Articles
The Journal on Active Aging brings articles of value to professionals dedicated to older-adult quality of life. Content sweeps across the active-aging landscape to focus on education and practice. Find articles of interest by searching the article archives in three ways: Enter a keyword in the articles search bar; click on search by topic; or type a keyword or phrase in the general search bar at the top of the page.
Topic- Intellectual wellness
Casa Dorinda's paradigm shift connects a community
Located in the affluent coastal community of Montecito, California, Casa Dorinda has provided luxury retirement living for more than 40 years. The stand-alone nonprofit community is owned and operated by Montecito Retirement Association, which runs the lifecare program "with a commitment to excellence in the quality and quantity of its services ...," so residents may continue to live "with dignity, security and as independently and fully as they are able." Director of Life Enrichment Melissa Gill Hausz affirms the community's well-established commitment to resident wellness. She also points to unintentional barriers created by aligning staff responsible for life enrichment programs only with staff in their individual levels of care. A staff restructuring in 2013 gave Gill Hausz and her team the opportunity to shift this model through programming and campus-wide staff integration, the impact of which continues to grow organically. The Journal on Active Aging recently asked Gill Hausz to share her insights and experiences, as well as the impact of her community's efforts.
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Watermark University: An initiative that fosters community and wellness
A desire to foster authentic community and engaged living has long driven Watermark Retirement Communities and its founders. "Watermark was founded over 30 years ago in Tucson, Arizona, with its flagship community, The Fountains at La Cholla," says Managing Director Rich Howell. From the beginning, the goal was for each of its communities to be the kind of place that founders David Freshwater and David Barnes would want their parents to live. After the sale of the Fountains portfolio in 2005, the men teamed up again the next year with the goal "to create a new kind of senior living community," continues Howell, "one that meets the expanded expectations of a new generation of aging Americans who want to lead engaged, fulfilling and health-filled lives." Launched over a decade ago when the company shifted its philosophy on lifestyle and recreation programming from entertainment to engagement, Watermark University is "grounded in research showing that an engaged life brings a remarkable range of benefits in aging adults," Howell states ....
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The Art of Life: Creating a joyful, interactive performance for all ages by Kerry Hughes Thomas, MA
A community art project launched in 2017 enriched the lives of 950 participants and their audiences with the inspiring message that we all are part of life's big picture. Senior living residents from two communities in Atlanta, Georgia, collaborated with participants of all ages and abilities from the community-at-large to create a multidisciplinary performance blending dance, theater, music and visual art. And the active-aging professional who initiated the project envisions further opportunities to celebrate living well through creativity.
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Benchmark's Film Festival "builds community and engagement"
“At Benchmark Senior Living, we help every resident stay well, live well and be well,” promises the company’s website. In 2015, the organization launched the Benchmark Film Festival, an initiative that captivated the imaginations of residents and associates, inspiring creativity while building a sense of community. “This is a program that made all who participated laugh, cry and smile, and filled everyone’s hearts with joy,” shares Corporate Director of Programs and Customer Engagement Krystee Knapic.
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Steady for Life's Steady & Sharp Brain Carnival educates participants about brain health
Building Blocks for Healthy, Graceful Aging”--that’s the tagline inscribed on the logo of Steady for Life Inc., a charitable nonprofit organization located in Huntsville, Alabama. Nurturing those building blocks is the driving passion of the organization’s founders. Steady for Life “was started by four senior-fitness instructors and a healthcare marketeer who wanted to make a difference in the lives of older adults in a physical, emotional and social way,” says Executive Director Kim Davis. Its primary mission involves “equipping mature adults with strength, flexibility and balance techniques to diminish the risk of falls." The company also offers “social activities, travel opportunities, health seminars, screenings and special programs to help clients maintain independence, happiness and lasting friendships.” One such offering is the Steady & Sharp Brain Carnival.
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Clermont College of Creative Life: Lifelong learning flourishes at Clermont Park
The Clermont College of Creative Life has invited Clermont Park residents, employees and family members for the past two years to share their knowledge and experience with each other by teaching courses. Begun in June 2014 "as a way to enhance our culture of inclusiveness, lifelong learning and successful aging," this educational initiative engages and empowers individuals across the continuum of care.
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