The Ridge Pinehurst Care Partner Wins 2025 Best In Care Award

September 25, 2025 – OnShift, a ShiftKey brand and the only workforce management software made exclusively for long-term, post-acute and senior care, announced the winners of its OnShift Applause Awards, which recognize schedulers, human resources professionals, building leaders and front-line caregivers for their exceptional work in senior care.

Aaralyn Alvarez, Care Partner at The Ridge Pinehurst, received the 2025 Best in Care Award after a nationwide public vote.

Aaralyn Alvarez

2025 Best in Care Award Winner

Aaralyn is an incredible employee, teammate, and human being. She connects with each resident on a very personal level and is continuously exceeding all of our expectations in the most humble of ways.

Recently I stopped to talk with a resident and check in on him. He had his cowboy hat on and an extra one in his hand. When I asked what that was about he said, “My granddaughter is a champion rodeo rider and Aaralyn loves horses. I asked her (granddaughter) to come to surprise Aaralyn because she has done so much for me and everyone else.”

Aaralyn just graduated from high school and is hoping to become a nurse. She has worked with us since she was 16 years old and comes in and gives 100% every single day. She is a treasure in every way. From big gestures, like picking up Chick-Fil-A for a very picky resident to picking up every piece of trash she walks by. She is an impressive young person.

The connection Aaralyn makes with residents is the deepest way that she makes residents feel better. Aside from going above and beyond every day in practical ways, Aaralyn just takes TIME with each resident to make them feel seen and feel special. Whether it’s taking an extra trip to the rose garden with a resident who was a gardener her whole life or spending time looking through old photo albums with a resident who is lonely or accompanying our Memory Support residents on outings, Aaralyn always shows how much she cares.

The Best in Care award recognizes frontline caregivers and care staff in long-term post-acute care, senior living or other non-acute care settings who deserve recognition for their selflessness, support and commitment to resident and patient care. Winners were selected from nearly 900 nominations and evaluated on a range of criteria including their impact on the community, respect from coworkers, resourcefulness in finding solutions, and compassion for residents and coworkers. Initiatives driven by these winners include helping employees access school grants, creating an employee engagement task force, establishing mentorship programs and implementing OnShift across departments.

Congratulations, Aaralyn, from everyone at The Ridge Senior Living!