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THE WELLNESS REVOLUTION SHAPING SENIOR LIVING

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1T H E W E L L N E S S R E V O L U T I O N S H A P I N G S E N I O R L I V I N G

TABLEOFCONTENTS

2 About Senior Housing News

3 Key Takeaways

4 The Business of Wellness

6 ● WellnessBeginswithEnvironment

11 ● HowHospitalityisPushingWellnessForward

17 ● ThePerson-CenteredApproachtoMind,BodyandSpirit

28 ● TheWellnessRevolutionisHeretoStay


ABOUTSENIOR HOUSINGNEWS

SeniorHousingNews(SHN)istheleadingsourceof

newsandinformationcoveringtheseniorhousing

industry.

Withanationalreachofmorethan30,000

professionals,SHNboastsareadershipthatincludes

seniorhousingoperators,developers,banking

institutions,realestateinvestmenttrusts,privateequity

andserviceproviderscateringtotheindustry.

SHNprovidesacutting-edgeandtargetedplatform

unlikeanyotherpublication,givingyoutheopportunity

toreachdecision-makerseveryday.


Thewordoneveryone’slipstodayisonethatseniorlivingisin

auniquepositiontoprovide:wellness.

Nomatterthebusinesssector,wellnessisahottopic.In

technologyandhealthcare,inrestaurantsandhospitals,the

conceptiseverywhere.It’sinseniorlivingtoo.That’sbecause

theareasofaresident’slifethatseniorlivingaimstoaddress

areallwellness-based.

Forthehealthoftheirbusinessesandthefutureoftheir

residents,it’stimeforseniorlivingproviderstoembracethe

wellnesschallengeandleadthecharge.Wellnessisnotan

ancillarypieceoftheseniorlivingbusiness.Itisthebusiness.

Seniorlivingprovidersneedtodoitbetter.Thisreportshows

howtheycan.

In these pages, senior living providers will learn:

• Seniorsneedwhole-personwellness—afocusonmultiple,

interrelatedareasofaperson’slife

• Babyboomersdemandmoreattentiononwellnessthan

domembersoftheGreatestGeneration

• Seniorlivingenvironmentsarebeingre-definedasspaces

topromotewellness,impactingsiteselection,building

designandtechnologicalinfrastructure

• Big-namehotelsaresettingthepaceforwellness,and

seniorlivingcanandmustlearnfromhospitality’s

innovativepractices

• Person-centeredofferingsindining,fitnessandhealthcare

mustbethenorm

• Themostpromisingtechnologiesforenhancingwellness

The exterior at the Aurora Health & Wellness Center at Norterre, a multigenerational community in Liberty, Missouri.(PhotocourtesyofNorterre)

KEY

TAKEAWAYS


THE BUSINESS OF

WELLNESS

Wellnessisbigbusiness,andbusinessisgood.

AsreportedbytheGlobalWellnessInstitute,wellnessisa$3.7trillionindustry

andgrowing.From2013to2015,forinstance,wellnesstourismgrew14%to

$563.2billion—morethandoublethegrowthrateofoveralltourisminthat

time.

Allovertheworld,peoplearespendingbigtoachievewellness.Thoughdifferent

sourcesciteanywherefromfourto12dimensionsofwellness,there are five that

are most commonly addressed in senior living:theemotional,mental,physical,

socialandspiritual.

Puttheseandotherdimensionsofwellnesstogetherandyougetthekey

conceptofwellnesstoday:whole-personwellness.Itrequiresamulti-faceted,

integratedapproach,onethatacknowledgestheinterconnectedrelationship

betweendifferentareasofthebody,alongwiththemindandspirit.

Iftheideaofcombiningemotional,mental,physical,socialandspiritualneeds

soundssimilartothemissionofseniorliving,that’srightonthemoney.Senior

livingprovidersarealreadyembracingwellness,andseeingthebusiness

benefits.

Forexample,wellnessofferingsincreaseresidentsatisfactionandimprove

qualityoflife.Thattranslatestolongerlengthofstay,leadingtomorestable

occupancyandahealthierbottomlineforseniorlivingproviders.

LutheranSeniorServices,whichoperates21locationsinMissouriandIllinois,

hasachievedan11%reductioninmove-outstohigherlevelsofcareamong

participantsinits“ProjectWellness.”NewJersey-basedJuniperCommunities

hasextendedlength-of-staythroughConnect4Life,aprogramthathasslashed

hospitalizationsamonghigh-acuityresidents,loweringcostsofcare.

W E L L N E S S I N D U S T R Y

$3.7 trillion Wellnessisa$3.7trillionindustryandgrowing.

Effortsaimedattheemotional,physical,socialandspiritualdimensionsdrivebigspending.Alongwithtourism,today’stopwellnesssectorsinclude:

• Healthy eating, nutrition and weight loss ($648billionin2015)

• Fitness and mind-body connection ($542billion)

• Preventative and personalized medicine and health care ($534billion)

• Spas ($98.6billion)

Source:GlobalWellnessInstitute,“BuildWelltoLiveWell—Wellness

LifestyleRealEstateandCommunities,”2018


Theseresultssuggestthatwellness-focusedseniorlivingproviderscanstrike

valuablebusinessarrangementswithhealthsystemsandpayers,whichare

onthehuntforpartnerstohelpthemimproveoutcomeswhileloweringcosts

fortheirpatientorbeneficiarypopulations.Considertherecent$1.35billion

acquisitionofHCRManorCare’soperationsbynonprofithealthsystemand

insurancecompanyProMedica,whichbelievesitcanleveragetheplatformtohelp

bettermanageseniorsunderitscare.

