Who's Who at Silverado Senior Living -
Sierra Vista

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Sierra Vista - Information

License #197802663
125 W. Sierra Madre Avenue
Azusa, CA 91702
Phone: (626) 812-9777
FAX: (626) 812-9112

Vida Gwinn - Administrator

Putting residents and families first is everybody’s concern at Silverado Senior Living – Sierra Vista, and Vida makes sure this commitment is evident in all that they do. Having the unique experience of working with the elderly in various capacities, such as Director of Social Services in a 340-bed nursing facility with a special building reserved for Alzheimer’s residents, and also as a therapist in a Geriatric-Psychiatric Unit in an acute hospital, Vida recognizes the deep and urgent need of residents and families to understand the painful process they go through because of dementia. She looks at her previous roles as Director of Resident and Family Services, and her role as Administrator as a road map, a guide in the often confusing, but necessary phase in the move-in process.

Vida has a master’s degree (Cand.) in Clinical-Counseling Psychology from Ateneo de Manila University. Prior to moving to Los Angeles, she taught several undergraduate courses in Behavioral Sciences at Maryknoll College and was a valued trainer and consultant in Organizational Management. Working with the elderly for more than five years now, she knows she has found her calling. She is very proud to be a part of an organization that is as committed as she is in making a difference in the lives of people with dementia.
E-mail: AVGwinn@SilveradoSenior.com

Rachel V. Figueroa, MS, RNP
Director of Health

Rachel joined Silverado Senior Living – Sierra Vista in the fall of 2005 as Director of Health Services. She obtained her Bachelors of Nursing degree from California State University, Long Beach and her Masters of Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner degree, at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Rachel’s passion has always been in the field of aging and she worked for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health’s Older Adult Programs for the last seven years. Before that, she worked with the chronically mentally ill, physically frail, older adults in the community. In her last two years with the county, Rachel supervised the Case Management Program which linked older adults to services in the community. She enjoys the clinical challenges of providing the best care for the complex needs of the frail older adult and is pleased to be a part of Silverado’s mission of maximizing the quality of life of older adults.

E-mail: RFigueroa@SilveradoSenior.com

Dorothy Jean “Dottie” Washington, Activities Director

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Dottie came to California at a young age. She grew up having a special liking for the underprivileged and the elderly and so one of her first jobs was at a nursing home as a caregiver. In the nursing home, she saw how the elderly population suffered from loneliness and poor socialization and so she observed, first-hand, how this lack of stimulation speeded up the progression of the disease for residents with dementia. This made her realize she wanted to work with geriatrics, as a vocation, and help make a difference in their lives.

Dottie attended Chaffy College where she received certificates in Social Services and Gerontology, and also obtained a lifetime teaching credential from Mt. San Antonio College. She worked in skilled nursing facilities for 18 years as an Activity Program Director before she found Silverado where, she says, the commitment to care far exceeds her imagination. She considers Silverado the answer to her dream, where the program is such that each person is encouraged to flourish, no matter what disease he or she may have. At Silverado, the activity program is tailor-fitted to each resident, not the other way around. And so she makes sure the residents are given choices, that they continue to enjoy what they used to enjoy, whether watching horseracing, fishing, or even going to museums.

Dottie is happily married to Larry and they have two children, Nathan and Jannice. Like Dottie, her family loves Silverado very much and can be often seen visiting the community.

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