Lutheran Life Communities, based in Arlington Heights, IL, is celebrating its 130th anniversary by introducing new lifestyle programming for residents of its four retirement communities in Illinois and Indiana.
The company is shedding its fifth location in Florida, so the retirement community is not included in the new effort.
“We are in the process right now of implementing a lot of different programming. The first of the rollouts is underway right now, and that’s for all of our residential residents, with some of them transferring to assisted living, memory support, and skilled nursing, Maia Bonner, senior vice president of marketing and sales,” told he told McKnight’s Business Daily.
She said the initiative is being driven by the Masterpiece (formerly Masterpiece Living) programming philosophy or methodology.
“There’s a lot of focus on spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, all the different components of wellness,” Bonner said.
Some of the lifestyle-specific programs include “Pawsitive Connection,” which involves bringing animals into the community for visits and possible adoption; “Fellowship Force,” which will connect residents with volunteer opportunities based on monthly themes; and the “Wish List,” in partnership with Wish of a Lifetime, to help senior residents make their dreams come true.
Lutheran Life is also partnering with David Troxel’s Best Friends Approach on a memory care program called My Tapestry, designed to help staff members better assist residents living with dementia.
Those efforts complement other initiatives launched earlier this year at Lutheran Life, according to a news release distributed Tuesday. In May, the organization introduced Reclaiming MyJoy, a program designed to address the emotional toll of COVID-19 on its residents and team members. In January, the organization announced a partnership with Thomas Cuisine Management to enhance the dining experience for residents with new menu options and dining options in each community.
130 years ago, when Lutheran Life began, long-term care was primarily focused on a medical model and addressing the physical needs of residents, Bonner noted, but much has changed since then, including the launch of assisted living.
“We really want to put residents at the center of their decision-making about where they want to live and provide more opportunities for education, mental wellness, really having a purpose and really having the benefit of living within a community as opposed to living at home. they have lived in for 50 years and are becoming increasingly isolated, Bonner said. “The support of humanity and the opportunity to live and grow with a purpose, to me, that is transformative in the lives of older people.”
Source: www.mcknightsseniorliving.com