Furthermore,seniorlivingresidentsdemandwellness.A2009surveyof1,042

seniorlivingresidents—conductedbymembersofProMaturaGroup,LLCandthe

AmericanSeniorsHousingAssociation—revealedthat“nonphysicalattributesof

theircommunitieshadasignificantlygreaterimpactontheirsatisfactionthanthe

community’sphysicalattributes.”

A2018InternationalCouncilofActiveAgingsurveyof4,063senior

livingresidentsfoundthatwellnessprogramssignificantlyimprovea

resident’squalityoflife.Theimpendingwaveofbabyboomersentering

seniorcare—theU.S.Censusprojectsa105%increaseinpeopleover

65from2015to2060—willonlyincreasethatfocus.

“Noonewantstobedefinedbytheirhealthneeds,theirhealth

problemsortheirfunctionallimitations,”RobertG.Kramer,founder

andcurrentstrategicadvisorattheNationalInvestmentCenterfor

SeniorsHousing&Care(NIC),recentlytoldSeniorHousingNews.“We

havetodeliverbothqualityofcareandqualityoflife.”

Yeteventhesefindingsdon’ttellthefullwellnessstory.Afterall,the

wellnessstoryisjustbeginning,andthisreportshowshowwellnesswill

helpseniorlivingresidentsandprovidersnotjustsurvive,butflourish.

“Thatwouldbetheaimof…goodseniorcare:theaimtolive,live,live

untilyoudie—thatyou’redancingwhenyoudie,”saysMaryTabacchi,

aCornellUniversityprofessoremeritawiththeCornellSchoolofHotel

Administrationandamemberofthe2017CornellInstituteforHealthy

Futuresroundtable.

“Thatwouldbethedreamofmostpeople,”Tabacchisays.“Theydon’twanttositaroundanddieslowly.”

DEPRESSION IS A GLOBAL

ECONOMIC KILLER

A2016WorldHealthOrganizationstudy

estimatedthattheglobaleconomy

loses$1trillionannuallyinproductivity

duetodepressionandanxietydisorders,

whiletheAARPPublicPolicyInstitute

releasedin2018resultsofastudythat

showedanannual$6.7billionMedicare

expenseasaresultofsocialisolation.

Residents Love Wellness Programs

87%

87% of life plan/CCRC residents are very satisfied or satisfied with overall quality of life

Life plan, CCRC properties in ICAA/

ProMatura Wellness Benchmarks

94%

94% of IL and AL residents are very satisfied or satisfied with overall quality of life

IL or IL/AL properties in ICAA/ProMatura

Wellness Benchmarks

ICAA/ProMatura Wellness Benchmarks, 4,063 resident surveys. “How satisfied are you with your quality of life here at the community?” “To what degree does your participation in your wellness program impact your satisfaction with overall community?”

That would be the aim of … good senior care: the aim to live, live, live until you die — that you’re dancing when you die. That would be the dream of most people: they don’t want to sit around and die slowly.

MaryTabacchi,professoremeritawiththeCornellSchoolofHotelAdministration


WELLNESS BEGINS WITH

ENVIRONMENT

Whole-personwellnessdoesn’tstartwiththeperson—itstartsaroundtheperson.Thatmeans

developingcommunitiesandspaceswithincommunitiesdesignedtoaddresseachresident’swellness

goalsandneeds.

Frommultimillion-dollarstandalonewellnesscenterstowellness-focusedfitnessofferingsinsenior

housing,allthewaytobig-namehotelsbuyingwellnessretreatstoexpandtheirbrands,realestate

developersarecapitalizingonwellnessinabigway.In2017,thewellnessrealestateindustry

represented$134billioninsales,up6.4%annuallysince2015.GlobalWellnessInstituteprojectsthat

sectortoexpandto$180billionby2022.

Thesearenewenvironmentsthatdelivercustomizable,person-centered

amenitiesdesignedtohelpresidentsandgueststhrive.“Environment”here

hastwomeanings.Thefirstisaphysicalspacedesignedbasedonwellness

principles.Thesecondisthehumanenvironment—thepeoplewithinthe

communitywithwhomthepersoninquestioninteracts.

Thesetwotypesof“environments”arenowbeingconsideredinseniorliving.

Whetherbuildingstandalonewellnessfacilitiesoraddingwellness-specific

areastoexistingproperties,hereisalookathowseniorlivingprovidersare

buildingwellnessintotheirenvironments.

Physical spaces are vital for wellness delivery

A2016reportbyarchitecturefirmPerkinsEastmandefinesawellnesscenter,alsoknownasaCenter

forHealthyLiving(CHL),as“anewbuildingtypologythatsupportsseniorsthroughallthedimensionsof

wellness.”Thereportaddsthatthesecenters“helpbridgethegapbetweentheseniorlivingandhealth

caresectors”withafocusonwhole-personwellness.

