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ICAA recognizes eight programs and products with 2008 Innovators Awards
Recipients encourage healthier, more vital aging for 50-plus adults
VANCOUVER, BC—The International Council on Active Aging (ICAA), an association that supports professionals who develop wellness facilities and services for age 50-plus adults, is pleased to announce the winners of the Sixth Annual ICAA Innovators Awards. These awards honor creativity and excellence in active-aging programs and products.
The 2008 Innovators include the following six initiatives:
- Conductorcise, a Sound Workout for Mind, Body and Soul—Conductorcise, LLC, Warwick, New York
- Therapeutic Harp Music Program—Good Samaritan Society, Albert Lea, Minnesota
- The Academy at Shell Point—Shell Point Retirement Community, Fort Myers, Florida
- The 100 Days to Health Challenge—City of Auburn Hills Senior Services, Auburn Hills, Michigan
- The Fitness Walking Trail—Country Meadows Retirement Communities, Hershey, Pennsylvania
- Whole Foods, Whole Life—GenCare, Inc., Seattle, Washington
ICAA has also chosen two Equipment Innovators, an awards category that recognizes North America’s most creative equipment for active older adults. Spotlighted this year are:
- The Dashaway—Dashaway Company, Los Angeles, California
- BalanceGym—BalanceGym, LLC, Naples, Florida
“The active-aging industry continues to evolve in inspiring directions, developing creative ways to help older adults improve health, wellness and quality of life,” says Colin Milner, ICAA founder and CEO. “Through their diverse approaches, our 2008 Innovators promote healthier, more vital aging for people in their 50s and beyond.”
Entries in the awards competition targeted any or all of the six dimensions of wellness (emotional, vocational, physical, spiritual, intellectual and social wellness). Some offerings supported a healthy lifestyle for older adults. Others provided more personal supports and engagement to help elders live life as fully as possible, regardless of health conditions or socioeconomic status. After considering all the entries, a panel selected the finalists for creativity in areas such as programming, lifestyle management, services and product development. ICAA thanks all the entrants and congratulates the 2008 award-winners.
Recipients will each receive a crystal award of recognition, a one-year ICAA facility membership, and a full pass to the ICAA Conference 2008, which takes place December 4–6 in San Antonio, Texas. In-depth articles on individual award-winners will appear in ICAA’s bimonthly Journal on Active Aging throughout 2009. The articles will profile these innovative offerings for the benefit of active-aging industry leaders and governmental organizations. In the meantime, brief outlines appear below:
Conductorcise, a Sound Workout for Mind, Body and Soul—Conductorcise, LLC, Warwick, New York
Recognized for creativity in: programming
Six years ago, symphony conductor and clarinetist David Dworkin channeled his passion for music and his interest in physical fitness into something truly unique: a program that combines low-impact aerobic exercise with classical music and music education. Conductorcise, a Sound Workout for Mind, Body and Soul, has been invigorating participants of all ages and functional levels ever since. In each Conductorcise session, Dworkin brings what he calls the “energy, motion and magic of music” to participants, who wave batons along with him as they learn the techniques of conducting and move to the music of Tchaikovsky, Strauss, Mozart and more. These workouts stimulate the brain in a way that improves cognition, relieves stress and enhances well-being. In fact, among the groups that Dworkin has led, individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementias respond to the workout with intense interest. “This program is a winner, because many people do not think they are exercising when performing the program,” says Dworkin. “Not only are they moving their bodies in a way many have never done, but they are also stimulating their brains by being made aware of colors, conversations and rhythms in the music.”
Therapeutic Harp Music Program—Good Samaritan Society, Albert Lea, Minnesota
Recognized for creativity in: services
The Good Samaritan Society in Albert Lea has served Minnesota’s Freeborn County for 55 years. In 2008, the Good Samaritan Center began a therapeutic harp music program for its almost 150 residents, offering this therapy to them on an individual basis. Live harp music is relaxing and soothing—in fact, sleep is a common outcome of therapy. This musical offering also provides a positive distraction for those who have chronic pain or who struggle with obsessive thoughts or behaviors. Good Samaritan’s harp therapy practitioner tailors the therapy to individual residents. Needs vary greatly. So, too, do the responses. For example, residents with dementia may have more recall while listening to music from earlier times. Individuals who are uncommunicative may express themselves by singing along. And residents nearing the end of life may draw comfort and assurance from the calming music, as do their family members. “Dying encompasses a myriad of physical and emotional states including pain, anxiety, anger, fear and depression,” states the facility’s resident/wellness director, Theresa Thorland. “Harp therapy creates a peaceful environment in which these stressors are lessened or alleviated.” The music’s spiritual effect helps promote “a gentle passing,” she concludes.
