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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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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COVID-19's emergence in 2020 has upended daily life in senior living communities across North America and made it more vital than ever to nurture multidimensional wellness for residents and staff. Many communities have embraced wellness as a culture shift in the last decade, prioritizing wellness-and its pursuit-as an essential way of life. Highlighting those that excel at weaving wellness into their culture, the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) and NuStep, LLC, have honored 25 communities with the 2020 ICAA NuStep Beacon Award for their "Best in Wellness" achievements. ... The Beacon Award goes to communities that successfully foster a wellness culture and an environment that supports wellness for all who live and work there. The top five communities also receive the ICAA NuStep Pinnacle Award for their particularly exceptional contributions.... A full list of the 2020 award-winners follows.
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After 15 years living in a rural community on the Chesapeake Bay, Joel Grow, 69, and his wife, Rebecca, 73, decided to move to a senior living community. The Grows don't have children. They feared that getting care as they aged would be challenging in their remote setting on America's Mid-Atlantic coast. An acquaintance suggested they visit Sunnyside Retirement Community, a life-plan community located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. In March 2018, the couple moved to Sunnyside. "I haven't lived in any other retirement community, but I know this is a wonderful place," Joel states. In fact, Sunnyside is more than a nice place to live. Along with state and international awards, the Virginia community is one of the top five [of 25] winners of the inaugural ICAA NuStep Beacon Award, announced October 2019. To win the Beacon award, communities must demonstrate the ways in which they meet the seven dimensions of wellness: emotional, physical, intellectual, social, spiritual, vocational and environmental. Previously, the Journal on Active Aging featured an article on Moorings Park, the number one "Best in Wellness" community... The four communities that round out the top five are profiled in the article in this issue.
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Twenty-five communities have been recognized with the 2019 ICAA NuStep Beacon Award honoring their "Best in Wellness" achievements. The Beacon Award was created as a joint venture between the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) and NuStep, LLC, a longtime partner of ICAA and a manufacturer of recumbent cross-trainers used in healthcare, senior living and fitness settings. Launched in 2019, the ICAA NuStep Beacon Award program is awarded to communities that successfully foster a wellness culture and an environment that supports wellness for all who live and work there. Among the Beacon Award winners, the top five communities have also received the ICAA NuStep Pinnacle Award for their particularly exceptional contributions. "It is a pleasure to honor the top 25 wellness communities," says Jane Benskey, marketing communications specialist at NuStep, LLC. "Their recognition of the value and importance of creating cultures where wellness is not a program in a room, but rather a way of life, is having a lasting and positive impact on many lives."
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Creating an outstanding wellness culture in senior living takes a lot of heavy lifting, vision and commitment. And, as industry experts see it, it is something critical to cultivate. The International Council on Active Aging's 2019 ICAA State of Wellness Survey queried 305 senior living communities about the value of having services, programs and environments that support a wellness culture. They say it improves the well-being of residents, keeps their community relevant in a changing industry, differentiates them from competitors, attracts younger adults and garners extra income through wellness programs. Another ICAA survey, conducted in 2018, reveals that 59% of senior living communities plan to have a wellness lifestyle-with-options-for-care model (versus a healthcare-first-with-wellness-features) within the next five years. Currently, 64% of industry leaders believe wellness is a "must have." In its first year, ICAA and NuStep, LLC, a leading manufacturer of recumbent cross-trainers, have given the ICAA NuStep Beacon Award to those that best foster, and imbue, wellness into their senior communities. And the number one wellness-based community in North America went to Moorings Park, a life-plan community in Naples, Florida.
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