Distinctive Living: Offering a boutique-style approach to senior living irrespective of community’s size, location or complexity

As we get older, we can face health and physical challenges that make it harder to stay independent. Living alone at home might not be the safest option. In such cases, families can consider a senior living facility as a good alternative when exploring senior care options.

Senior living communities often provide apartment-style living and meals every day. They also offer various amenities and services, such as transportation assistance, fitness classes, events, and activities. Luxury senior living communities go beyond typical retirement residences by providing spaces that resemble five-star resorts.

One of the best choices in the senior living industry is Distinctive Living. Distinctive Living is dedicated to bringing excitement, inspiration, and meaning to senior living. They provide comprehensive care to residents, a great work environment for their team, and work hard to reward their investors.

The Silicon Review spoke to Joe Jedlowski, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Distinctive Living. The following excerpts have been taken from the conversation that ensued. 

Please tell us about the circumstances or events that led to the founding of Distinctive Living.

Certainly. I served as the President and owner of Milestone Retirement Communities, overseeing the operation of 100 communities across 22 states, specializing in senior living. As the industry faced the challenges of COVID, I seized the opportunity that many other senior living management companies overlooked. Their lack of preparation and sophistication during the pandemic led to declining performance, leaving capital partners seeking new, capable operators. Recognizing this gap, I broke away from my business partners and founded Distinctive Living and Distinctive Living Development.

We are a new and dynamic company with a strong background in senior living. We formed a development company with a modern approach to fully integrate our operations. Despite challenges during COVID-19, our unique business model helped us stand out and achieve steady growth over the past three years.

Setbacks are a part of every growing business. Tell us about a few roadblocks and learning lessons that have helped Distinctive Living grow through the years.

Yes, I believe that the current setbacks are only temporary. From a development perspective, we are actively capitalizing on our new developments. We have worked hard to establish programmatic partnerships with capital partners who support our mission and are committed to the success of our new development projects. Despite the tough financial situation, we were resourceful in securing funding for our projects, ensuring their successful start.

Development costs, interest rates, and hard costs have all risen, making it a challenging environment. However, we have successfully collaborated with our capital partners to create financing programs that enable our developments to progress. Overcoming these challenges has been a significant achievement, allowing us to secure funding, capital, and launch our projects. It was truly a challenging goal, but one that we successfully achieved.

Q. How does Distinctive Living operationalize transparency, compassion, and result orientation throughout its senior learning management process?

We value the perspectives and feedback of our frontline team members. That's why we've partnered with Go Happy, a texting platform connected to our HR system. New team members receive a welcoming video from our Chief Operating Officer via text, and we check in with them on day three, day seven, and at other intervals to see how they are doing. We also use the platform to communicate with our team for special occasions and ongoing initiatives. This technology helps us easily connect with our team members, who work 24/7 to take care of people, and they can respond whenever possible.

From the perspective of a resident family, we prioritize the care of our residents and seniors. Every month, we contact a percentage of our residents to hear their feedback about their experience with our company. We want to know how they rate the different departments, how successful their experience was, and if they would recommend our business to others. We analyze this feedback together as a team. We assess our performance, find areas to improve, and celebrate our successes. Constantly seeking feedback helps us improve the experience for our residents and seniors.

Q. Could you elaborate on the strategies Distinctive Living uses to cultivate an impactful work environment? And how does this contribute to the overall mission of the organization?

I fully agree. It's crucial to recognize the importance of our caregivers. They are valuable individuals who provide care to our residents. We offer various services for active adulthood, independent living, assisted living, and memory care. Our team members and senior leaders regularly spend time in these buildings to understand the culture within them. We actively seek feedback and address any staffing challenges or gaps.

We understand the challenges of operating in a demanding staffing environment. Our industry is highly competitive, so staffing is a crucial topic for us. It is important for us to maintain a positive work culture by balancing staffing and having the right employees. This is essential for our success, and we are committed to prioritizing these strategies.

Q. How does Distinctive Living balance making a good return for investors with making a positive impact in the senior living industry?

So there are a couple of key factors that come to mind. Firstly, establishing robust operating protocols is crucial. This involves implementing effective policies and procedures, setting clear expectations, and consistently measuring both the expectations and the results. This is an area where we have excelled, ensuring that we have a solid foundation in place.

Creating a motivating culture is crucial for keeping our employees engaged. It goes beyond higher pay; it involves creating an environment where they feel supported by our company's mission. Our mission is to provide excellent care to our residents and invest in our employees' personal growth. We want our team members to know that there are opportunities for career advancement within our organization, regardless of whether they currently work as concierges or caregivers in our buildings. By aligning our processes, procedures, expectations, and culture, we consistently achieve positive financial outcomes.

There is a quote that goes, "Good culture eats strategy for breakfast every morning." This rings true for us as well. When we create a positive work environment, set clear goals, take effective actions, and hold our teams accountable, we improve our financial results. This is where we prioritize our focus, knowing that by getting these fundamental aspects right, we can consistently achieve success.

Q. So tell us, what next for Distinctive Living?

I believe that our focus should be on improving our operational results, particularly in the current environment. We must regularly evaluate the technology we have to automate tasks and improve results, instead of overloading our staff. We need to find growth opportunities in our current areas so we can invest more resources in community oversight and improve our performance. We need to grow strategically by offering more support services to our current operations, which could also lead to acquiring more resources, properties, or businesses. Furthermore, we are actively developing several properties, driving organic internal growth through construction and development. These are the areas that excite us the most.

Meet the Chairman

Joe Jedlowski, MBA, MHA, is the Chairman of Distinctive Living. Before starting Distinctive Living, Mr. Jedlowski was the President and Owner of Milestone Retirement Communities, LLC (Vancouver, WA) since 2009.

Mr. Jedlowski has extensive experience and community involvement. He earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in healthcare administration and business administration from American University. He also holds a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) designation from the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners.

Joseph enjoys spending time with his family. He also likes to go to the beach, play golf, watch professional football, and participate in community activities.

“Creating a motivating culture is crucial for keeping our employees engaged. It goes beyond higher pay; it involves creating an environment where they feel supported by our company's mission. Our mission is to provide excellent care to our residents and invest in our employees' personal growth.”