Page 54 - BWM March 2013

54 | Business World Magazine | March 2013
tion, technology systems and demands of
business increasingly interfered with mean-
ingful, direct contact with customers. “I saw
the lights going out in the connectivity that
operators had with its residents. My idea was
to redefine that sense of connectivity,” says
Garforth-Bles. “I wanted Masterpiece to op-
erate as a family, and commit to standards in
terms of the engagement staff have with resi-
dents.”
To accomplish that goal, Garforth-Bles
and his team took up the study of hospitality
management from what unmistakably exists
as one of the world best instructors – The
Ritz Carlton Resort of San Francisco – send-
ing the on-site managers to RC hospitality
courses.
Hospitality has since elevated every level
of care affiliated with Masterpiece commu-
nities. From nursing care to dementia care,
from assisted living to independent, hospi-
tality, along with customized activities and
skilled nursing capabilities, augment every
aspect of resident interaction. As Garforth-
Bles says, “There’s no reason why people
in a nursing care unit shouldn’t be given
the same level of hospitality as people in
independent living.”