Dan Swiatkiewicz

In college I don't think I ever thought, "I'm going to work in the post-acute/senior living setting.” Yet looking back on my volunteer experience in college it makes perfect sense this is where I ended up and what I excel at doing. My journey in this field has opened my eyes to the vast need to improve how we have done things and bring a better model to aging services. Having both a mix of operations and sales in my career I feel I have unique perspectives and bring a diversified mindset to how we operate both on a day to basis, but also as a field at large. One of my passions is to educate others on breaking down old institutional practices and bringing a new approach to how we care for elders. Many of the perceptions the public holds of senior living and skilled nursing care are because of their experiences with our outdated models of care. We tried to operate residential settings in a medical, institutional model that was convenient for team members. This resulted in us perpetuating the three plagues of aging-loneliness, helplessness and boredom. People ask why a sales leader would be an Eden Educator, sales need to stick to those things that are going to drive occupancy. Yet these changes are fundamental to our occupancy success and more importantly the quality of life for the elders we serve. Breaking down many of these practices also would close many of the gaps we face in our field-staffing, occupancy, our regulatory environment and public perception. My desire is to help current and future residents see themselves as citizens of their community and how they can make a difference and fulfill their purpose living within our communities. My approach to leading is one of coaching and mentoring others to find their own success. My philosophy as a leader is to listen and ask questions rather than talking and giving directives. I hope to inspire others to grow in this field and make a difference. We need more passionate, young leaders for our field to truly thrive. My desire for myself is to be a continuous learner in my leadership abilities, our field and my role. I have a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Grove City College. I am a licensed nursing home administrator and an Assisted Living Owner/Operator certificate in the state of CO. I am a Certified Eden Associate and Eden Educator. I am a proud alumnus of 2022 Leading Age Leadership Academy class.