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Conference Provides Valuable Personal Growth Opportunities for Residents

July 16, 2013

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Named a Best of the Best Award winner, Country Meadows Retirement Communities‘ Celebrating Independence Conference transcends the usual activity calendar fare by challenging residents to journey beyond the walls of their senior living community.

ALFA 2013 Best of the Best Award Winner

Country Meadows Retirement Communities’ first Celebrating Independence Conference last July had all the makings of a fine professional conference in the senior living field. The keynote speaker was a noted author and researcher on aging. Concurrent sessions spanned trends in nutrition, fitness, health management, technology, and government policies affecting seniors. The venue was a big hotel. Attendees could roam a vendor expo.

At this conference, however, the audience consisted of 200 current and prospective residents of Country Meadows communities.
Country Meadows hosted the free day-long wellness conference to promote the kind of positive, active aging that is central to its philosophy. Sessions were thoughtfully designed to challenge attendees rather than simply entertain them.

For example, one session was about improving connections with memory-impaired friends and family. Another was about everyday strategies to promote independence for those with low vision. A third session brought attendees to their feet for a ballroom dancing lesson.

Although some prospects were invited to the free conference, it was mainly intended for current residents of Country Meadows’ 10 communities in Pennsylvania and Maryland, many of whom traveled several hours to attend and were encouraged to spend the night at the hotel on the company’s dime.

According to Kris Pollock, executive director of community life, the conference was roundly successful. “It was awesome to see residents out of their element and in a day of learning, and feel they’re independent enough to attend something like this,” she says. “Everything we do tries to promote leading an active life and giving them a sense of purpose, and this totally did that.”

Given the positive impact of this year’s conference, plans already are in the works to do it again next year. “It inspired more committees, more clubs, and the residents to take a more active role in their lives here at Country Meadows,” says Pollock.

The above best practice was recognized as an ALFA 2013 Best of the Best Award winner. Do you have a best practice, product, service or solution at your community or company that is advancing excellence in senior living? The Call for Nominations for the ALFA 2014 Best of the Best Awards will begin in November. Visit ALFA.org/bestofthebest to read more best practices.