Atria's Culinary Educational Series provides a recipe for wellness

Organizations that promote active aging strive to nurture wellness in older adults with programs, services and environments to support this outcome. The word nurture, interestingly enough, comes from a Latin word that means “to nourish”—the same word from which the word nutrition also derives. Food, a foundation of good health, fuels both body and soul. Eating together is a vital part of our rituals and traditions, while preparing food is an elemental way in which we show love and hospitality to others. Atria Senior Living professionals recently highlighted these points in their presentation at the ICAA Conference 2012. “The need for nourishment and the need for other people are universal,” stressed Ronda Watson, RD, Atria’s senior vice president of culinary service and engage life, and Cynthia Lilly, MSW, the company’s national life guidance program director, agreed. The pair also described efforts to team programming and culinary services to enhance wellness for Atria residents. One example was the Culinary Educational Series at Atria Campana del Rio, a community that provides independent living, assisted living and memory care services to 225 older adults in Tucson, Arizona.