supported living manager

kitchen helper

housekeeper

cook

sales

HAWTHORN SENIOR LIVING LLC

I work at meadowlark estates in Lawrence. BTW we are currently (May 2024 looking for a new housekeeper for 3rd floor. This is an active job no matter which position. There is a lot of walking back and forth involved. Being able to lift and carry a serving or busing tray with multiple dishes on it is preferred, but a cart accommodation can be made if NEEDED. Being a server here is the easiest food service job that I can think of. Servers at this location get paid $8 to $9.50  per hour depending on experience. Not much hours available as a server, so that position is best for high schoolers who live with their parents OR as a side job in addition to working a higher paying full time job. Housekeepers ant this location are paid at least $13 per hour. Common housekeeper works 8:30am to 3pm Monday through Friday and half of those hours are spent busing from breakfast & serving “dinner” (lunch). The other housekeeping positions work 7:30am to 4:30pm and often later & that’s Monday through Friday. Those are full time positions. Housekeepers must be able and willing to deep clean showers and dryer lint traps and scrub bathroom floors and take apart windows to deep clean the window tracks and other deep cleaning. You will get training if needed. Housekeepers are not expected to declutter resident’s apartments, so you would be thoroughly cleaning only what you can reach without moving their stuff. …anyway it’s a great place to work with amusing & sweet elderly people and kind coworkers and better managers than most places where I’ve worked. 
Pros: Free leftovers for staff in kitchen after serving to all the residents., Independent living, so the residents aren’t confused & crabby yet. The residents have great sense of humor. The staff help each other succeed, but most staff members will pull their own weight., Residents are patient if order is wrong, but will be disappointed., Pets allowed, but not in dining room., Server & housekeeper tops provided. 
Cons: They won’t give anyone, who doesn’t pass the background check, a chance. Also cleaning up after residents after mealtime. Dining room is carpet, so must vacuum. All 4.5 sets of stairs are carpeted too. Must either memorize 4 orders at a time or bring your own notepad & pen. Black pants and black kitchen grade none-slip shoes are required, but you have to find & buy your own. Residents get grumpy when it’s not warm in the common areas, so it will be warm & likely as humid as outside. 

Working with this company in the beginning you will feel like the environment and culture of the company is great.Soon as management states we’re “family” run while you can. I worked with the company for long enough to realize. Upper management will do anything to blame others for residents complaints. They overwork everyone with little pay. The on call managers don’t assist with anything other than their management of overtime and whole appetite for breakfast,dinner and supper. On a daily basis you will be reminded that “ that on call(live on site) managers have $$ taken out of their checks for food. So you should have put the managers meals before the residents and staff at all times. This place is just about money. Majority of the seniors that they allow to live at the community have dementia and or have unresolved bed bugs. But long as rent of 6thousand$$$ or more is paid every month. The company doesn’t care about the well-being of the residents, or staff. They are always short staffed bc of the majority of kids being college and or high schools students that have the option of coming into work when they want. If your interested in this position keep in mind that you won’t have any PTO approved sooner that a 3 month notice in advance, if anyone calls out you are always expected to cover the shifts, inventory, daily desserts for the menu, truck orders and assistance with the gingerbread yearly if required. It doesn’t matter what the daily menus states, or what guidelines you have followed, if a manager changes the daily menu item you should always do as your told w/o question. Bc you will for sure be reminded that the residents help pay your check. Instead of the kitchen staff and management being on the same page. The E.chef has no bad bone to uphold the kitchen madness. At their company their are way to many bosses and no chiefs.Keep in mind that the residents will always complain about your food and upper management will coach you on what you should improve on. 

