The Fremont Senior Living Explores the Importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

As a company, Arrow Senior Living has made learning about and celebrating our unique differences a part of our company culture. So much so that, in recent years, it has become an extension of our core values. And for the past year, Arrow has expanded beyond yearly diversity, equity, and inclusion workshops to create Arrow’s D&I Speaker Series, which pairs special guest speakers with residents from our communities to have conversations on a wide range of topics such as mental health, PRIDE, Juneteenth, and so much more. We believe that sparking conversations on what some may believe to be sensitive topics helps to shed light on misconceptions and ultimately brings about understanding as it relates to the experiences of others. This ensures our employees and residents have the tools to build a safe place to live and work, one where a diverse group can come together and feel equally seen, heard, and included. 

At Fremont, DEI goes beyond training and mentoring. It is a way of life. One of my favorite conversations thus far was An Autism Awareness Conversation with Professor April Regester.  

Autism Awareness is a conversation many people do not want to have because of the mixed opinions on the condition. Dr. Regester did a wonderful job explaining “What is Autism” and the different levels. Our resident told her personal experience with having a child on the spectrum. Representation of people on the spectrum has grown so much over the last few years, however we still have a way to go. April Regester also touched on ways to include individuals with Autism and help them succeed. 

I personally think that DEI is so important because it is the touchy topics, but they are discussed in such a welcoming and educational way. Arrow brings in well versed individuals to talk about the ins and outs of the topic at hand without bias and misleading information. 

These conversations have only just begun, and I look forward to the conversations to come and all the new growth and opportunity that lies ahead as we work toward creating the greatest and safest place to work that we can!