Boosting Resident Engagement & Health in Senior Living Communities – CCL’s EmpowerU Wellness Program

Have you noticed that residents are waiting into their later years to move into your senior living community? You’re not alone. Adults moving in are older on average and often show signs of increased mental and functional decline upon arrival, which can lead to lower engagement and decreased lengths of stay.

How can we shift this cycle and help our residents thrive physically and mentally, and in turn, support communities financially?

Creating a Personalized Wellness Path for New Residents

Do you remember your first day of school? Were you excited, overwhelmed, lost—or all the above? Many residents feel the same way when they enter a senior living community, especially when it comes to choosing wellness activities. What if they had a blueprint for success—a personalized wellness plan that goes beyond fitness, to foster resident engagement, mental and physical wellbeing, and even increase length of stay (LOS)?

By creating a path that addresses holistic health, we can empower residents to take charge of their wellness journey from day one.

With an average resident age of 85, the risk of falls increases, often leading to reduced movement, engagement, and worsening physical and emotional health. Preventative measures like balance, strength, and cardiovascular exercises help reduce fall risk, while senior wellness programs, in collaboration with physical therapists, offer customized recovery plans if a fall does occur.

Early intervention through wellness check-ups can prevent falls from becoming long-term issues, allowing residents to recover faster and re-engage in community activities. Reintroducing residents to activities after an injury or health setback is essential for their overall wellness. By working with rehab providers, communities can gradually reintegrate residents into exercise classes, social events, and dining programs, rebuilding confidence and fostering a sense of community. A step-by-step approach helps overcome the fear of re-injury, while a Community Wellness Check-up Day can offer immediate progress tracking and encourage socialization, with dining playing a key role in recovery and community involvement.

Using the Power of Metrics in Senior Wellness

The primary goal for collecting and sharing senior wellness metrics is to create personalized care plan for each resident, while also gaining insight into a community-wide score tracking overall health. This data-driven approach is a game-changer when it comes to fostering a stronger community connection and increasing resident engagement.

Consider including the “Big Five” metrics: flexibility, agility, strength, cardiovascular endurance, and balance. Alongside these, emotional health metrics—such as anxiety, depression, and confidence—reflects a holistic view of each resident’s wellbeing. By combining both physical and emotional data, you can tailor programs to the individual, helping residents build confidence in activities of daily living, increase social interaction, and reduce fall risks.

Benefits of Tracking Wellness Metrics:

• Establish a starting point for each participant.
• Identify impairments and functional limitations.
• Build confidence for activities of daily living.
• Highlight fall risks and guide interventions with senior wellness teams, physicians, and therapists.
• Offer targeted feedback for group exercise classes and other programs.
• Help residents connect more deeply with their community and each other.

An Approachable Way to Execute a Successful Senior Wellness Program

Here are the key steps to make your wellness program a success:

1. Evolve the Community: By integrating wellness into dining programs, hosting fitness challenges, or planning community events like Spring Walks or Turkey Trots, you can continuously engage residents and promote a healthier, happier community.
2. Change Your Language: Rather than calling it an “assessment,” frame wellness check-ups as a “Wellness Check-up Day” to make it feel more approachable and less intimidating. This shift in language creates a positive experience and encourages more residents to participate.
3. Make It Fun: Host group wellness events, such as a community-wide Wellness Day. Involve residents, staff, and local volunteers to create a sense of community and fun. From retired nurses helping with vitals to the dining team offering hydration stations, everyone can contribute.
4. Give Immediate Feedback: Provide residents with instant, evidence-based feedback through easy-to-understand wellness scores. Use a reliable data collection platform to show residents their progress with visual graphs and share results digitally so they can celebrate their improvements with loved ones.
5. Provide Meaningful Goals: Help residents set goals based on their unique needs and desires. Whether it’s increasing strength to manage stairs or improving balance to join in more activities, working toward meaningful goals fosters a sense of purpose and success.
6. Recognize Success: Celebrate achievements, whether it’s the highest wellness score or the most improved performance, with a fun community event. A little recognition goes a long way in motivating residents to continue their wellness journey.

The Difference Empowering Residents Makes

Residents shouldn’t just “stay” in their communities—they should thrive. By fostering a wellness culture that emphasizes prevention, recovery, and engagement, empowering residents allows them to live their best lives, no matter their age. EmpowerU, Undine’s wellbeing program, is designed to ensure that residents not only stay longer in your community but do so with improved physical and emotional health. By imparting customized wellness journeys for each resident, offering a blend of fitness, nutrition, and social connection to promote health and happiness, EmpowerU approaches senior wellness holistically—addressing the needs of each resident while nurturing a vibrant, thriving community.