The Terraces of Phoenix Fitness Coordinator Kaila Hassler recently won the Circle of Excellence Grand Prize.
Even as a young girl, Hassler knew she wanted a future in fitness. After graduating from Bloomsburg University with a B.S. in exercise science, she found her true passion as a caregiver at the local retirement community.
"I ended up falling absolutely in love with working with residents with dementia," says Hassler. "At that time, I kind of put two and two together and decided to take my fitness career to the senior population."
This combination of natural talent and passion for working with seniors is what lead up to Hassler receiving the award for her commitment.
Not only does Hassler create unique fitness programs that are tailored to each residents' ability, she also played a role in overseeing the new expansion of the assisted living gym. This included helping make decisions on what equipment was needed, such as the new CyberCycle bike.
Hassler has had an incredible impact on the community since becoming a team member in 2013. She is already brainstorming ways to engage the residents in other levels of care such as memory support and skilled nursing.