Resident of the Year Award

The Resident of the Year Award recognizes and celebrates individuals who makes a significant contribution to the well-being of fellow residents, the facility, and/or the long-term care community. There are many ways a resident could do this, such as sharing a special talent, overcoming a tremendous personal challenge, organizing something that benefits others, or providing inspiration to staff and other residents. Winners are recognized during the Awards Luncheon at the HCAM Annual Convention in September in Grand Rapids.

Criteria for the Resident of the Year Award application: 

1. Submit a completed application with all applicable documentation by May 15, 2026. (If any of the required documents are missing or incomplete, the application cannot be considered.)
2. Application must include the name, length of residency, facility and contact information for the nominee.
3. Application must include contact information for the person completing the nomination entry.
4. Application must include a 300-600-word essay describing why this individual should receive the Resident of the Year Award.
   1. Use examples to describe how this individual makes a real contribution to the well-being of residents and/or the long-term care community as a whole.
   2. Address how the nominee has a positive, uplifting attitude.
   3. Address how the nominee participates in facility/community activities.
   4. Discuss what separates this person from other residents. Examples could include ways this individual helps other residents, has improved the quality of life overall at the facility/community, has overcome a personal challenge to inspire others, or other ways the resident makes a unique contribution.
5. Application must include at least one letter of recommendation that could come from staff, other residents, family members, vendors, physicians, community officials or others who can speak to why this person should be recognized.
6. All documents must be typed and uploaded in Word or PDF format.
7. Applicant must be a resident of a current HCAM member facility/community in good standing.

This application cannot be saved and continued at a later time. Please be sure you have all required items before you start.