What Makes an Aging Experience Iconic?
What Makes an Aging Experience Iconic? 5 Essentials to Ensure Your Residents are Happy, Healthy, and Thriving
Iconic (n.): widely known and acknowledged, especially for distinctive excellence
Society assigns the term “iconic” to the best of the best: Beyoncé, Lord of the Rings, Meryl Streep, and deep-dish pizza (we’re willing to stake our reputation on this one). These people and products are iconic because they’re a cut above the rest. They exceed our expectations and inspire progress and innovation.
But when we asked ourselves what makes the experience of aging iconic, we realized there were no common cultural touchstones. So we took it upon ourselves to create the definition. An iconic aging experience includes…
- Meaningful connections throughout the community
- Ample opportunities to build community
- Deep family relationships
- Holistic wellness
- Convenience at every turn
Here, we explore how these elements manifest for those in senior living – and the role Icon plays in enabling communities to deliver the highest quality of life to those in their golden years.
1. Meaningful Relationships Throughout the Community
A great aging experience means staying in touch with the people you love.
But an iconic aging experience involves not just maintaining relationships. It means deepening existing relationships and creating new ones. Specifically…
New residents are welcomed by existing community members
When older adults join senior living communities, they’re changing nearly everything about their daily lives, from the place they sleep to the people they see. And though many residents have had decades to perfect it, making friends isn’t easy at any age. In an iconic aging experience, every member of the community feels welcomed with open arms.
One way to make this easier: online member directories that let residents get in touch with one another and form relationships with those who share similar interests.
You can just scroll to see who the newest people are! [The member directory] helps me keep an eye out so I can say hi and welcome them.
Resident at All Seasons Senior Living
There are countless opportunities to share hobbies and form new ones
Residents join communities after years of developing and refining their own hobbies, from scrapbooking to winning fantasy sports leagues. An iconic aging experience is one where it’s easy for residents to find others who enjoy those hobbies.
Senior living technology, like our Community Engagement platform, makes this simple by centralizing everything residents want to share and view, whether it’s dining reservations or invites to the weekly poker night.
I put the book club meetings on [Community Engagement] and they’re well-attended because of the platform.
Resident at All Seasons Senior Living
It’s easy to keep up with what’s happening in the community
Maintenance requests. Dining reservations. Menu options. Choir rehearsals. Community announcements. Mail deliveries.
That’s just a smattering of things residents need to monitor on any given day. It’s a lot. An iconic aging experience means that information is easy for everyone to access and consume. And while word of mouth may travel fast, there’s a faster way for residents to get updates on their to-dos: voice assistant technology.
In fact, during the pilot programs at Arcadia and 15 Craigside – two communities we serve – 91 percent of residents used Icon’s voice technology at least once a week. One resident even noted:
[Voice technology] is an excellent service, especially for those suffering from physical challenges.
Resident at Arcadia Family of Companies
People remember important milestones
Whether it’s an anniversary or a birthday, it’s heartwarming to hear others wish you well. These moments make a senior living community feel like a community. Still, with hundreds of residents in a typical community, those “Happy Birthday” wishes add up.
Our bi-directional communication platform takes that calendar management off staff members’ plates. Once your team has added resident milestones, our platform automatically sends the “Happy Anniversary!” messages. That ensures every resident feels seen on their special day(s) and helps reduce your staff workload, which also means…
There’s time to chat
You can’t have an iconic senior living experience unless residents, loved ones, and staff are fully integrated into the community. There has to be time to regularly check in and hear how everyone is doing. But with jam-packed days, it’s tough for staff to foster meaningful relationships with each resident and family member.
This is where our Family Engagement platform comes in. With it, family members can independently check everything from when the community cookout is happening to the pilates classes their loved ones have attended. Yes, this saves staff time. But it also gives families the information they want – instantly.
When families want to hear more about their loved one’s care, our platform gives them a way to directly message staff. Not only does this build the staff-family relationship, but it’s also one reason family members from communities like The Monarch at Richardson sing its praises:
Family Engagement is a great platform for sharing information!
Resident at The Monarch of Richardson
Iconic senior living communities, first and foremost, keep everyone connected.