Carlene Motto is the Chief Marketing Officer for Belmont Village Senior Living. She oversees the sales department, marketing department and product management, which includes their memory program component.
“My roles and responsibilities are understanding the unique needs of our residents and families and what’s important to them from a customer expectation standpoint,” Carlene said, in a recent interview. “I also look at marketing innovation, with regard to collateral, messaging, advertising and digital marketing experts. But most importantly, I hire best in class sales associates to work closely with our residents and families.”
Carlene has been working for Belmont Village for 14 years and has been in the senior living industry for more than 25 years.
Belmont Village Senior Living offers Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care and Short Stays for seniors. According to Carlene, they also offer a wide variety of choices, amenities, activities and evidence-based programs, backed by research and supported by a strong care team. Belmont Village has 26 locations throughout the U.S. and in Mexico City. Their newest location opened in California in July and is affiliated with the University of California at Berkeley. Programs and services are designed with retired faculty and staff of the university in mind.
Carlene said her grandparents were a huge influence for her to get into this business because she was very close to them. “I spent many holidays and vacations with my grandparents and they brought a lot of joy to my life and helped shape my career. I just really enjoy the senior living sector and I love all there is to learn from seniors and their experiences.”
Since Belmont’s founding in 1997, Carlene said they have always strived to be the best, not the biggest, and their commitment has been to continuously work to elevate their care and hospitality services. “I think Belmont Village does a fantastic job of blending the hospitality and the care component that our residents and families have come to expect. We also have very innovative programming, especially in the area of brain fitness and serving individuals with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.”
At Belmont Village, they have various unique clubs and programs for their residents. Their Whole Brain Fitness lifestyle was developed to encourage successful aging. They nurture and engage the residents’ mind, body and spirit each day, in seven essential elements that include the right nutrition and physical exercise, mental workouts and lifelong learning, reduced stress, a strong social network and a sense of purpose. Each element of the lifestyle is important and supports the others, but what makes it unique is their emphasis on mental fitness in all of their programs for every phase.
The Mind Body Awareness Club is a self-directed, research-based program for more active residents, with brain and body boosting activities noted on daily calendars so residents can make smart choices. The Circle of Friends program is a structured, seven-day-a-week program for mild cognitive impairment and early-stage memory loss. The activities and exercises are done in small, ability-centered groups that are led by a dedicated, specially trained team. The Person-Centered Living for Alzheimer’s Care program has daily wellness checks, assistance with activities of daily living and is personalized based on individual strengths.
Carlene said that when it comes to this industry, senior living professionals challenge each other to always be better. “When we challenge each other, that ultimately provides a better product and service for all of the residents that we serve. As an industry, there are different levels of care support services that cater to different residents and their needs. Together, I think there’s a lot of collaboration, but I think there’s also a nice friendly way to constantly challenge each other to provide the best product and the best services possible to our residents.”