Frontline Honors Award Winner: Ruth Villa, Wellness Director, Astoria Park Senior Living

Ruth Villa, Wellness Director at Astoria Park Senior Living, has been named to the Frontline Honors Awards Class of 2025 by Senior Housing News.

To become a Frontline honoree, an individual is nominated by their peers. The candidate must be:

• A dedicated, high-performing frontline worker who delivers exceptional experiences and outcomes
• A passionate worker who knows how to put their vision into for the good of their respective industry, the patients and residents they serve, and their families
• An advocate for their industry and their fellow colleagues

Senior Housing News recently caught up with Villa to discuss her time in the senior housing & senior living industry.

SHN: What drew you to this industry?

Villa: Growing up, my mother worked in a convalescent facility where I would go after school and sit and talk with the elderly. The stories they shared were sometimes frightening and scary, but most were amazing and funny.

SHN: What’s a misconception you had about this work before you started – and how has reality differed?

Villa: My misconception was that all old people were grumpy and mad, hard to take care of, and set in their ways. I found that if you just stop and listen, watch, and place yourself mentally where they are now, you’ll find that choices and decisions are pretty much all they have left to control and call their own.

SHN: Was there a moment in your career when you realized, “This work really matters”? What happened?

Villa: It has always mattered to me from wanting to be a nurse since childhood, but when both of my parents were diagnosed with cancer on the same day, in the same year, at the same time, by the same doctor, I looked at healthcare with a different view. I had been in the healthcare industry in one aspect or another since the age of 18. My parents were diagnosed when I was in my 30s. I had to become their care provider to ensure they would receive the best care I could give them.

SHN: What’s the most valuable skill you’ve developed on the front lines that people often overlook?

Villa: The ability to listen to the needs of the person I am caring for, not just listening, but also hearing what they say, what their body language is communicating, what their facial expressions are saying, all the while being patient while I listen.

SHN: What’s one decision leaders make that has a bigger impact on frontline workers than they might realize?

Villa: To truly lead by example.

SHN: What’s a simple change – policy, tool, or mindset – that would make frontline work more effective?

Villa: Treat your residents, patients or clients as if they were your loved ones.

SHN: What gives you optimism about the future of this industry, despite its challenges?

Villa: The fact that someone still cares and has the heart to help.

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