The 100 Days to Health Challenge—City of Auburn Hills Senior Services, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Recognized for creativity in: programming
To teach participants something new. That’s the focus of every activity offered by the City of Auburn Hills Senior Services during its now annual 100 Days to Health Challenge. Starting with National Senior Fitness Day in May, Senior Services provides 100 days of activities for adults in their 50s and beyond. These activities are designed to keep participants “informed, educated, socialized and as active as possible at their level of fitness,” says Shelly Chapman, Senior Services’ event coordinator. To cover diverse interests, the wellness program offers a wide range of activities, speakers and information. Some examples from the 2008 program include Wii Sports, Exercise Your Brain, Cooking Class, Hawkwoods Nature Center Walk and Bonfire, Kick Boxing Demo, Line Dancing, Whole Foods Grocery Tour, and Volleyball. “The City of Auburn Hills’ intentions for this program are to reach as many levels as possible and increase the quality of life of the participant,” explains Chapman. As a sign that the 100 Days program is succeeding, almost all the participants from 2007 registered again this year. Further, the 2008 program more than doubled in size over last year.
The Academy at Shell Point—Shell Point Retirement Community, Fort Myers, Florida
Recognized for creativity in: programming
Of the 2,000 elders who reside at Shell Point, more than half have volunteered in this continuing care retirement community—over 400 as instructors or speakers for the Academy at Shell Point, the community’s educational initiative. For three semesters every year, the Academy provides a well-rounded curriculum of educational opportunities that touch on seven components of wellness. Anywhere from six to 70 classes take place per semester. Areas of focus include such things as Community Enrichment; Mind, Body and Spirit (e.g., stress management, spirituality, memory disorders and testing, and chronic illness prevention and management); Computer College; and Legacy Seminars (e.g., financial, legal and end-of-life issues). Interestingly, despite its “zero based budget,” the program has attracted the highest resident participation, advises Dawn Boren, Shell Point’s director of resident life. Nearly three in four residents take part in the Academy, she says, with equal representation across the levels of care. Explains Boren, “We believe the Academy at Shell Point is innovative because it offers mental stimulation and lifelong learning in all areas of one’s personal well-being, while engaging residents in volunteer opportunities that extend one’s life and quality of life.”
Whole Foods, Whole Life—GenCare, Inc., Seattle, Washington
Recognized for creativity in: lifestyle management
Whole Foods, Whole Life-GenCare, Inc., Seattle, Washington
Recognized for creativity in: lifestyle management
"Wellness starts in the dining room," proclaims the GenCare Senior Living website. Developments in GenCare's dietary department in the last year show that the company truly embraces this statement. Last fall, GenCare began a program focused on healthier eating for residents of its six communities in the states of Washington and Arizona. "It has long been a known fact that how we eat will impact the way we age, as well as the way we live our daily lives," says Leon Grundstein, GenCare's founder and president. "By taking a 'whole life' approach to aging, we know now that we can influence our health, our strength, our stamina and our longevity with a better diet." GenCare has improved its culinary services to include where possible, fresh foods grown locally, served in season and prepared in healthier ways. Today, residents often enjoy tasty, nourishing meals made from fresh, whole and organic natural foods. This program, called Whole Foods, Whole Life, further reinforces GenCare's vision of wellness. Older adults who want to be well will want to eat well,and the new initiative offers these individuals food to lead a well life.
The Fitness Walking Trail—Country Meadows Retirement Communities, Hershey, Pennsylvania
Recognized for creativity in: programming
With locations throughout Pennsylvania, family-owned Country Meadows makes the independence of its residents a priority. Fitness coordinators at the company’s communities design exercise programs that support independence, inspired by the fitness training principle of specificity—the same principle used by triathletes. The principle of specificity “means that to improve performance in a particular activity or skill you must train by practicing that activity or skill,” observes Kim Eichinger, executive director of fitness at Country Meadows. Residents perform their own kind of triathlon every day, facing at least three physical challenges (e.g., getting on and off a bus, navigating a shopping center, or completing hours of volunteer work). Country Meadows’ fitness coordinators have created the Fitness Walking Trail to help residents preserve their ability to meet these challenges. This walking path guides participants through a variety of stations, where they do exercises that simulate movements involved in daily activities. “Residents know that when they are stepping over hurdles or weaving sideways in and out of cones, they are working to maintain the type of mobility required for taking part in community outings, completing daily tasks and pursuing activities of interest,” comments Eichinger.
