Emily McLewis

To further my career in Long Term Care Administration at Youngstown State University, I completed an Administrator in Training (AIT) Internship with Briarfield Health Care Centers. Throughout my 1,380-hour internship, I spent time in an assisted living facility as well as two skilled nursing facilities.

In the beginning of my AIT, I learned a lot about what it is like to run an assisted living facility. I submitted their general ledgers weekly and monthly to the corporate office, helped hire qualified employees, and most importantly, learned who the residents were before they chose to reside in that facility. The most challenging part of my time at the ALF was when the Executive Director stepped down and a new Director was hired. It was challenging at first, but quickly became a good learning experience as I witnessed firsthand what it may be like when I take over my first building as either a director or administrator. My favorite part of being in the assisted living facility was spending time with the residents during their activities. Many of them lived for their bingo nights and card games and it was very rewarding to see the enjoyment on their faces.

For the second half of my AIT, I moved over to the skilled nursing side of long-term care where I worked along side the social worker for admissions and safe discharge planning practices. I then learned more about the nursing side of patient care in the nursing home facility and how state and federal regulations play a large role in daily operations in the facility. Lastly, I spent much of my time with MDS and Managed Care where I learned about the impact that the different types of insurances have on the skilled nursing facility. The most challenging part of my AIT in the skilled nursing facilities was that I had no prior experience with anything nursing; therefore, I had to quickly learn about the different types of isolations, diseases, and precautions that are taken for each individual in the nursing home. My favorite part of being in this nursing facility was the fast-paced movement of all operations. I enjoy being challenged and I was without a doubt challenged with something new every day.

Following my internship, I was offered a position as the facilities HMO Case Manager and transportation coordinator for resident’s medical appointments.

Through my time as a Scholar, I learned a lot about the different types of services offered through Area Agency on Aging and how beneficial these programs are to the older adults that live in Ohio. If it was not for this program, I may never have visited the State building or had the opportunity to meet with a Senator or someone from the House of Representatives. My experiences will follow me all throughout my professional career and I am excited to see where all of this will take me.