Patti Guidry headed first assisted living facility here
By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – Patti Guidry should head into retirement with a warm feeling in her heart, and a smile on her face.
That’s because she has been one of the fortunate people to work a job for the past 26 years that she said, “was never really a job.”
Guidry was hired in 1996 as the executive director for Azalea Estates Senior Care when the facility was the first assisted care center for the people of Slidell. Now, 26 years later, she has decided it is time to retire while she is still in excellent health and able to do the things she loves.
“They say that when you love your job you never work a day in your life,” she said. “That’s how I felt about this job for the past 26 years. It really turned into my dream job.”
Guidry held various other positions during her earlier work years, but when she decided to accept the Azalea director position, she found her real calling in life, as much as the job that would take her all the way to retirement.
“I have come here every day and been able to help people with one of the most difficult decisions of their life—children trying to figure out what to do with their aging parents. I was the person who provided comfort and helped them relax to know things were going to be OK. You would be surprised how many children walk in my office crying and very distraught, but I was the person who provided the peace they needed,” she said.
“That has been a very satisfying thing to do for all these years,” she added.
Azalea was purchased two years ago by a national company, Senior Solutions Management Group, and they will be keeping the leadership at Azalea very much the same since Guidry’s longtime good friend and assistant director Erin Krumm has accepted the position as interim director.
“Erin has been here with me for 12 years and we’ve made a good team, always focused on the best hands-on service for our residents,” Guidry said. “This place will be in good hands, although I will certainly miss her.”
Guidry said she has seen a drastic change over the past 26 years in the age of the residents who come to assisted living facilities, although it is hard to put her finger on the exact reason.
She said the average age of residents moving into Azalea in 1996 was 74, but now the average age of their residents who come there is 88.
“It seems that children are keeping their parents with them, or in their homes for a longer period of time than they used to,” she noted. “Maybe it’s about the money, or maybe they are unsure what to do. But we have seen quite a big change in that—people are waiting a long time to make that decision, and it’s a shame since assisted living is the most fantastic place for someone to live once they are older and need assistance.
“We have always created a family atmosphere and that is how it will remain with Erin,” she added.
Guidry is originally from San Antonio, TX, and said she held a variety of interesting jobs during her younger years.
“Believe it or not, I worked as an alligator hunter, on a cattle drive, and other areas of health care,” she said. “But considering I’m 70 now I want to enjoy my grandkids and travel a bit while I’m still healthy and can do it.”
She also remembers the challenges faced during the past two years when COVID locked the doors of Azalea and other assisted living centers.
“That started the staffing problems, so I had my time for many months working the floor, but it was all part of getting to help these people and I felt privileged to do it,” she stated.
Guidry said that in her 26 years she oversaw over 700 residents who came through the doors of Azalea Estates.