Finding purpose is a basic human right regardless of our place in society, background or age. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold and disrupt the senior living industry, it is our duty as industry leaders to ensure that residents in communities are able to find meaning every day through person-centered engagement. Activity professionals make…
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 was the most challenging year in the history of the senior living industry. Health and safety has been the main focus of leaders as they grapple with the deadly rate of virus infections and its impact on the lives of millions of older adults, staff and their…
Eight months into the global COVID-19 pandemic, it is clear that residents of nursing homes and senior living communities are experiencing rapid declines in physical and cognitive health as a result of growing social isolation. The ever-present threat of the virus means that social engagement has been stifled, and this remains the biggest concern right…
The leaves have started to change, and each passing day brings us closer to the holiday season. Every year, we eagerly anticipate this time as an opportunity to be physically close to family and friends, to share meals and connect meaningfully with those who are the most important to us. But with COVID-19 in our lives,…
The pursuit of purpose is a basic human right. Older adults in senior living and long-term care communities deserve to experience meaningful engagement every day. As the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded in the past six months, the community lockdowns and physical distancing measures have increased social isolation resulting in a devastating impact on the physical,…
What would you do if you had to engage a very large number of residents with diverse preferences and abilities to ensure maximum well-being on an almost nonexistent budget? The answer would be to find an extremely accessible activity that can be done with little support at a low cost with high cognitive and social…
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, most senior living providers are reporting that their residents are experiencing both cognitive and physical declines due to a lack of consistent and meaningful engagement. Frontline staff members are struggling to provide engagement more than ever before and need support. They now have little outside help with resident…
As the country is planning to reopen after lockdowns due to COVID-19, senior care providers are grasping the implications of this phase for their operations, staff and well-being of residents. An obvious goal is restoring the quality of the experience they provide older adults. To achieve this, the first step is to analyze how COVID-19…
Helping older adults find purpose every day is more important than ever in this new world of physical distancing that we are living in. It is heartening to see how frontline staff have shown passion, creativity and resilience during this COVID-19 pandemic in order to continue providing meaningful engagement for every resident. Our workforce is…
My brother lives in Shanghai, China with his wife and 6-year old son. As COVID-19 unfolded they were lucky to escape the crisis to France in order to live with our parents. A few weeks later, though, the exact same situation happened in France and in other countries in Europe. He witnessed not once, but…
