Zooming Into a New Era

Zooming Into a New Era

Senior living is adapting and advancing

By Christy Brudin

In early 2020, the world came to a halt. Schools closed. Businesses shuttered. Commerce virtually stopped. Nearly everyone who could went inside and closed their doors firmly.

The same was true in the senior living industry. Senior living communities locked down— prohibiting visitors, eliminating in-person resident programs, and instituting staff screening— all to keep a vulnerable population safe. Now, months later, communities are just beginning to partially—and carefully—lift restrictions.

While there will be many “lessons learned” from how the senior living industry faced this global pandemic, one thing seems certain: the industry will be forever changed. Senior living professionals at every level of the industry came up with new practices and protocols to keep residents safe and to ensure they remain connected.

The world may have stood still for just a little while, but the senior living industry kept adapting— and now it is rapidly advancing. This is an industry that is zooming toward a new era.

Engaged Living During a Pandemic

Perhaps nowhere is this race toward the future more evident than in two of the Washington, D.C. region’s premier communities—Ingleside at Rock Creek and Ingleside at King Farm. These not-forprofit life plan communities offer care options ranging from independent living and memory support residences to nursing care and a wide range of accommodations. Both communities are also committed to engaged living. The communities provide vibrant and fulfilling lifestyles enhanced by excellent service, fine dining, and extraordinary amenities—all shared with like-minded peers.

From diverse Zoom programming to activity packets to help residents keep busy, the staff at both Rock Creek and King Farm have ramped up their offerings to ensure that residents never feel alone. They have also used in-house TV networks to air movies, TV shows and unique programming like resident talent shows. Additionally, the communities focused on helping residents remain connected with family and friends.

Whether they were just settling in when Covid-19 struck or long-time residents, the seniors who call Ingleside at Rock Creek and Ingleside at King Farm home experienced first hand what it meant to live in a senior living community committed to engagement during a pandemic. Now, they share their experiences and their hopes for the future.

Support Through Challenging Times

From day one, life got easier for Anna Sonny after her move to Ingleside at King Farm. That was seven years ago. While she noted many benefits of moving, perhaps the biggest was the support she received after her husband, Jacob, passed away. “Throughout his illness and following his death, everyone here—the chaplain, the staff, the other residents, the management—they were all so helpful to me and my two children as we faced this difficult reality,” Anna recalled. “I will never forget the expressions of sympathy and caring and love. Everyone here was so generous, compassionate and loving. I have never felt more grateful.” Continued on page 29

When their search began, it didn’t take Anna and Jacob long to pick Ingleside. “We came here once and then we stopped looking. We knew this was where we wanted to be,” remembered Anna.

They couldn’t have been more right. After moving, the couple had no bills to keep track of, no cooking and cleaning to do, no property to maintain, and no errands to run. “It was such a relief. Life just became so much easier as soon as we moved here,” she said.

Covid-19 hasn’t changed that. Anna explained, “I have always felt safe here. I credit our management for all the proactive planning that they have done to address the current situation.”

Socially distanced outdoor socializing is now the norm—allowing residents to connect and stay safe.

Download the PDF to read more or visit www.positiveagingsourcebook.com