Whetherastandalonestructureorpartofalargercommunitysuchasacontinuingcareretirement

community(CCRC),thewellnesscenterisbecomingacriticalcomponentofthemodernseniorcare

offering.

W E L L N E S S R E A L E S TAT E S A L E S

$134 billion In2017,thewellnessrealestate

industryrepresented$134billionin

sales,up6.4%annuallysince2015.

Source:GlobalWellnessInstitute,“BuildWelltoLiveWell—

WellnessLifestyleRealEstateandCommunities,”2018


“Thepurposeofthehealthylivingcenteristo,numberone,create

ahealth-basedsystem,andtwo,tocreateanavigationsystem

thatorganizestheservicesaroundtheperson,traverseswiththem

throughthecontinuumandcollectsdataalongthewaysothat

eachpersonisabletohaveamoreholisticjourneythroughthat

continuum,”saysSteveShields,CEOofActionPactHoldingsLLC.,

aseniorlivingconsulting,developmentanddesigncompany.

ActionPactjoinedtheLibertyHospitalsystemtodevelopandopen

Norterre,a$60-millionmultigenerationalwellnesscommunitynow

openinLiberty,Missouri.Norterreopenedinphases,startingin

February2018,anditsfirstphasewasits65,000-squarefootCHL

calledtheAuroraHealthandWellnessCenter.

Thiswouldbethethird-largestCHLinthePerkinsEastmanstudy,

whichstudied14facilitiesatanaveragemeasurementof36,776

squarefeet.Liketheterm“wellness”itself,these14facilitiesshare

commonprinciplesbutdiffergreatlyintheirspecifics,ranging

from8,000squarefeettomorethan129,000.Theyprovidea

rangeoffitness,healthcare,diningandartsandentertainment

offerings,manywithaneducationalelement.

Theseandothersshowtherangeofapproachesprovidersare

takingtodeliverontheconceptofwellness.Whattheyhave

incommonisanattentiontotheimpactthatthephysical

environmenthasonwellnessdelivery.

“EveryoperatorIthinkhasadifferentviewofwhattheircorevisionandmissionis,butatthecrux

ofthatisanenvironmentofwellness,wellbeingandvibrancyfortheresidents,”saysMarkShaver,

Welltower’sseniorvicepresidentofstrategy.Therealestateinvestmenttrust(REIT)viewswellnessas

havingfourmaincomponents:nutrition,hydration,safetyandcognitiveengagement.

Thatfocuson“environmentsthatpromotewellness”

wasthebasisforWelltowerchangingitsnamein

2015fromHealthCareREIT,Inc.Communitiesthat

embracewellnessofferthebestsolutionforan

agingpopulationtolivewell,saysJohnOlympitis,

Welltower’svicepresidentofbusinessdevelopment—

“not,”hesays,“isolatedinone’shome,awayfromthe

congregantbenefitsofseniorliving.”

Whetheracommunitycallsitselfawellnesscenteror

not,theimportanceofbuildingwellnessintoasenior

livingenvironmentismandatory.

Thefitnessofferinginthewellnesscenterat

multigenerationalcommunityNorterreinLiberty,

Missouri.Initsfirst45daysofbeingopen,the

wellnesscenterhad3,000payingmembers,with

1,500-2,000peopleparticipatinginclassesper

week.(Photovianorterre.org)

Every operator I think has a different view of what their core vision and mission is, but at the crux of that is an environment of wellness, wellbeing and vibrancy for the residents.

MarkShaver,seniorvicepresidentofstrategyat

Welltower,Inc.


Developers target multigenerational communities to deliver wellness

WhenActionPactandLibertyHospitaldevelopedtheplan

forNorterre,thefoundersfiguredthefirstphaseshould

beaCHL.Theyfiguredright.Initsfirst45daysopenfor

business,membershipfortheAuroraHealthandWellness

Centergrewto3,000people,with1,500to2,000perweek

participatinginclasses.Participantagesrunfrom12to

105,withtheaverageparticipantaged42.

ThatdrasticagerangeiscentraltotheNorterreoffering,

asistheuseoftheword“multigenerational”insteadof

“intergenerational,”Shieldssays.AsShieldsexplainsit,

“intergenerational”isnowusedtodescribeseniorliving

communitiesthatfindwaystointegratenon-seniorsatlow

numbers,andperhapsnotpermanently.

“Multigenerational,”hesays,referstoacommunity

whereallagesaretrulymixed,andprogrammingequally

accountsfortheirvariedneeds.

“Thisisnotaseniorlivingcommunity,butwhatweall

calla‘seniorlivingcommunity’iscontainedwithinit,”

Shieldssays.“IloveCCRCs.Ithinkthey’regreat.Butitisa

segregationofsorts.”

ToShields,beingmultigenerationalmeanssatisfyingsome

ofthesocialandspiritualaspectsofwellnessthataCCRC

doesnotalwaystouch.

“Whenanindependentlivingresidentcomesdowntolunch

[atNorterre],they’llbeeatingwithallages,”Shieldssays.

“Itisthereforenotaremoval.Itismultigenerational.And

thatisnotanuance.Thatisadramaticmodelshift.The

powerofthatwillnotbevisibleuntilpeoplecanseeit.…It

willlookdifferent,feeldifferent,livedifferent.”