 I was surprised to see some consistency in the exact complaints on here between locations. As I've seen many other former employees mention in their reviews, the best part about this job was my coworkers and the pleasant interactions with the residents. Everything else was pretty awful.  Not only were staff treated poorly, but residents as well on occasion. The management was either hostile & micromanaging or completely absent - very rarely of any help during the shift. Just about everyone felt undervalued and many interactions I had with management could be considered downright mean. The scheduling process was extremely unorganized with employees constantly not getting their schedules on time and/or being scheduled for days that they'd already called out for; any attempted communication about an alteration of work hours or time off was met with passive aggression. The turnaround rate was extremely high, and supervisors and staff would get replaced very regularly.  I had coworkers as young as fourteen getting scolded when everyone on staff was doing the absolute best they could under stressful, time-constrained conditions. There were multiple incidents of inappropriate behavior from a resident directed at employees who were minors that went completely unaddressed by supervisors/management. Bonuses were promised and never given (despite reminders), and our "holiday tip" consisted of money pooled by generous residents who were already paying to live there, not money from management. I won't say anything that personally identifies any specific manager, but man did I feel underappreciated working there. So did just about everyone else I spoke to. Really sad considering how young most of my fellow servers were. We even had a running joke among servers and kitchen staff about smiling/laughing being prohibited because it really did feel that way sometimes lol

I was employed as an Activity Director for a short period before being let go. My departure was, unfortunately, entirely predictable given the complete and utter lack of support and training provided by management.

I was essentially thrown into the deep end on day one with zero structured orientation or mentorship. In a role as critical as Activity Director—which requires an understanding of resident needs, care plans, regulatory requirements, and managing staff and budget—this is not just unprofessional, it is negligent.

The predictable result was that I was constantly operating over my head, attempting to build programs and manage expectations without the foundational knowledge of the facility or the resident population. This instability and my obvious struggle to manage the department directly led to consistent friction and stress with the residents I was meant to be serving.

I was unable to deliver the high-quality, consistent activities and engagement that the residents deserve because the organization set me up to fail from the start.

If you are considering a leadership role here, especially one that directly impacts resident quality of life, be prepared for a complete "sink or swim" environment where management provides no guidance and expects perfect results. This organization needs to invest heavily in training and onboarding for its management team, as the current system is detrimental to both employees and, most importantly, the people they are supposed to be caring for.

I'm very happy as an employee of Hawthorn Senior Living. My coworkers are all kind, considerate people and my general managers are some of the most compassionate people I've ever met.  

My concerns lie in the training and the upper management body.  The training program is extremely unstructured and the introduction videos are extremely outdated. I can also say some of the upper members of management that I have met do not treat lower tiered staff members very well. Not that they necessarily are rude, but can be very dismissive and condescending when they address you. I've met traveling management, chefs, and marketing people who don't even bother to introduce themselves before they start asking you for things and it isn't a good reflection of a company built on compassion and care for the elderly when your upper management don't uphold basic etiquette with employees. 

I however am still happy with my position regardless. I have learned a lot, I enjoy interacting with residents, and I look forward to learning and growing with the company. My only wish is for a better developed training program and more positive interactions from upper management when they visit communities. Remember, people may not remember what you say to them, but they will ALWAYS remember how you make them feel. 



A Typical Day at Work:
A typical day at Salmon Creek involves a range of tasks, from routine preventive maintenance to responding to urgent repairs. The work is steady, hands-on, and requires multitasking and adaptability depending on the facility’s needs that day.

What I Learned:
Working here has strengthened my troubleshooting skills and expanded my knowledge in HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems. I also learned the importance of clear communication with other departments to keep everything running smoothly.

Management:
Management is generally supportive and approachable. They provide clear expectations and are responsive when tools, parts, or assistance are needed to complete tasks.

Workplace Culture:
The team environment is respectful and cooperative. People take pride in their roles, and there’s a strong sense of responsibility toward keeping the facility in good condition for residents and staff.

Hardest Part of the Job:
The most challenging aspect is managing time when several maintenance requests come in at once, especially during after-hours or emergencies. Prioritizing while maintaining quality work under pressure can be demanding.

