things about this job is seeing someone move into the community after being isolated or feeling lonesome, or even, you know, losing a spouse something major in their life, and seeing them come into the community, and really start to thrive is so gratifying. And I know at the end of the day, I’m working to make a difference in people’s lives. And I think that’s why I’m so passionate. And so many of my fellow teammates that worked for Plaza in this industry are so passionate as well.

ATTILIO:
I think people you know, they need to feel comfortable, right? This is somebody that raised them all their lives and they want them to have a nice comfortable lifestyle. They don’t they don’t want them thinking it’s Lord of the Flies with the fruit cups during lunch or we’re trading cigarettes for contraband. They want to know that grandma gets to go home, go get some ukulele lessons talk about you know, talk about some of the things that they talk about some of the activities because it’s like I think I want to move in.

ADRIENNE: 
Move you are approaching that that minimum age requirement. Yes, I am I getting

CARA: 
In Punchbowl, there’s no requirements. But they have such a good time. Our Instagram definitely paints a story of all the fun things they do they go on excursions they just went to that new surf park that was built political holo, holo, we have musical performances, ukulele classes, art,

ATTILIO: 
you know, we saw some seniors shredding it on the wayback machine

CARA: 
but yeah, just cultural excursions and and lifelong learning as well. So you know, it’s an opportunity for for people to not necessarily worry about those humbug things of taking care of the home but come in and enjoy your time that you’ve worked so hard for right and start to really live

ADRIENNE: 
so So Cara this place this Plaza sounds amazing is their openings at all of the locations are weightless, like how does this work if

ATTILIO: 
your supply and demand looking like right now?

CARA: 
Yep, great question. So we’re a month to month rental community. So we do have availability really just depends on which care program and which location and the best thing to do is really just reach out to us and we can help guide you through that process. And and we’re able to give tours seven days a week for people that are interested in I always say check it out before you need it that way you’re not in crisis mode, right looking for solutions but you know the lay of the land and what’s out there

ATTILIO: 
I know from firsthand experience my grandfather passing away that is a scramble and a lot of stress for the family to do it last minute but go in advance take a tour

ADRIENNE:
and let’s let’s also like budget for it too. I mean, this sounds like an amazing place to live. I mean is how affordable is it to be living there and a month to month give us a break?

CARA: 
Yeah, we don’t have a large buy in or purchase price so it is just a month to month rental starts around 5600 a month you know including meals activities, housekeeping rent and all utilities. So it’s it’s a nice affordable option for people that maybe cannot afford a large buy in or purchase at some of the other senior communities makes it a little bit more accessible for people

ATTILIO: 
I think too that’s not that much of a of the similar pricing to like a care home where you only got like three or four residents when you have so much more amenities still offer and you’ve got a

ADRIENNE: 
similar have a community Yeah, we’ve got a community to plug into and make some new friends and build new relationships. No It sounds

ATTILIO: 
you know what’s the good news is it’s month to month so if you’re if your neighbor next to you is getting kind of annoying him they may not be there next month

CARA: 
well yeah, we have we have lots of residents that stay with us a very long time but yeah, we we just want people especially seniors to have that flexibility and their families just to have peace of mind not feeling so locked into something but we’re there to support them through that aging process.

ATTILIO: 
That’s definitely something to think about for parents so

ADRIENNE: 
So Kara, we’re, we’re approaching the end of our show. So Where should our listeners go? To find out more information. Yeah.

CARA:
Sure, you can visit us on our website, theplazaassistedliving.com Or give us a call the phone number 808-808-1660. And we’ll be able to chat with you seven days a week and pencil in a tour and hopefully meet some new faces. All righty.

ADRIENNE: 
It makes sure that you tell them that you heard about The Plaza on the Team Lally Real Estate radio show.

CARA: 
Yes, absolutely. Yeah.

ADRIENNE: 
Thank you so much, Cara, for being our guest and sharing a little bit more about these communities. All right.

CARA: 
Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it.

ATTILIO: 
All right. Thank you.

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