W E L L N E S S D E V E L O P M E N T T R E N D :

Multigenerational communitiesLocation:Liberty,Missouri

Open date:February1,2018

Type of community: Multigenerationalmulti-

usecommunityencompassingretirement

(CCRC)andnon-agespecifichousing

Part 1: 65,000-squarefootCenterforHealthy

Living,nowopen

Part 2: Skillednursingfacility(SNF),with20

long-termcareresidencesand40short-term

staysuites,nowopen

Part 3: 60assistedlivingresidences,ofwhich

20arememorysupport,nowopen

Part 4:Independentlivingandnon-age-

specifichousing,alongwithadditional

healthydiningandretailshopping,open

2019-2020

Source: norterre.org

“Multigenerational” refers to a community where all ages are truly mixed, and programming equally accounts for their varied needs.


Marketing matters: The importance of presenting wellness to residents

IfitlookslikeaSNFandworkslikeaSNF,it’sprobably

aSNF.Unlessofcourseitisthe$30-millionFutureCare

CapitalRegioninLandover,Maryland.That’sbecause

FutureCareHealth—whichoperates15communities

throughoutMaryland—iscallingits150-bedcommunitya

rehabilitationandwellnesscenter.

“Peopletodayarelookingformorethanjustatraditional

skillednursingfacility,”saysDianeVernon,vicepresidentof

businessdevelopmentforFutureCare.“They’relookingat

thewholeperson.”

Indoingso,FutureCaresoughttodesignacommunitythat

resemblesawellnessretreatorresort,ratherthanaSNF.

Thatmeansthinkingjustasmuchabouttheamenities

astherehab.Theseamenitiesincludefourcafes,one

withrestaurant-styledining;atherapeuticmessageand

treatmentroom;asalon;andenterpriseWi-Fithroughout

theentirecenter.

“Wehadtheopportunitytodesign[CapitalRegion]tomeet

thechangingneedsoftheseniorpopulation,”Vernonsays.

“Wearejusttryingtoincorporateotheraspectsofwellness

abovewhatyounormallywouldseewhenenteringaskilled

nursingfacility.”

Photo by Vince Luppo, of Direction One

W E L L N E S S D E V E L O P M E N T T R E N D :

Marketing MattersLocation: Landover,Maryland

Open date: April2018

Max occupancy: 150,with82privaterooms

Type of community: Amixofshort-term

rehabandlong-termcare

Key wellness offerings include:

• Threeoutdoorcourtyards

• 4,500-squarefootVitalStrong

rehabilitationgym

• 24-bedventilatorunit

• Nine-patientdialysissuite

• Therapeuticmassageand

treatmentroom

We had the opportunity to design [Capital Region] to meet the changing needs of the senior population. We are just trying to incorporate other aspects of wellness above what you normally would see when entering a skilled nursing facility.

DianeVernon,vicepresidentofbusinessdevelopmentforFutureCare


Wellnesscenters,orseniorlivingcommunitieswithafocusonwellness,seemtopopupbytheday.

Thesetaketheformofstandalonefacilities,additionstoexistingpropertiesorelementsinnew,larger

communities.Upcoming development includes:

Photo sources 1: watercrestkingwood.com 2: srgseniorliving.com 5: oppidan.com

T H E W E L L N E S S C E N T E R O F T H E F U T U R E

Watercrest at Kingwood, from Integrated

Property Management

Kingwood, Texas

The174-unitindependentlivingcommunityhasannouncedamassiveexpansion:145,117additionalsquarefeet,with73moreILunitsand24assistedliving.Theexpansion,dateTBD,includesawellnesscenter.

The Domain in Austin, from Senior

Resource Group

Austin, Texas

SeniorResourceGroupisopeninga230-unitIL,ALandmemorycarecommunity,whichwillincludeawellnesscenter,theater,library,restaurant-stylediningandotherwellnessamenities.DueopeninJune2019.

Seven-acre community from MedCore

Partners and The National Realty Group

Atascocita, Texas

A186-unitIL,AL,memorycarecommunitywillincludeafitnessandwellnesscenter,bistro,theaterandbeautyshop.DueopeninMarch2020.

Independent living from MedCore Partners

and The National Realty Group

Georgetown, Texas

A314-unitILcommunitywillincludeafitnessandwellnesscenter,asalonandspa,adog-friendlywalkingtrailandotherwellnessamenities.DueopeninAugust2020.

Watermark at Napa Valley, from Watermark

Retirement Communities

Napa, California

Wellnesscenterincludedina195,000-squarefootmixed-usecommunitysituatedonahighschoolcampus.Dueopenin2020.

Zen-inspired 55+ community from

The Kendal Corp

Healdsburg, California

TheKendalCorporationandtheSanFranciscoZenCenterarepartneringtobuildazen-inspired,55+community.Dueopenin2022.


HOW HOSPITALITY IS

PUSHING WELLNESS

FORWARD

Forhotelguestswhowanttoworkoutinthe

privacyandcomfortoftheirhotelrooms,the

daysofpumpingoutpush-upsonthecarpet

aregone.Asarethedaysofnotknowinghow

togetanoutdoorruninanunfamiliarcity.Or

needingtojuggleyourscheduletoparticipate

inyogaclasses.

