Current Challenges for Life in Senior Living

Input to Stanford Center on Longevity - Design Challenge at Aging2.0

Sheila Garner, Regional Vice President

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Our Mission

Enriching the lives of those we serve with compassion, respect, excellence and integrity.

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MORE THAN A JOB, A PASSION.Serving seniors is our calling. We exceed expectations, have fun and celebrate life every day.

DOING THE RIGHT THING TAKES COURAGE.We do what is right, even when no one is watching.

WE SUCCEED THROUGH PARTNERSHIP.

We are all connected. We work and learn together ─ and we treat one another with respect.

A FOUNDATION BUILT ON TRUST.We earn trust when we listen, understand, partner and solve.

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Largest Senior Housing Operator

• Brookdale is the largest operator of senior housing in the United States.

• Only company in the industry to operate at a scale across the continuum of care levels.

• Operates about 650 communities in 36 states with capacity to serve approximately 67,000 residents, with more than 48,000 associates.

• About 266 of the 6540 communities are devoted to Alzheimer’s and dementia care exclusively.

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Assisted Living

Independent Living

Specialized Alzheimer’s

Skilled Nursing

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Consumer Choice Wants Needs

Sub-acute

Hospitals

Active Adult Housing

TherapyHome Health

Hospice

Brookdale

CCRC

Brookdale is the only senior living organization that spans the full spectrum of senior living product types as well as integrates an ancillary service program across this product spectrum.

Care Transition

Senior Care Continuum – Brookdale Product Lines

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Brookdale’s services and solutions support All the Places Life Can Go™

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Challenges for the future of senior l iving: #1 Moving beyond ageis t constructs towards t rue community

• Independence--What does it really mean?– Term connotes living alone and has been held as the ultimate

standard for quality of life for elders– The current ageist cultural norm is that the only happy elder is

one who is “active and independent” and “defies aging” – But is that what they want, need, or benefit from? – Perhaps it is truly the maintenance of self-determination that is

important to most– Living in a supportive community setting (vs. home alone) may

actually increase self-determination and an elder’s trajectory of goals by increasing: » social connections, encouraging life long learning, and

continuation of purposeful skills and interests

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Challenges for the future of senior living: #2 Encouraging LIVING with dementia

• New communities need to be designed for success

• Our understanding of good dementia care design has evolved at the same time as our understanding of both the disease and what constitutes good dementia care and programming

• We have grown beyond the old Medical model vs. Social model program silos and understand now that good dementia care design must support; • the disease and its clinical management • the program and its social requirements • environmental codes and life safety• and most of all the needs of the person

T h e O l d D e m e n t i a D e s i g n S t o r y

• Heavily themed areas may or may not have coordinated with local identity

• Colors were typically neutral• Meaningless accessories• Fakery, trickery, and murals• Focus on accommodation of large group activities• Passive activities as center of spaces

– TV– Fireplaces– Fish tanks

The Old Programming Story-- Bingo, Bal l Toss, and Birthday Part ies

• Design drove (and limited) one size fits all programming

• Based on rigid one hour time slots in a very structured day

• Lots of passive programming—us doing, them watching

• Calendar repeated every day, week, month--One holiday to the next

• Not culturally diverse or even locally based

• Did not honor individual preferences, tastes, habits,

The Old Programming Story:Bingo, Ball Toss, and Birthday Parties

Old programming was based in and supported a culture of beliefs that persons living with dementia (sufferers and victims) cannot:• Learn new things or contribute to the learning of others• Use technology• Grow as people• Be trusted with

• Children• Pets• Real plants• Tasks

What is our new programming story?

Programming has evolved to include much more

• Small group activities

• One to one interactions

• Active experiences-doing rather than watching

• “Real” materials and tasks

• Person centered focus

• Spontaneous opportunities for activity

• Emphasis on wellness, growth, and purpose

• Connection with and contribution to the greater community

What is our new design story?

• Programming now drives design• Design lessens excess disability and supports maximum

functioning• Accessorizing is more purposeful and supportive of programming• Functional, usable areas that do not deceive or mislead• Colors!• Multi use spaces• Purposefulness of the room used to orient instead of themes• Technology is incorporated into design• TVs are not focal points but rather tools• Fireplaces are real• Fish tanks are virtual and interactive

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Staying connected with technology“This is a resident who is 104 years old, skyping with her daughter who was in Hawaii on vacation. The special element to this story is that this family has gone to Hawaii for a month long vacation for many years and this was the FIRST year that Bernice was unable to go. Her expression is a little difficult to see but she was crying tears of joy to see her daughter and we were able to see the lovely beach scene here while snow was on the ground in St. Louis!”

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Purposeful community living

“All Gene wants to do is help out every single day and today he gets to be ‘one of the guys’ helping to refresh the front porch! He is thrilled to be helping Eric & Will today.”