INDEPENDENT NEWSMEDIA

Sagewood, a life plan community in northeast Phoenix, has appointed two senior staff members for the Acacia Health Center and Desert Willow Assisted Living.

Nicole Roenius is joining Sagewood as therapy director and Melissa Alexander will be filling the role of life enrichment director for Desert Willow and Acacia.

Roenius has spent years working at a life care services community in Milwaukee and prior to that she worked with stroke, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis patients in a skilled nursing facility, according to a release.

At Acacia, Roenius will be managing the therapists, providing updates to family members, caring for residents, creating discharge plans and training new team members, the release stated, adding she will be in a managerial role, but her goal is to treat the residents as well.

As the new life enrichment director, Alexander will provide oversight and support to the community life coordinators in assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing, Sagewood officials said.

Alexander has worked in senior activity programming for more than 25 years.