Thesewellnessperksandmorearenowfound

inmanyoftheworld’stophotels.Mostof

thesehospitalityleadersdidn’thavetostretch

theircorecompetenciesorriskdilutingtheir

abilitytodeliveragreathotelexperience.

Instead,theycreatedstrategicpartnerships

withleadersinotherindustries—fitness,

yoga,spas,dining—todelivertotheir

guestsyetanotherluxury,personalized

experience.Insomecases,theyareeven

givinggueststheopportunitytocreatethe

offeringitself.

Alookintothehospitalityindustryoffers

valuablelessonstolearnaboutwellness

delivery.Herearesomeofourfavorites.

We know that no matter how determined people are about making healthy decisions while at home, the ability to replicate those choices is often not as accessible as it should be while traveling.

RyanCrabbe,formerHiltonseniordirectorofglobalwellness,ina2017interviewwithAdventureSportsNetwork

SpaareaatMandarinOrientalBodruminBodrum,Turkey,

aspartoftheMOpartnershipwithMayoClinic.Startingin

2015,theluxuryhotelbrandjoinedforceswiththehealth

researchandclinicalpracticenonprofittodeveloptheMayo

ClinicHealthyLivingprogramsatMOlocationsinTurkeyand

WashingtonD.C.(viamandarinoriental.com)


FromtheU.S.toCanada,fromtheCaribbeantotheMediterranean,hotelbrandsworldwideareteaming

upwithotherwellnessindustriestodeliverthebesttotheirguests.In2015,MandarinOrientalHotel

GrouppartneredwiththeMayoClinicforitsfirstinaseriesofwellnessandhealthylivinginitiatives.

ThehoteldevelopedtheMayoClinicHealthyLivingProgrammeatitslocation

inBodrum,Turkey,andin2017hostedtheMayoClinicHealthyLivingat

MOinWashington,D.C.Bothprogramsoffermulti-daypackagesfocusedon

personalizedhealthassessments,exerciseandfitnessclasses,education

sessionsandhealthyeating,withguestsreceivingapersonalizedwellness

plan.

Andin2016,ParkHyattaddedtwonewwellnesspartnerships.ParkHyatt

NewYorkteamedupwithNewYorkCitymeditationstudioMNDFLtobringa

“meditationinresidence”programtohotelguests.ParkHyattalsopartnered

withDr.FrankLipman,founderoftheElevenElevenWellnessCenterinNew

York,tobringhis“BeWell”wellnessprogramtotheParkHyatthotelsinNew

York,ChicagoandWashingtonD.C.

TheHyattbrandhasalsogonebeyondpartnerships.In2017,HyattHotels

&Resortsacquiredtwowellnessbrands:Exhale,aboutiquefitnessclasses

andspaservicescompanywith25locationsthroughouttheU.S.andthe

Caribbean,andMiravalGroup,aluxuryspawithitsflagshiplocationinTucson,

Arizona.

In2014and2015,theShangri-

LaHotelinTorontoannounced

twowellnesspartnerships:one

withLululemontobringhotel

guestsanin-roomyogatraining

video,withmatsprovided,and

another with iRunmagazinethat

builtpersonalized,scenicrunning

routesthroughoutTorontobased

ontheguest’sskillandcomfort

levelasarunner.

&

Hospitality Trend: Strategic partnerships and acquisitions

Imagefromthedigital,Lululemon-ledyoga

programatShangri-LaHotel,Toronto.

(ScreenshotviaVimeo.comvideofromdesign

andbrandingfirmHermann&Audrey)


HyattCEOMarkHoplamaziancallstheseeffortsanexpansion

into“adjacentspaces”—areasthatextendHyatt’sbrandand

arecoretothecompany’sglobalgrowthstrategy.

“Werecognizethebusinessopportunitywithinthe[billion-

dollar]wellnesstourismcategoryandunderstandtherising

demandforwellnessofferingsamongourtargeted,high-end

travelers,”Hoplamaziansaidinastatementin2017.

Why this matters for senior living: Alongwithtouchingon

multipledimensionsofwellness,thesepartnershipslethotels

meetguestneedsinaprofessionalizedofferingwithoutactually

needingtoexpandtheirowncapabilities,whiletheacquisitions

givetheseprovidersaccesstonewbusinessopportunities.

Tech partnerships: Cal-a-Vie health spa and Muse, the Brain-Sensing Headband

What it does: Thisheadbandisequippedwith

electroencephalogram,orEEG,sensors,which

detectbrainactivityandserveasabiofeedback

tool.Theuserwearstheheadbandwhile

meditating,alongwithheadphones,allofwhich

attachtoahandhelddevice.Thesensorsread

theuser’sbrainactivityduringmeditationand

translatethemintosound,whichtheuserhears

throughtheheadphones.Whentheuseriscalm

andrelaxed—whenthemeditationisworking—

thesoundispleasurable.Whentheyareanxiousor

restless,itisnot.Theycanthenusethosesounds

toredirecttheirownmeditationeffortstohelp

calmthemselves.Cal-a-Vie’snutritionaldirector

introduceditbecausestresscancauseovereating.

