A thriving senior community is more than just senior apartments or care programs. It’s a network! A web of meaningful activities for seniors, senior advice, and diverse experiences. In short, we want to provide more than just senior housing; we want to create a home— a community!
So, how do you make a place a home? Especially when retirement communities and care communities are marked by significant transitions. In this blog, we’ll discuss two vital programs to help seniors: peer mentorships and resident councils. Both contribute to a healthy foundation of senior living.
Peer Mentorship: Seniors Helping Seniors
Andrew Ulyanov is a lifelong carpenter, a father of three, and the owner of the scary house in his neighborhood. Ever since his wife passed away, he’s sunken into a depression. He’s neglected his senior home, making it look haunted. He’s become very irritable and moody.
His adult children are very concerned for their father, so they move him into a senior living community. That way, he doesn’t have to deal with aging alone and can receive help with senior care.
Retirement communities can greatly contribute to the health and wellness of seniors, from art classes to hobby clubs to exercise groups. There are plenty of fun independent living activities for seniors, but how do we get Andrew to do them? How do we get him to at least try them?
Andrew is stuck in his shell, avoiding senior socialization. Even for seniors who are not living with depression like Andrew, moving into a senior community can make them feel like the new kid on the block.
Loneliness among seniors is a significant problem. One that every senior community should address. Loneliness is linked to heightened health risks.
- A survey from the University of Michigan found that senior isolation correlated with poor mental health and poor physical health.
- One study found that isolation can increase one’s risk of developing dementia.
- Another study found loneliness was associated with higher risks of heart disease and stroke.
For more information on seniors and loneliness, read Combating Loneliness: The Impact of Loneliness on Seniors and How to Overcome Senior Isolation.
Luckily, the inverse is also true! Seniors who feel satisfied and supported in their senior community are associated with better health and wellness.
Back to Andrew. How do we get him out of his shell so he can enjoy the community’s meaningful activities for seniors? This is where peer mentorships shine. Joey Russell is a seasoned resident, enjoying seven years in his senior community. But he remembers how hard the transition was.
So, the peer mentorship program pairs them up, and they start talking. It’s a slow and gradual process, but eventually, Andrew opens up. They talk about the trades they dedicated decades of their lives to. They laugh about how they’re dealing with aging. They share stories about growing up. Most importantly, Joey empathizes with Andrew’s loss because his wife also passed away.
We all want to be there for our loved ones and help with senior care. But we haven’t gone through what they’ve gone through. So we can only sympathize. Here, with peer mentorships, residents can empathize. Peer mentorships is a program by seniors for seniors, fostering mutual respect within the senior community. Studies show that these kinds of senior care programs decrease depression symptoms and the effects of loneliness.
Joey invites Andrew to an art class. Both men spent most of their lives working with their hands. Now, Joey is an avid painter. It takes some time for Andrew to find his preferred medium, but attending the senior community’s art classes opens him up to senior socialization. He’s getting to know others, and even his family notes that he’s not so grumpy anymore.
As Andrew thumbs a pile of clay and carefully sculpts it, he finally feels at home in his senior community. It’s important to note that while socialization helps combat depression, it should not be someone’s only resource. A holistic approach is best, and most treatments include a combination of therapy and medication.
Resident Councils: Creating a Connected Living Community
Peer mentorships improve the health and wellness of seniors on a one-on-one basis. But how can residents make broader changes to their senior community? It’s their community. How can they shape it?
Resident councils are when residents organize a group to regularly discuss concerns, suggest changes, and plan activities. They are similar to co-op boards for apartments and condos. For senior living communities, resident councils empower residents with the power to advocate for themselves. Let’s see an example in action.
Kimberly Franciska is a retired realtor. As such, she was incredibly active in her community. She’s now living in senior assisted living because her osteoarthritis is limiting her mobility. However, that’s not going to stop her from enjoying the activities for seniors in assisted living. She takes group trips to the mall, participates in a book club, and is still trying to remain physically active.
Since she can’t drive anymore, she nearly missed out on her annual flu shot. Luckily, her daughter picks her up and takes her, but not everyone has that opportunity. So, she attends the resident council of her senior living community.
Kimberly suggests that everyone who can get vaccinated should. As we age, our immune system diminishes, so it’s vital we protect ourselves. However, some residents in assisted living are immunocompromised. As such, they may not be able to get vaccinated due to their higher risk. So, it’s even more important that those around them are vaccinated.
The resident council agrees. They work with the senior community staff to organize transportation to the nearest flu shot distributor. The following year, Kimberly takes a more active role in the council. She uses the community connections she still has to bring the vaccines to the assisted living community.
A local healthcare provider sets up a volunteer vaccination station in the senior community as a senior care resource. The local provider receives favorable publicity, and the senior community stays safe. All thanks to Kimberly’s advocacy in the resident council.
How Can Retirement Communities Implement These Senior Care Programs?
Now that we understand the impact of these senior care programs, how can the staff and management of these retirement communities implement them? After all, these senior care programs need help from the team. Well, it starts with talking to the residents. Who feels well-established in the senior community? Who’s social and outgoing? Who’s understanding and a good listener?
These are just starting points for finding confident mentors for peer mentorships. There might be quieter members who are have valuable advice to share. However, to get peer mentorships rolling, administrators should try to connect established residents with newer residents. Ideally, they would mesh well on a personality level. Regardless, how personal connections grow varies between people. Be ready to facilitate them with meaningful activities for seniors. The director of nursing should work with the resident care team to ensure peer mentorship activities align with residents’ health and safety needs.
Resident councils require support from activity directors, life enrichment coordinators, and resident care coordinators. We recommend that as many staff members participate as possible. A resident council needs a regular meeting area, some leadership to get them started, and a way of communicating. Something as small as a suggestion box can help gather ideas. Anonymous opinion polls can pinpoint areas that need improvement. Good old open discussions can empower residents to speak their minds. However, most importantly, there needs to be a feedback loop between senior community residents and management.
Conclusion: A Strong Senior Community Needs to Be Fostered
These senior care programs may be tricky to start, but they are well worth it. Even the staff benefits. Many care communities see improved job satisfaction and employee retention after applying these programs. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Both the residents and the staff need to work together to nurture a thriving senior community.
Transition into a senior community can be daunting, but building connections can ease the transition.
You’ll never know how you or a loved one will feel in a senior community until you visit it. See for yourself how we foster a happy, healthy place to live.
Contact us today to schedule your visit.
About Cogir Senior Living
What sets Cogir apart is the company’s devoted approach to creating healthy, vibrant communities that offer residents exceptional independent living, assisted living, and memory care lifestyle options. Cogir Senior Living develops, owns, and/or operates 80+ lifestyle communities throughout the United States.
