2021 has been an exciting year so far for Thrive Wellness, as community committees have been forming in Presbyterian Senior Living’s Continuing Care Retirement Communities. Residents have been leading the efforts, inviting team members to join these important committees that meet monthly in each community.
In late spring, resident members of the Thrive Wellness Steering Group recommended a fun, future event for PSL communities to engage in, celebrating Thrive Wellness. Their idea was to have the first-ever Presbyterian Senior Living Olympics in the fall of 2021!
They wanted to bring this idea to an open forum of residents from each community to discuss - and that in 2021, we would hold Olympics across PSL communities for residents living in independent living. Then, starting in the fall of 2022 – the PSL Olympics would involve residents living in all levels of living.
The Thrive Wellness Steering Group (TWSG) brought this Olympic idea to the Thrive Wellness quarterly forum on July 14th. At this meeting, over 30 residents from 10 PSL Continuing Care Retirement Communities met via a virtual zoom meeting to discuss the fall Olympics and brainstorm ideas for possible events.
Many wonderful, exciting ideas were shared as residents engaged with each other discussing Olympics events and challenges that would provide for a fun, friendly fellowship among the participating PSL communities. An important concept that this team of over 30 residents decided was that the PSL Olympics should have both competitive events across communities and some events that were just for fun, not competitive, and would be held in each community. Another critical decision by this forum was that the first PSL Olympics would be held during the entire month of October.
After the forum, a survey was prepared, including all the Olympic ideas that were discussed. Residents in the forum decided that there would be one Olympic event/challenge celebrating each of the six dimensions of Thrive Wellness: Spiritual, Vocational, Emotional, Physical, Social, and Intellectual. The survey was then sent to all residents who participated in the quarterly forum, the Thrive Wellness Steering Group, and team members in each community.
On August 4th, the TWSG met with community life directors and fitness directors from each community to review the survey results - and “winning” ideas (those with the most votes) for Olympic events/challenges for each dimension of Thrive Wellness. This team then discussed details of how to hold these events in each community, as well as which of these events would be competitive across all communities.
Competitive events to be hosted:
- Move-a-Thon - Physical Dimension
- Nature Scavenger Hunt- Spiritual Dimension
- Photography/Art Gallery- Emotional Dimension
Non-competitive events to be hosted:
- Trivia - Intellectual Dimension
- Social Mixer- Social Dimension
- Collecting Socks for the Homeless- Vocational Dimension
As we get closer to the PSL Olympics during October, please check with your Community Life team for more information, sign-up, and details specific to the community.
Update on Thrive Wellness for residents living in Personal Care, Assisted Living, and Skilled Nursing
During the summer of 2020, focus groups were held in 11 PSL Continuing Care Retirement Communities to seek input and feedback from residents living in independent living as our culture of Thrive Wellness was being developed. These important focus groups informed our launch of Thrive Wellness during the first quarter of 2021.
Likewise, we are conducting Thrive Wellness focus groups this summer of 2021 for residents living in personal care, assisted living, and skilled nursing. As we prepare and develop Thrive Wellness for them, set to launch in the first quarter of 2022 – it is essential to hear from them and seek their input and feedback concerning wellness and purposeful living.
We have enjoyed engaging with residents in nine communities so far, holding 16 focus groups to date. We will continue meeting with residents in five more communities by the end of September. Once completed, we will have held over 25 Thrive Wellness focus groups with residents living in personal care, assisted living, and skilled nursing.
This feedback will be gathered and documented anonymously, and a second Thrive Wellness Steering Group will be formed. This team will consist of residents living in these levels of living, PSL team members, and community leadership. Honoring residents’ input and feedback from these focus groups, this steering group will develop Thrive Wellness for residents in all levels of living, which will launch in the first quarter of 2022.
Please stay tuned for next month’s post for Thrive Wellness updates and share this information with your friends. Invite them to subscribe to the PSL blog. Thrive Wellness monthly blogs will post at the end of each month.
People who come to Presbyterian Senior Living come for more than just a place to live– they come to feel energized, challenged, and fulfilled; they come to THRIVE.