A look at Muse, the Brain-Sensing

Headband, which uses EEG sensors to

detect brain activity during meditation,

and translate that activity into different

sound patterns, which the user hears

via headphones. The headband tracks

and stores her meditation data in

a smart phone — note the smart

phone identifying the user as “38%

calm.”(photosviaGuyMaven.comand

choosemuse.com)

In2015,Shangri-LaHotelinToronto

partneredwithiRunmagazinetocreate

outdoorrunningpathsforguests.

(Photofromirun.ca)


In2017,Hiltonrolledoutitspersonalizedwellnessplatform,FiveFeettoFitness.Availableatnine

U.S.Hiltonhotels,FiveFeettoFitnessisaspecializedfitness-centrichotelroomthatplacesworkout

equipmentintheindividualhotelroomitself,fromstationarybikestoweightstoyoga.

Atouchscreenkioskletsuserspersonalizetheirworkoutswith

morethan200exercisetutorialsinover25classes.

WestinHotels&Resortsalsooffersroom-based,personalized

fitness.In2017,itpartneredwithtech-basedexercisebike

Pelotonfor“Rise&RidewithWestinandPeloton.”Theprogram

letsWestinguestsatnearly50locationsconnectwitheachother

formorethan4,000live-streamingbikingandexerciseclasses.

Why this matters for senior living:Asseniorslosemobility,their

worldsshrink.Creatingexerciseoptionsinresidentroomsmakes

theseroomsfeelexpansiveratherthanconstrictive.

Alongwiththephysicalandspiritualdimensionsofwellness,

addingfitnesstoresidentroomsalsoaddressthesocial

andemotionaldimensions.AsPelotonco-founderandCOOTomCorteseexplainedatthe2017PSFK

Conference,thecompanyviewsitselfasan“interactivemediacompany.”

“Wewantfolkstowanttoworkout,”Corteseexplained.HecallsPelotonaproductthatdeliversan

“immersive,entertainingandinteractivefitnessexperience.”

“WhenyouaskanobsessedPelotonriderwhattheylovesomuchaboutPeloton,”Corteseadded,

“they’renotgoingtotalkaboutthesoftwareorthebikeitself.They’regoingtotalkabouttheir

instructorsandtheactualclassthatmotivatesthemtoridehard45minuteseverysingleday.”

Hospitality Trend: Fitness in the resident room

AnexampleofHilton’sFive

FeettoFitnessroom.(Via

fivefeettofitness.hilton.com)

Westinhasaddedtech-enabledexercise

bikePelotontosomehotelrooms.Here,

arideradjuststheprogrammingonthe

bike’sscreen.(viawestin.marriott.com/

wellness/move-peloton)


Hospitality Trend: The resident’s starting point

InVista,California,luxuryresortandwellnessspaCal-a-Viehasspent32yearsdeliveringwellnesstoits

guests.Todosotoday,thespafirstcreatesastartingpointforeachperson:aphysicalassessment.

Duringathree-,four-orseven-daystay,Cal-a-Vie’steamofpersonal

trainers—themajorityofwhomhavedegreesinexercisephysiologyor

kinesiology—giveguestsacomprehensivephysicalevaluationthatlets

themleavetheresortwithadeeperunderstandingoftheirbodies,health

andfitnessabilities.

The spa’s health offering is significant, including:

• Morethan100health-relatedclasses,includingstrengthtraining,

flexibility,aerobiccapacityandPilates

• ●Bloodworkbyanon-sitephlebotomist

• ●HDL/LDLbloodcholesteroltesting

• ●Urineandsalivasampletests

• ●Guthealthtests

• ●Nutritionprogramsandrecommendationformealplans

“We’vealwayshadaverycomprehensiveprogramthatiscenteredon

fitness,nutritionandourspatreatments,”saysDebbieZie,Cal-a-Vie’s

generalmanager.“Weconsiderallofthesecomponentsofourprogram

equallyimportant,andnonelesseffectivethananother.”

Why this matters for senior living:Cal-a-Vie’sstaffempowerstheirguests—someofwhomareintheir

80s—tomakehealthychoiceslongaftertheyleave.Andwhileaseniorlivingresidentmightnotbe

movingoutofseniorcare,heorshecanstillseektoliveasindependentalifeaspossible.Thatmeans

knowinghowtomaketherightchoicestocareforone’sbody.

Outdoorpoolatluxuryresortandwellness

spaCal-a-Vie,inVista,California.The

32-year-oldresortbuildsitsprograms

aroundtheprinciplesofwhole-person

wellness.(Photoviacal-a-vie.com)

Amongthewellnessofferingsatluxury

resortandwellnessspaCal-a-VieistheBod

Pod,whichmeasuresauser’scompletebody

compositionthroughairdisplacement.(via

fagansportsmedicine.com)


Hospitality Trend: Resident-led programming

Marriott’s M Beta incubator at the Charlotte

Marriott City Center includes stationary bike video

rides that can take riders on paths both domestic

and international. As their website says, “Fitness

here is designed to fit your routine and mood.”