ICAA Equipment Innovator
The Dashaway—Dashaway Company, Los Angeles, California
Recognized for creativity in: product development
While devices such as walkers and canes improve mobility for older adults, The Dashaway takes the traditional wheeled walker and turns it into a tool to improve health and quality of life. This equipment “is a fusion of exercise equipment and mobility assistance,” enthuses exercise physiologist Charles Blount, who invented The Dashaway with client Stanley Dashew. “The Dashaway has been engineered to promote positive posture, allow safe walking, reduce falls and promote exercise among people with mobility limitations,” Blount explains. It also has rehabilitation and physical therapy uses. One key distinguishing feature of The Dashaway is its spring-loaded compression design, which decompresses the spine of users when they put their body weight onto the device, helping them stand upright. In addition, people can do a wide range of exercises off the deceptively lightweight aluminum frame. According to Blount, who considers The Dashaway a “mobile exercise platform,” the device has withstood 2,000 lbs. of pressure in stress tests. It even comes with an exercise program DVD. With its innovative features, The Dashaway is not only a unique mobility enhancement device, but also a device that enhances mobility by helping individuals become healthier, fitter and more independent.
BalanceGym—BalanceGym, LLC, Naples, Florida
Recognized for creativity in: product development
Falls are among the most common—and serious—health-related issues for older adults. Among the various factors that contribute to falls are poor balance and lack of leg strength. Unfortunately, after a fall, many older adults develop a fear of falling that inhibits their daily activities and limits their participation in exercise that improves strength and balance, thereby reducing the risk of future falls. The BalanceGym addresses the physical and emotional needs of older adults, as well as other dimensions of wellness. Affordable and mobile, this equipment was designed by orthopedic surgeon and MD Frederick Buechel, Jr., specifically for older adults and people with balance impairments. The BalanceGym, with its stability and support features, provides “a secure environment” for exercise and rehabilitation, according to Buechel. Users can perform resistance, flexibility, balance and cardiovascular training on the unit in safety, helping to minimize fears and maximize results. The BalanceGym is also versatile. With accessories such as BalanceSteps and the BalanceBelt, this easy-to-use equipment accommodates group classes, personal training, physical therapy and rehabilitation sessions, plus the various modes of exercise—all in one product. These elements combine to make the BalanceGym both an inexpensive and helpful tool for facilities that serve the mature market.
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About the ICAA Innovators Awards program
Website: www.icaa.cc/awardsprogram.htm
Launched in 2003, the ICAA Innovators Awards program honors excellence and creativity in the health and wellness field. By recognizing organizations that have created cutting-edge physical activity and wellness programs and products, ICAA highlights these innovative solutions for industry leaders and governmental organizations to learn from. Award-winners work on inspiring, new directions in older-adult wellness. They not only give us a glimpse into the trends shaping the future of older-adult health and wellness, they also give us hope that it is possible to solve the inactivity problem.
About the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA)
ICAA is the world’s largest association dedicated to changing the way we age by uniting professionals in the retirement, assisted living, recreation, fitness, rehabilitation and wellness fields. The council supports these professionals with education, information, resources and tools, so they can achieve optimal success with the growing population of people who are 50 years and older. As an active-aging educator and advocate, ICAA has advised numerous organizations and governmental bodies, including the US Administration on Aging, the National Institute on Aging (part of the US National Institutes of Health), the US Department of Health and Human Services, Canada’s Special Senate Committee on Aging, and the British Columbia Ministry of Health.
For interviews or more information about ICAA, the ICAA Innovators Awards, or aging-related issues, contact:
Colin Milner, CEO, International Council on Active Aging
Toll-free: 1-866-335-9777 (North America only)
Telephone: 604-734-4466; cell: 604-763-4595
Email: colinmilner@icaa.cc
