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What's new: Unlocking the future: Closing the gap between consumer expectations and community offerings in senior living report.

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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- Business profiles

 

Saluting standouts-8957

Saluting standouts

With the global pandemic fostering an increased emphasis on the importance of preserving health and pursuing wellness, senior living communities are facing both greater expectations and opportunities. In fact, a 2018 survey conducted by the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) found that 59% of senior living communities intended to shift their business model to be wellness-centered with care services--rather than traditional care-based communities with options for wellness--by 2023. For the third year, ICAA and NuStep, LLC, are celebrating this industry-shifting movement by naming 25 senior living communities in North America as the "Best in Wellness" with the 2021 ICAA NuStep Beacon Award. Designed to showcase organizations that embrace wellness as a way of life for all residents and staff, these awards recognize outstanding commitment, creativity and culture.

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Business profiles

Dr. Kenneth Cooper promotes living better longer by Julie King, MS-8939

Dr. Kenneth Cooper promotes living better longer by Julie King, MS

How do you go from an overweight 29-year-old to the "Father of Aerobics"? An unexpected epiphany led Kenneth H. Cooper, MD, MPH, to a life-altering change in career course. While water skiing in 1960, he felt like he was having a heart attack. At the hospital, the doctor determined that Dr. Cooper's heart was healthy, but he was out of shape. He had experienced a temporary irregular heartbeat. Poor nutrition and inactivity during his medical studies and residency had pushed Cooper's weight to 204 lbs., a gain of more than 30 lbs. This physical deconditioning was then compounded by pressures related to his military career and new marriage. His critical wake-up call both humbled and motivated the former high-school basketball All-Star and state track champion, and physician. Cooper started running the next day and, in 1962, completed his first Boston Marathon. Over the six months following his health scare, he shed 40 lbs. by exercising and following a healthy diet. His prediabetes and hypertension disappeared, replaced by his firsthand knowledge that exercise was a critical--and largely ignored--part of healthcare. "My experience," Cooper says, "proved how regular exercise could significantly improve your health. I had to share this revelation." Cooper has been on a mission to change the health of Americans ever since.

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Business profiles

How NuStep's journey continues to influence the industry by Colin Milner-8772

How NuStep's journey continues to influence the industry by Colin Milner

The International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) and NuStep, LLC, have enjoyed a nearly 20-year partnership promoting whole-person wellness in the senior living and wellness industry. Though many companies have come and gone in the active-aging space over this time, NuStep has not only pioneered recumbent training products, but also shown exceptional commitment to the senior living and wellness industry. And the company is poised to bring more innovation into the next phase of the industry's evolution. Wellness is no longer a movement or a trend. It has become a way of life globally. Although senior living used to be all about healthcare, providers today are focusing more heavily on whole-person wellness. So, a significant shift is taking place. To take a forward look at where the active-aging industry is headed and to celebrate a milestone 20th-anniversary year for ICAA and the ICAA community, I recently interviewed NuStep's CEO, Eric Sklar, for the Journal on Active Aging. The exciting part is that with the industry changing so quickly, it's really about how the partnership has evolved to address what's happening today.

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Business profiles

Beaming brightly: ICAA Nustep Beacon Award winners radiate exceptional cultures of wellness by Julie King, MS-8765

Beaming brightly: ICAA Nustep Beacon Award winners radiate exceptional cultures of wellness by Julie King, MS

In a year like no other, 2020 presented senior living communities throughout North America with myriad challenges to deliver multidimensional wellness to residents and staff. And yet, fueled by commitment, creativity and "can-do" attitude, providers cultivated novel opportunities that empowered individuals to enhance their well-being and quality of life amid a global pandemic. For the second consecutive year, the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) and NuStep, LLC, a leading manufacturer of recumbent cross-trainers, have recognized 25 communities as the "Best in Wellness" for fostering an exceptional culture and serving as examples of excellence. The 2020 ICAA NuStep Beacon Award winners deserve special credit for persevering in the face of unprecedented obstacles and ongoing changes. ... The top five communities also earn the prestigious ICAA NuStep Pinnacle Award, which signifies exemplary wellness performance. Here we share a glimpse of what makes these role models so successful at enriching lives throughout their communities.

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Business profiles

Better together: Covenant Living navigates COVID with community and communication by Jana Decker by BS-8682

Better together: Covenant Living navigates COVID with community and communication by Jana Decker by BS

Covenant Living Communities and Services is rooted in ministry. Our Illinois-based organization has served older adults as an outreach ministry of the Evangelical Covenant Church since 1886. That year, our flagship community, Covenant Home of Chicago (known at the time as the Home of Mercy) was founded to provide care "to the sick, to orphaned children and to the frail elderly." Today, as a nonprofit provider of senior services and among the largest seniors housing providers in the United States, Covenant Living serves 5,400 residents at 17 retirement communities in 9 states. Our continuing care communities offer independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, memory care and rehabilitation services. In March 2020, after more than 130 years of growth and change (and 100+ years since the Spanish Flu), our organization suddenly and unexpectedly found itself on the brink of a pandemic. We kicked into action immediately as COVID-19 shutdowns took place, knowing that the health and safety of our residents is the highest priority. Initially, that meant residents sheltering in place with no access to the many amenities that were part of normal life. Days turned into weeks, and like many other organizations, we realized this crisis situation was not a passing storm. The pandemic was not going away any time soon. It was clear our organization urgently needed to redirect focus to long-term solutions for supporting and engaging residents within the parameters of COVID.

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Business profiles

Pandemic innovations boost wellness-8571

Pandemic innovations boost wellness

Among the earliest consequences of the pandemic lockdown were loss of mobility and loss of social connectivity. In-person classes were banned. Gyms and recreational facilities were closed. Residents and members were urged to stay at home. Even daily walks fell by the wayside. Like many active-aging organizations, the following trio of providers used both creativity and ingenuity to find ways to engage, connect and support their constituents, including through the use of technology. WesleyLife embraced the broader community; Acts Retirement-Life Communities personalized fitness participation; and Encore Community Services engaged members with a virtual show.

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Business profiles

Total items: 65

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