(viawww.marriott.com)

TheCharlotteMarriottCityCenterismorethanahotel—itisaninnovationincubatorwhereguestsget

topointthehotelbrandinnewwellnessdirections.Launchedin2016,thewellnessincubatorMBetaisa

seriesofinnovationsandexperimentsinhospitality,withguestsservingasthearbitersofaddition.

Theprogramletsguestsexperienceandthenvoteoncreativenewdeliveriesof

standardhotelservice,everythingfromamobileappforcheck-intoguest-driven

roomfurnitureconfigurationtoimmersivediningexperiencesbuiltaroundtheguest

toon-demand,screen-drivenstationarybikeprogramming.

Why this matters for senior living: Hotelresidentsaremadetofeelathome,but

seniorlivingresidentsreallyareathome.Aseniorlivingproviderthatcandevelop

wellnessprogramsandservicesdrivenbyresidentrequestsandrecommendations

cancreateexperiencesthattrulyserveeachindividual.

Marriott’swellnessincubator,

MBeta,letsguestsexperience

potentialinnovationsand

experimentsinhospitality.

(M Beta) allows us to be much more nimble as a brand and to have a stronger ability to introduce new programs at other hotels in our system. It’s about collaboration and co-creating with our guests.

MatthewCarroll,vicepresidentofglobalbrandmanagement,MarriottHotels,from2016HotelBusinessinterview


THE PERSON-CENTERED

APPROACH TO MIND,

BODY AND SPIRIT

Inaworldinwhichthepersonalizationofgoods,servicesandexperiencesisexpected,theconsumer

demandsonseniorlivingtodeliverperson-centeredwellnessofferingshaveneverbeengreater.

Fortunately,seniorliving’sabilitytodeliverthispersonalizationhasalsoneverbeengreater.

Thispersonalizationtouchesthethreebiggestareasofwellness—themind,thebodyandthespirit.

Seniorlivingprovidersdeliverthispersonalizationthroughacombinationofmethods.Mostnotably,

they:

• Establish a resident’s baseline —thepsychologicalorthephysical—totailoranenvironment,care

planandtreatmentaroundthatresident’sspecificgoals,desiresandneeds.

• Educate residents about health,dietandfitness,sothattheyareempoweredtohelpthemselvesas

besttheycan.

• Listen to residents to learn their likes and dislikes:whattheywanttoeat,whattheywanttolearn,

whattheywanttodo,howtheywanttolive.

Frompre-move-inpsychologicalassessmentstonutritionalcookingdemonstrationsandtelehealth,

wellnessisextendingtoeveryareaofseniorliving.Providerswhothinkaboutwellnessintermsofeach

resident’smind,bodyandspiritareaheadofthegame.

B O D YM I N D S P I R I T


The Mind: Senior wellness begins in the brain

At life-plan community The Mather in Chicago

suburb Evanston, Illinois, the culinary team

offers residents different restaurants that create

different atmospheres to address different needs

of emotional and spiritual wellness. This space is

the 31, the Mather’s elegant, more formal setting.

(PhotocourtesyofTheMather)

Whole-personwellnessmeansthattobetrulywell,apersonmustimproveeverypieceofhisorherpie.

“Yougofromahospitalitybusiness,whichwasassistedlivingandseniorcare,nowintohealthcare,

andthereissometurbulencealongtheway,”saysDr.PaulNussbaum,co-founderofWellQor,anew

companylaunchedinthepastyeartoconductcomprehensivepsychologicalservicesandanalysisto

olderadultsenteringseniorcare.Theservicesfocusonasenior’sbrain-healthlifestyle.

Nussbaum,board-certifiedinclinicalpsychologyand

geropsychologywithaspecialityinneuropsychology,

saysthatWellQorisdrivenbythegapsintheseniorliving

intakeprocess.Hesaysthatproperdiagnosisofseniors

enteringseniorlivingislackingintheU.S.,andthat

withoutaproperdiagnosis,propertreatmentisdifficult

toimpossible.

“Forexample,practically,youjustcan’tsetupamemory

careprogramandputolderadultsintherewhoyouthink

haveamemoryproblem,”Nussbaumsays.“Youhaveto

haveagooddiagnosis,becauseyoudon’twanttoput,for

example,peoplewithAlzheimer’sinthesameprogram

aspeoplewithParkinson’s.Inmyexperience,whichisall

acrossthecountry,thatstillisabigproblem.”

You don’t want to put, for example, people with Alzheimer’s in the same program as people with Parkinson’s. In my experience, which is all across the country, that still is a big problem.

Dr.PaulNussbaum,co-founderofWellQor


Step 1: Proper assessmentInadiagnosticreview,theWellQorteamgathershundredsofdatapointsaboutthe

senior,followedbyacursorymentalstatusexaminationlasting30to60minutes.

Step 2: Proper treatment Atreatmentisrecommendeddirectlyfromtheresultsoftheassessment.

Step 3: Proper environment Lastly,theWellQorteamworksdirectlywiththeleadersoftheseniorlivingcommunity

todeterminethebesttypeofenvironmentthattheseniorrequires.

The three steps of WellQor’s process for improving brain-health lifestyle:

You go from a hospitality business, which was assisted living and senior care, now into health care, and there is some turbulence along the way.

