By: Tom Rotz
Picture this: long, vanilla-colored hallways with low, yellow lights that flicker and buzz like misplaced mosquito lamps. Small rooms with hospital-like beds and furniture unchanged since the late 1970s. Mushy, flavorless meals served on compartmentalized plates that have tasted exactly the same for the last 30 years. Employees serving them that no one has seen smile in an equal length of time.
Sounds terrible, right? Of course it does.
Thanks to Hollywood theatrics and active imaginations, we are all familiar with the negative stigmas that have been placed on retirement homes, and in some unfortunate cases, when those stigmas have become reality.
But the retirement industry as a whole has done great things to dispel that image and create a really fulfilling retirement experience for anyone that seeks it. Say goodbye to the days of drab and dreary prisons for the aging population, and hello to personalized service and convenient living.
Welcome to retirement in the 21st century.
For the last two decades, independent living communities have shifted their approach to focus on resident hospitality, creating a more hotel-like experience. In fact, Aging in Action recently published a great article detailing some of today’s top senior living trends to show how the needs of retirees are changing the industry. Driven by options like fantastic cuisine variety, multiple dining venues, concierge services, technology, health and wellness programming and spa options, shopping for the perfect place to retire has become more like shopping for an extended-stay hotel or the perfect cruise: it’s all about easy living with style.
Only recently has this trend become evident in Living with Assistance and Memory Support, though, and The Kenwood is leading the charge in this movement. We believe that from a hospitality standpoint, the level of care is irrelevant; there is absolutely no reason to sacrifice activities, experiences or lifestyle amenities that are important to people because their care needs are different. Rather than structuring activities around what a resident can’t do, we seek to create a rich experience full of things they can. From brain games to physical fitness and community outings, programming is designed to stay one step above an individual’s interests and abilities so they’re never bored or unengaged.
The ultimate goal is to create environments and lifestyles where people want to live, not where they need to live. If you’d like more information about our programming or to see the new standard of retirement living for yourself, call me at 513-561-9300. We’d love to meet you.