Executive Director
Claire Whitfield
Claire has led Willowmere since 2014. She is the person families meet on their first tour and the one residents stop in the hallway to talk about the garden.
Areas of focus
- Community leadership
- Family partnerships
- Resident council
- Budget and staffing
Education
- M.S. in Health Systems Management
- B.A. in Psychology
Credentials
- Licensed Assisted Living Administrator, Virginia
Where to find Claire
- Main building, first floor, by the front porch
Claire Whitfield has run Willowmere for more than a decade. Before she came to Ivy Hollow Road she spent twelve years in hospital social work, helping families sort out what came next after a parent was discharged. She says that work taught her how many decisions about senior living get made in a hurry, and she built her tours around slowing that moment down.
As Executive Director she oversees every department, from the care team and the kitchen to housekeeping and the grounds crew. She meets with the resident council on the first Tuesday of each month, reads every written comment card herself and keeps an open door on Friday afternoons for anyone who wants to sit and talk.
Outside work Claire volunteers with a local hospice choir and keeps a vegetable patch that, by her own account, loses to the deer every August.
2014Named Executive Director of Willowmere
2011Joined Willowmere as Director of Resident Services
1999 to 2011Hospital social worker, central Virginia
OngoingChairs the Willowmere family advisory group
ToursWalking you through suites, dining and the care plan process
Moving inTimelines, paperwork and what to bring on day one
Your thoughtsAnything that is or is not working for your family
How our team works
How our team works
Each family has one named staff member to call first
Every caregiver is trained on care plans before day one
Shift notes passed in person, not left on a clipboard
A weekly call to families during the first month here
Autumn open house and supper, October 18
Tour the suites, meet the care team, hear bluegrass on the porch and stay for a harvest supper.
A checklist for planning a respite stay
What to book, pack and share before a short stay, so your loved one settles in and you can rest.
Come see it for yourself
Schedule your personal tour
Tell us a little about what you are looking for and we will set up a visit, with lunch in the Hearth included.
Call the community(555) 284-7310