(Alexandria, Va.) – Argentum has announced its 2020 Best of the Best Awards, recognizing innovative programs, products, and services that solve a challenge, advance excellence, and improve the future of senior living.
Honorees were chosen for qualities such as relevance of the challenge; impact of the initiative, both qualitative and quantitative; and plans for growth or scalability.
“The Best of the Best Awards give us all a chance to hear the inspiring stories behind innovations that can make a lasting difference in the health, independence, and quality of life for residents and stronger engagement for those working in the industry,” said James Balda, Argentum president and CEO. “We’re pleased to be able to celebrate these offerings and the companies who cultivate them.”
Honorees are featured in the July/August issue of Senior Living Executive magazine.
Meet the 2020 honorees:
- Belmont Village Senior Living, Total Incontinence Management (TIM):
While it’s not often talked about, incontinence affects up to 49 percent of senior living residents; it can lead to serious health problems and raises costs for families and providers. Belmont Village, in collaboration with Secure Personal Care Products, developed a research-based, comprehensive approach called Total Incontinence Management (TIM). Caregiver education and selection of correct protocols and products for each resident has led to a 28 percent average decrease in falls, a 54 percent decrease in UTIs, and good to strong approval in caregiver surveys.
- Benchmark, Connect First:
Designed to improve understanding of behaviors in memory care and turn potential negatives into positives, Connect First uses training and data tracking to help the care team understand what residents are communicating through behaviors. De-escalating situations around challenging behaviors is another important part. The provider is collecting data on emergency room visits and feedback from residents and caregivers and developing nursing assistant training.
- Commonwealth Senior Living, Hydroponic Farming:
As part of its 5-year program to boost nutrition and reduce carbon footprint, Commonwealth brought the farm to the community, through installing hydroponic garden cabinets for fresh greens, herbs, and edible flowers directly into the dining rooms. The program not only incorporates an accessible activity residents and associates enjoy, but also has increased consumption of greens by 35 percent and reduced costs by more than 20 percent, as measured in the first 30 days of production.
- Juniper Communities, Perennial Players:
Residents love performing together, but the scripts for the classic musicals they enjoy are often too long and not suited to different abilities. Juniper collaborated with the Music Theatre International licensing agency to help adapt musicals specifically for seniors. Theater and health experts and researchers from Penn State joined in, and The Perennial Players with Broadway Senior productions debuted Guys and Dolls, Senior in 2018 at Juniper Village at Brookline in State College, and Singin’ in the Rain, Senior in 2019. Among other results: The program “generated a positive cognitive impact on the residents participating in the program, with 7 out of 9 actors showing an increase in St. Louis University Mental Status Exam scores”; engagement data tracking revealed a 27 percent increase in resident participant engagement time; cast members attended 96 more activities in the quarter following the show; and Juniper Village number of activities increased by 76 percent.
About Argentum
Argentum is the leading national association exclusively dedicated to supporting companies operating professionally managed, resident-centered senior living communities and the older adults and families they serve. Since 1990, Argentum has advocated for choice, independence, dignity, and quality of life for all older adults.
Argentum member companies operate senior living communities offering assisted living, independent living, continuing care, and memory care services. Along with its state partners, Argentum’s membership represents approximately 75 percent of the senior living industry—an industry with a national economic impact of nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars and responsible for providing over 1.6 million jobs. These numbers will continue to grow as the U.S. population ages.
Argentum’s programs and initiatives are driven by its membership. For more information about joining Argentum, please visit argentum.org/membership. Learn more at argentum.org.