Most Enjoyable Part of the Job:
The most rewarding part is seeing the immediate results of a job well done—whether it’s fixing a heating issue or making a resident’s day more comfortable. There’s satisfaction in solving problems and keeping things running efficiently.

This is my second time around working at Olympus Ranch.  I worked for them for approximately two and a half years about six years ago when it was owned by a different company, and before I resigned due to a conflict I had with a new manager.  Well, he didn't last but two months before he was canned.  And while I was there I made a lot of friends with everyone, and out of the blue one day, one of them called me and told me that they were looking for a new bus driver, so I submitted my resume, and the rest is history.  As the new bus driver now, I have the opportunity to provide a needed service to most of the residents who live there.  Some days are relatively easy, and some days feel like I'm trying to put a square peg into a round  hole, but overall, it's still so rewarding to be able to help the residents get to where they need to go so they can get the things done that they need to get done.  Dealing with the older generation, one has to have the same patience it takes when dealing with a much younger generation, like toddlers.  It's so satisfying when a resident desperately needs something done, and I'm able to fulfill that need and to hear how grateful they are for my help.  I thoroughly enjoy my job and look forward to going to work each day. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Sure, free apartment, utilities and meals and a decent salary are great, but you'll work your tail off for it.  Low wages leave managers short staffed so you'll be serving 3 meals for 100+ a day, cleaning apartments, doing maintenance,  giving tours and answering pull cords 24/7 for this "independent senior living" company.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
48 hour weeks that turn into 70 and  constant staff shortages. The average manager stays 2 years.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Unsupportive.  The owner wishes everyone a happy holiday and announces the the corporate office will be closed 4 days, while grunts running their "gracious" communities work every holiday short staffed taking care of residents.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
On the floor by 7am, serve 3 full service meals to 100 then bus and reset dining room. Clean apartments and common areas. Deal with vendors, service people, employees and residents.  Turn apartments, referee fights between residents, give tours. Off floor at 7pm (ha-ha), then answer pull cords for residents and doors for family members who forgot their keys all-night-long.

My husband and I got to be assistant managers/managers with Hawthorn Senior Living for 5 years at many of their communities across the U.S. We truly enjoyed it! If you enjoy senior citizens . . . if you love work that gives you unique challenges and opportunities each day . . . if you enjoy working with your spouse . . . and if you enjoy building community with both staff and residents, this is an opportunity to explore! Hawthorn Senior Living has a wonderful Home Office and HR staff that give you great support and assistance! You also have a regional director that gives you good support and helpful input. If you enjoy living on-site and working a nontraditional schedule, this is a position to consider. Our favorite part of the job besides getting to work together was listening to, laughing and crying with, and loving on, and walking alongside our amazing residents as they live the last years and seasons of their earthly lives. 

I am a manager at a Hawthorn community. We have put together a great staff and everyone seems to love to coming into work daily. No one calls out sick.  We are truly blessed.  There's always something new happening to keep the job fresh and evolving! Our residents are priceless folks that are a joy to care for.  The hardest part is probably my fault. I would keep working until my husband told me to come home! But because we are managers, and the hours are long, it is difficult to take off when necessary, but that's the only complaint I have. Our regional directors are awesome and the CEO and CFO are great listeners and genuinely care about their employees and want to help the management teams succeed.  We get together with company wide trips and hugs from all of our corporate leaders is more common than a handshake. I wished we'd known about this opportunity 20 years ago, I would have left teaching for this experience!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Supported living manager 202 salaries reported	$65,829 per year
Kitchen helper 56 salaries reported	$16.97 per hour
Housekeeper 31 salaries reported	$17.61 per hour
Cook 21 salaries reported	$20.44 per hour
Sales 30 salaries reported	$27.08 per hour

Working at HAWTHORN SENIOR LIVING LLC: Company Overview and Reviews

HAWTHORN SENIOR LIVING LLC

HAWTHORN SENIOR LIVING LLC Ratings

Popular jobs at HAWTHORN SENIOR LIVING LLC

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected