BEYOND CLICHES AND STEREOTYPES // SENIOR LIVING
BEYOND CLICHES AND STEREOTYPES SENIOR LIVING WANTS AND NEEDS
BY JOHN HARDY
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ow that most anxieties and broadsides of the pandemic are in the rearview mirror, Calgary seniors are transitioning into the new normal of postCOVID senior living. Without much fanfare or bravado, the 60+ generation is subtle and stealth about defining contemporary wants and needs and redefining the musthaves of contemporary senior living. “Today’s seniors don’t see retirement as a time to ‘relax’, but more as a time of a transition,” says the upbeat Careen Chrusch, director of communications at Calgary’s United Active Living. “A time to turn their attention to the joys of life: family, friends, hobbies, adventures. Seniors want an enriching lifestyle that provides the services and amenities to enjoy an engaging, entertaining, fulfilling life full of experiences. “The older adult is also well versed in a variety of areas such as travel and different life experiences. The expansion of accommodation into an experience-based culture will
become a time of disruption for providers, as we move from where we are today into where we need to be tomorrow to remain in step with our residents,” she adds. The commonly held perception of a “typical senior” is changing so quickly and dramatically that it is already impacting, what Chrusch calls “different life experiences” and what they expect and demand from a senior living facility, particularly as it relates to amenities and social offerings. “Older adults are a diverse group with diverse interests,” explains Dr. David Hogan, a clinician-researcher at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine and a specialist in geriatric medicine. “These interests, desires and needs also overlap with those of younger adults, especially when you compare middle-aged with the ‘young-old’ (age 65 - 74). And it’s well documented that older adult tend to expend more effort to maintain their health and deal with health conditions.”
BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // AUGUST 2021
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