Residents and Staff Members Collaborate at Lantern Hill

At Lantern Hill, an Erickson Senior Living community in New Providence, N.J., residents play an active role in shaping community life through the Resident Advisory Council (RAC). The RAC works closely with community leadership and staff members to share resident feedback, collaborate on initiatives, and help enhance daily life throughout the community.

Recently, the Tribune spoke with Dave Mollen, RAC chairperson, and Todd DeLaney, executive director at Lantern Hill, to explore how RAC gives residents a voice and how the council and staff work hand in hand to improve residents' lives.

Tribune: Dave, what motivated you to become the RAC chairperson?

Dave: I started in January of 2024. I'm a very big fan of Lantern Hill, and it's been very good for my wife and me. I like this kind of work, and I'm interested in the issues.

Tribune: Can you explain how the RAC is structured?

Dave: The RAC is composed of seven people. Five members lead committees, while the others serve as chair, vice chair, and secretary. Many of the committees have subcommittees, involving 90 to 100 residents overall.

DeLaney: Each RAC member chairs a committee, including resident life, dining services, general services, health services, philanthropy, and finance. They take ownership of committee responsibilities and collaborate closely with the director of each department.

Tribune: How does RAC and the administration work together on resident priorities?

Dave: The RAC meets once a month, and the next day, I meet with Todd. The following day, the entire RAC meets with Todd. The purpose of all of this is for us to identify issues and bring them to the executive director for action. We also want RAC members to work with their staff counterpart to resolve any issues on their own.

DeLaney: We meet monthly to discuss priorities and share feedback on what RAC members are hearing in the community. We also answer resident questions and discuss opportunities to improve services and communication.

Tribune: How did residents and leadership collaborate throughout the renovations at Lantern Hill?

DeLaney: We shared renovation plans with the RAC and received valuable feedback throughout the repositioning effort. RAC members also helped communicate updates and clarify details for residents during the renovation process.

The Dining Committee was especially involved during the renovation of all three restaurants, since each restaurant needed to close temporarily at different stages of construction. Together, we reviewed dining plan options and identified ways to provide residents with greater flexibility during renovations. RAC members played an important role in helping us work through those decisions.

Dave: Administration consistently includes the council in major community efforts, including repositioning. A special committee was formed to review renovation plans, and residents shared feedback on the features and updates they valued most.

Tribune: What other types of resident feedback has the RAC shared with Lantern Hill leadership?

Dave: We've worked together on improving the dining reservation system and updating the way trips and outings are coordinated. Management also asked the council to work with them on the plans for the 10th anniversary gala held in June.

For health, safety, and security, the committee has worked with the director of continuing care to improve response times when a resident calls for assistance. RAC members also recommended changes to the layout of the medical center, which are currently underway.

DeLaney: Before introducing changes within the community, we encourage directors to bring ideas to the RAC committees first to gather resident input and perspective. We want to be intentional when rolling out new initiatives and acknowledge when improvements result from collaboration with residents and RAC committees.

Tribune: Why is it so important for residents to have a voice?

DeLaney: The collaboration between management and residents is critical to our culture because this is a community that we shape together. We want Lantern Hill to be the best place to live and work. For every major decision or initiative, full transparency and resident involvement is essential.

Residents want to help shape their community. They value involvement, engagement, and the contribution of their skills and talents to positively influence the people and places around them. That level of action helps make Lantern Hill a vibrant community.

Dave: RAC represents residents throughout the community, and leadership understands the importance of hearing directly from residents about what's working well and where improvements can be made. Nobody is shy here at Lantern Hill about sharing their opinions!

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By Gregory J. Alexander