“ICAA Wellness Audit,” a first-of-its-kind strategic planning tool, is set to guide shift to wellness in senior living

November 9, 2022 – The disruption brought on by the pandemic changed the delivery of all services and wellness opportunities throughout the active-aging industry. As a result, the current picture of wellness has become a bit blurred.

To provide a clearer view, the International Council on Active Aging® (ICAA) has developed a first-of-its-kind resource, the “ICAA Wellness Audit.” The strategic planning tool enables senior living communities to thoroughly assess and understand the present state of wellness within their organization. The “ICAA Wellness Audit” was introduced Nov. 8 at the 2022 ICAA Conference, Leadership Summit & Expo in Orlando, Florida.

“Wellness is a high or essential priority for more than 80 percent of senior living, and this valuable tool equips them with an overview of how they are delivering against their promises and goals,” says Colin Milner, founder and CEO of ICAA. “The ‘ICAA Wellness Audit’ provides the opportunity to look objectively at how wellness is advancing in their organization, and identify areas of growth and change to guide progress.”

One year in the making and tested by multiple organizations, the “ICAA Wellness Audit” is timely, as only 12 percent of senior living communities have conducted a wellness audit in the past. The “ICAA Wellness Audit” establishes a baseline, and then should be repeated every two or three years to reassess the status of wellness in line with evolving organizational goals.

Components of the “ICAA Wellness Audit”
The “ICAA Wellness Audit” is conducted online, and examines six main areas in depth:

1. Description of community: type of community, level of living, total population
2. Wellness culture and leadership: definition of wellness, budget, staff training and development
3. Wellness touchpoints and assessments: physical health risk screening, resident psychosocial assessments
4. Wellness experiences, programs and opportunities: in all seven dimensions of wellness
5. Amenities and physical spaces used for wellness opportunities: equipment, technology, environmental wellness
6. Wellness outcomes, priorities and goals: outcomes tracking, barriers to wellness goals

Organizations document the current people, places, procedures and programs, indicating how well these are performing. The audit identifies strengths and weaknesses across the community and can be used to evaluate priority areas for development.

“ICAA Wellness Audit” Toolkit
Numerous resources simplify and organize implementing the “ICAA Wellness Audit” and using the results, including:

• “ICAA Wellness Audit” User Guide. How to conduct an audit, including preparation, definitions and purpose for each question.
• Visual Guide to the “ICAA Wellness Audit.” Brief tour of enrolling in and navigating the online audit tool.
• “ICAA Wellness Audit” Planning Worksheet. Record progress on identifying audit team members that provide needed information, roles, timeline, analysis and reporting.
• “ICAA Wellness Audit” Evaluation Worksheet. Identify areas that are satisfactory or need improvement. Use as a basis for preparing the audit report and action plan.
• “ICAA Wellness Audit” Sample Report Format. Example of a summary report that includes key findings and recommended actions.

Availability
The “ICAA Wellness Audit” is available to senior living communities that are ICAA members at the member site at www.icaa.cc. To become a member of the ICAA, access information at https://www.icaa.cc/membership.htm.

ICAA Organizational and ICAA 100 members can access the “ICAA Wellness Audit” for free.

About the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA)
ICAA is a professional association that leads, connects and defines the active-aging industry and supports professionals who aspire to develop wellness cultures for adults over 50. This support includes creating wellness environments, programs and services. The association is focused on active aging—an approach to aging that helps older adults live life as fully as possible within all dimensions of wellness—and provides its members with education, information, resources and tools. As an active-aging educator and advocate, ICAA has advised numerous organizations and governmental bodies.

For more information or questions: Contact: Colin Milner, CEO, ICAA
Toll-free: 1-866-335-9777 (North America)
Telephone: 604-734-4466; cell: 604-763-4595
colinmilner@icaa.cc