Kayla has been working in geriatric care for over five years now. While she was completing her undergraduate degree in English at Texas State University, Kayla knew that she wanted to have a job with a sense of purpose. That was when she applied to become a care partner at an assisted living and memory care facility. It was in this role that Kayla truly fell in love with the senior population. She realized that she always came home with stories to tell from the first-person account of her elders; some that were hilarious, others heartbreaking, and many that were tales of encouragement and wisdom. These stories became the inspiration for a book she wrote titled, “When We Kneel, We Learn: A Look at Caregiving Through the Lens of Faith.”

After receiving her Bachelor’s degree, Kayla became a full-time memory care coordinator. Almost a year into that role, the doors opened for Kayla to go back to school to work on and earn her Master’s degree in Dementia and Aging Studies. She chose the long-term care track, which included a 1,000-hour internship at a skilled nursing facility. Kayla credits both her professional and educational experiences in leading her to her present opportunity to serve as the Director of Dementia Programs & Education for Bella Groves.

In her own words, “I have no doubt that this field of work has been a calling in my life from the Lord. Holding the position as Dementia Director at Bella Groves is truly a dream come true in my life. It encapsulates everything that I wanted in this field of work: the ability to truly enhance quality of life for our elders through person-directed care, activity engagement, multigenerational living, community involvement, working one-on-one with families, and equipping care partners with high-level training in the realm of dementia care. This work is not just intended to serve one population but it will contribute to the betterment of the city of Bulverde and society as a whole.”

Lora started her career as a C.N.A and has 20 years of experience in the senior living industry ranging from caregiver to Health & Wellness Director overseeing an entire care team to being a clinical learning specialist for a major senior living company. Her career has focused on raising standards of excellence in the industry by creating training programs that actually work. Lora’s teams have consistently produced amazing care outcomes such as decreased falls, high resident and staff engagement, and warm relationships with families. Lora is also the founder and CEO of Williams Career School of Excellence based in Kyle, Texas. She and her husband, Cedric, have two beautiful daughters who are the pride and joy of their lives.

“I understand the pain points that senior living facilities have with training and development. Nothing is more important to me in my career than helping caregivers be successful at doing the work they love to do – take care of seniors.”

Kathy Proffitt joined the Bella Groves team in November 2022 as a frontline care partner. Her career prior to this point spanned various industries from professional services, broadcasting, real estate, beverage and grocery retail. She found a deeper calling in senior care and says she plans to stay in this field and specifically at Bella Groves until she retires. (Hopefully not anytime soon!)

As an early team member of Bella Groves, Kathy has learned every aspect of our innovative model of dementia support and has been promoted twice to tackle greater responsibilities as we have grown. Today she serves our team as the Resident Care Coordinator and can be found zipping around to team members, residents, families and healthcare partners to support each person with her characteristic attention to detail and desire to always make things easier and better for others. An ever present voice and advocate for our residents and our team members, Kathy has rightfully earned a reputation around here as a model of dedication and care.