In this episode of Mission in Motion, host Heather Maxwell continues her conversation with Salimah Walji‑Shivji, CEO of AgeCare, turning the focus from Salimah’s personal journey to the day‑to‑day realities of leading a people‑first senior living organization at scale. Together, they explore how to keep teams motivated and engaged in a sector that is constantly evolving, how to reframe the public’s understanding of seniors' care, and how to leverage technology and AI without losing the human touch that defines great care.
Salimah shares how purposeful work and a clear line of sight to residents’ lives drive engagement across AgeCare’s communities. She describes a sector that is “ever-changing and always buzzing,” with new government priorities, funding opportunities, pilots, and technologies creating a dynamic environment for teams. From cross‑training and stretch assignments to supporting leaders through turnover and transition, she offers a grounded view of what it takes to build sustainable, resilient operations where people still feel connected to the mission.
The conversation also tackles one of the biggest myths in the field: that nurses and clinicians “lose their skills” in long‑term care or seniors living. Salimah challenges that narrative head‑on, explaining how increasing resident complexity—dialysis, wound care, diabetes management, complex med passes—actually demands a high level of clinical expertise in a non‑acute setting. Heather and Salimah dig into why the sector needs to be branded not as “just housing” but as “care in housing,” and how clinical training programs, faculty, and student placements can help shift perceptions and attract the next generation of talent.
From there, they turn to technology and AI: where it’s already making a difference and where leaders need to tread thoughtfully. Salimah shares how AgeCare partners with vendors to bring innovation into areas like master scheduling, administration, and finance, while also experimenting with emerging tools that can streamline work and free up time for more resident‑facing interactions. She emphasizes that in a high‑touch, people‑centric sector, technology is there to support, not replace, the workforce—allowing teams to spend more time on what matters most: relationships, presence, and personalized care.
A highlight of the episode is Salimah’s description of her regular visits to AgeCare homes across the country. She explains why walking into each community—whether in downtown Vancouver or surrounded by farmland in Ontario—is “the best part” of her job. From personalized welcome signs and resident councils to informal conversations with staff, residents, and families, Salimah uses these visits to celebrate what’s working and to surface pain points that might otherwise stay hidden. Her “Lunch with Salimah” sessions create space for candid feedback, collaborative problem‑solving, and a shared sense of ownership over the organization’s future.
Throughout, Salimah highlights the importance of tenure, loyalty, and family culture at AgeCare. She reflects on staff who have stayed for decades and on multi‑generational families—parents, children, and even grandchildren—who all work within the organization. For her, those referrals are a powerful sign that AgeCare is a kind, values‑driven employer, even as they acknowledge the realities and challenges of running a large, complex system. The ethos: they are not perfect, but they are continuously evolving and striving to do the right thing.
The episode closes with a look at professional development, succession, and partnership. Salimah outlines how performance appraisals feed into succession planning and individualized growth paths, including acting roles and assistant leadership positions that help emerging leaders gain experience. She discusses the value of students—not just for recruitment, but for the learning they spark in existing teams—and shares excitement about AgeCare’s first leadership conference bringing over 100 leaders together in Calgary. Finally, she explains how AgeCare chooses partners who understand the continuing care sector and can bring tangible value back to staff, including through the new AgeCare Cares program that leverages their procurement power to help employees navigate rising costs.
Listeners in senior living, long‑term care, and healthcare will come away with a practical, hopeful picture of people‑first leadership at scale: how to keep teams engaged in a demanding environment, how to reframe the narrative around seniors' care, and how to blend innovation, culture, and compassion in ways that honour both residents and the people who care for them every day.
About Maxwell Management Group:This podcast is brought to you by Maxwell Management Group, a national executive search and education firm specializing in the continuing care and healthcare sectors. For nearly two decades, they’ve partnered with organizations to build values‑driven leadership, vibrant workplace cultures, and purpose‑led employer brands.
Learn more: maxwellmanagementgroup.comChapters:0:00 – Welcome back: Part 2 on leading people‑first in seniors living
0:14 – Recap: Salimah’s leadership philosophy and the AgeCare context
0:32 – How do you keep teams motivated, engaged, and committed?
1:17 – A sector that’s “ever-changing and always buzzing”
2:10 – Purposeful work, resident connection, and staying close to communities
2:45 – Grants, pilots, and technology: creating vibrancy and growth opportunities
3:32 – Cross‑training, turnover, and building sustainable operations over time
3:17 – Heather on purpose, innovation, and opportunities in seniors care
3:54 – “Don’t go into seniors care”: confronting the nursing myths
4:54 – Salimah reframes the narrative: complexity, autonomy, and clinical skills
5:45 – “We are not just housing, we are care in housing”
6:20 – Branding the sector and changing public and academic perceptions
7:05 – Student placements, faculty from continuing care, and exposure to the sector
7:40 – Where technology and AI are entering seniors care
8:10 – Vendor partnerships, scheduling complexity, and backend innovation
8:37 – Finance, admin, and thinking strategically about where tech fits
8:55 – Hesitations about technology and fears about workforce impact
9:20 – Why AI won’t replace a high‑touch, people‑centric workforce
9:47 – Heather’s reflections: high tech and high touch in balance
10:06 – Transition: from head office to the heart of the homes
12:03 – Why visiting every home is “the best part” of the job
12:35 – Warm welcomes, resident councils, and the unique feel of each community
13:20 – Urban vs rural homes: culture, context, and autonomy to be local
13:55 – Listening tours: celebrating wins and surfacing pain points
14:30 – “Lunch with Salimah”: creating space for honest feedback and ideas
15:10 – Why silence would be more worrying than criticism
15:53 – What still surprises her on site: tenure, loyalty, and commitment
16:08 – Decades‑long service and multi‑generational families working at AgeCare
16:40 – Referrals as proof of a kind, trusted employer
17:25 – Acknowledging challenges while holding a continuous‑improvement ethos
18:06 – Shifting to professional development and leadership growth
18:39 – Performance appraisals, career goals, and building development plans
19:15 – Acting roles and assistant positions as leadership pipelines
19:55 – The gift of students: how teaching renews learning for teams
20:35 – Announcing AgeCare’s first leadership conference in Calgary
20:57 – Heather on development as a key driver of engagement
21:19 – Choosing partners who understand the sector and its realities
21:45 – Value‑add partnerships and the AgeCare Cares program
22:15 – Leveraging buying power to support staff amid rising costs
22:54 – Heather’s closing: purpose, partnership, and people‑first leadership in action