Editor’s Note: The McKnight’s Long-Term Care News Daily Update and McKnight’s Senior Living Daily Briefing e-newsletters are profiling each of the McKnight’s 2019 Women of Distinction in July. For more coverage, visit the McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Senior Living websites and read the July print edition of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and August print edition of McKnight’s Senior Living.
Rebecca Scott Rawn has been volunteering at senior living communities since she was 12 years old.
How deep does her commitment go? Through her volunteer work, she met a resident named Maezy, with whom she spent time every week. Although Maezy developed dementia and lost some of the memories the two shared together, Rawn still felt their connection each time she visited. The lasting relationship the two had led Rawn to name her daughter Clara-Mae, after Maezy.
After she graduated, Rawn was selected to be a part of the Ontario Legislature Internship Program. As an intern, she worked with members of the provincial parliament who were involved in healthcare and senior issues.
That led her to Extendicare, where she worked communications and government relations. During her time there, however, she realized that she missed the day-to-day operations with which she was involved during her volunteer work. She transitioned to Extendicare Assist, the management and consulting division, as a regional director.
She ultimately returned to the corporate office to assume her current role as national director of communications and strategic partnerships. In that role, she focuses on the redevelopment of long-term care homes and the building of new senior care homes across Canada and oversees the functioning of the communications department to ensure that the “voice” of the organization is consistent across divisions.
Rawn also is the chair of the Multiple Sclerosis Society in her community and organizes an MS fundraising walk every year. She has raised more than $40,000 for the society.
Her volunteering roots remain strong. She visits long-term care homes every month with her two daughters and hosts a “laughter yoga” session with the residents.
McKnight’s Women of Distinction is a joint program of McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Long-Term Care News.
The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program’s exclusive Platinum sponsor is PointClickCare.
