Morningside House of St. Charles may have a new Executive Director, but we think you’ll find she has a very familiar face. Chantele Radcliffe is taking the lead after 21 years of exemplary service to seniors, and her fellow team members here in Waldorf could not be more excited. Chantele brings to the role a broad and diverse skill set and a keen understanding of the ins and outs of Morningside’s mission to transform senior living. Her compassion for seniors is outstanding and she has made their care and dignity her life’s work.
Serving Seniors for 21 Years
Chantele began her journey with Morningside House at the Friendship community in Hanover in 2002. Her first role — housekeeping — only lasted a mere two weeks. Chantele’s kindness and devotion to seniors in the community ensured a near-immediate transition to the role of caregiver. She thrived in the role, a reflection of a calling that began while providing in-home care for her mother-in-law. While serving as a caregiver, Chantele worked to earn her certification as a medication technician, performed duties as a shift supervisor and ran activities and support groups related to memory enhancement and Alzheimer’s.
In 2006, Chantele shifted roles and communities, becoming the Assistant Director of Life Enrichment at Morningside Home Ellicott City. She brought the fun to Ellicott City for a year and then moved into a position as the Director of Memory Care. Chantele’s experience supporting her mother-in-law through dementia and brain trauma gave her empathetic insight into the challenges seniors and their families face when living with a diagnosis with such a dramatic impact on cognitive function and quality of life.
Chantele wasn’t finished building out her skills with Morningside. In 2009 she settled into the role of Wellness Manager, supporting the Ellicott City community for five years. However, the draw to enrich the lives of seniors living with dementia never really left. In 2016, Chantele moved back into the Director of Memory Care role. Chantel said that she was intrigued by the psyche of seniors navigating memory loss and driven to explore new opportunities to support them and their loved ones through the complexities of their diagnosis.
“I work to ensure each person feels special and seen for their own unique personalities and beliefs,” Chantele explained.
Chantele’s commitment didn’t go unnoticed by her fellow staff members. She was actually offered the Executive Position much sooner in her time at Morningside. While she felt confident she could manage the resident side of a community, she felt she had more room to grow in managing the business side of the organization. So, she took on a job as Ellicott City’s business office manager and set to learning the ropes of managing the more technical side of operating a senior living community. While in the role, she also obtained her ALM license. The next time the role was offered, Chantele was more than ready to become the new Executive Director of Morningside House Senior Living of St. Charles.
Looking to the Future of the St. Charles Community
Chantele has big plans for her new position and all of them involve maintaining and even elevating Morningside’s already high quality of care. “My plan is to face everything with a positive approach and direct ideas and expectations,” said Chantele. Her goals include strengthening the bond of Morningside’s stellar care team and developing new opportunities for them to shine in their roles serving seniors. After serving as part of the support staff for so many years, Chantele has a firm grasp on what care teams need to operate at their peak. She also wants to create fun new ways for staff and residents to engage with each other and build on the community feel that draws so many residents to call Morningside home.
“I became involved in senior care because I care deeply about creating a dynamic, supportive and engaging environment for adults entering into the second half of their lives. As Executive Director, I hope to utilize all that I have learned throughout the last two decades to continue upholding the dignity of our seniors and improving the quality of their golden years.”
Congratulations, Chantele! Morningside House of St. Charles is lucky to have you.
If you would like to meet Chantele and see our St. Charles Morningside community for yourself, book a tour today.