Dr.PaulNussbaum,co-founderofWellQor

WellQor’smissionistobecomeongoingpartnerswithseniorsandtheircommunities,sothatseniorscan

receivepropertreatmentsandproperlypursuetheirwellnessgoals.Thecompanycurrentlyworkswith

160seniorlivingcommunitiesineightstates.NussbaumseesoneofWellQor’sprimevaluesasfixing

areasofapersonthatdon’trespondtomedicine.

“Attheendoftheday,thethingthat’smostimportant…istodotherightthingforolderadults,which,

inthementalhealtharena,isjustnothappeningrightnow,”Nussbaumsays.“Weneedasacountry

todoabetterjob.[Thereis]alotofanxiety,alotofdepression,alotofcognitiveproblems,alotof

loneliness.Andwedon’thavemedicationstohandlethesethings.”

ADecember2017studybytheWorldHealthOrganization

(WHO)foundthatmentalhealthproblemsareunder-

identifiedbybothhealthcareprofessionalsandseniors.The

WHOresearchshowsacorrelationinolderadultsbetween

depressionanddecliningphysicalconditions,andfindsmore

than20%ofadultsaged60oroversufferfromamentalor

neurologicaldisorder,themostcommonbeingdementiaand

depression.

“Youempowersomeonewithinformationandeducation,then

youempowerthemwiththetoolstheymightneedtofillup

theirgestalt,”Nussbaumsays.“That’sgoingtoleadtobetter

outcomes.”


Restaurant “Alonzo’s” at life-plan community

The Mather outside Chicago. Named after

founder Alonzo Mather and inspired by his

penchant for sailing and expedition, this dining

space focuses on the Mediterranean diet, with

meals from Italy, France, Greece and North

Africa. (PhotoscourtesyofTheMather)

The Body: Teaching seniors to care about nutrition

FromDNA-customizeddietstoafocusonnon-GMOingredientsandorganics,Americansofallagesare

increasingtheirdemandsforwellness-basedfoodandnutrition.Withitsmassivepopulationtowhichit

deliversthreemealsaday,seniorlivingisinauniquepositiontoexecuteandexpandonhealthyeating.

Facedwithanimpendinghealth-consciousbabyboomer

population,seniorlivingprovidersarefocusingonadining

experiencethatincludesmoderntrendssuchasfarm-to-table

food,on-site“fastcasual”eateries—characterizedasfast,healthy

andtransparentinpreparation,likeChipotle—andmeatlessand

veganmenus.

Thisputsanewemphasisontheage-oldadage,“youarewhatyou

eat.”Thesehealthyeatinginitiativescatertotheyoungersenior’s

demandsforbothhealthyeatingandgreaterchoice.Butsome

providersarealsospendingmoretimeteachingtheirresidents

aboutfoodingredientsandtheinterconnectednatureofdiet,

nutrition,fitnessandhealth.

AtTheMather,alife-plancommunityinsuburbanChicago,thediningteamcollaborateswiththefitness

teamtodiscusswithresidentstheirrelatedneedsinbothareas.TheMatherthencustomizesmealsto

eachresident’srequest,andempowersthechefstoeducatethecooksandserversaboutfoodprepand

ingredients,sothatthestaffcantheneducatetheresidents.

“Ithinkmoreandmore,(seniorlivingresidents)aregoingtobelookingforahealthier,cleanerlistof

ingredients,”saysTheMather’sexecutivechefJeffreyMuldrow.

I think more and more, (senior living residents) are going to be looking for a healthier, cleaner list of ingredients.

JeffreyMuldrow,executivechefatlife-plancommunityTheMatherinsuburbanChicago


“We experience the arts to feel alive,” says Tim Carpenter,

CEO and founder of EngAGE, a nonprofit in Burbank,

California that provides whole-person, art-based

programming to senior living residents throughout the

state. EngAGE partners with Los Angeles-based developer

and owner Meta Housing to provide programming,

including to NoHo Senior Arts Colony in North Hollywood,

pictured here.(PhotocourtesyofMetaHousing)

The Spirit: Use food to create social engagement

AtNoHoSeniorArtsColony—anactiveadultcommunityinLosAngelesbuiltarounditsresidents’

sharedinterestinart—nonprofitEngAGEisinthemidstofastudyontheimpactthatparticipationin

theartscanhaveineliminatingisolationandlonelinessamongolderadults.

“Ourstudyisabouthowyoucreatetheoppositeeffectof

that,”saysTimCarpenter,CEOandfounderofEngAGEin

Burbank,California,whichprovideswhole-personart-based

programmingtoseniorslivingthroughoutthestate,including

atNoHo.“Thereisnopillforisolationorloneliness.”

Toeliminateloneliness,NoHo’sfocusontheartsisfollowed

byfoodandfitness,allwithaneducationaltwist.The

communityoffershealthycookingclasses,andthosebeginat

thefarmer’smarket,educatingresidentsnotjusthowtoeat

andcookhealthy,buthowtoshophealthy.

ToCarpenter,wellnessisaboutcreatinghealthybehaviors.

EngAGEdoesthatbybuildingprogrammingthatencouragespeopletochangethewaytheylive.

EngAGEtiestogetherdiningandnutritionwithanotherdimensionofwellness:thesocial.

“Ithinkalotofpeoplegotofarmer’smarkets,one,tobuyhealthyfreshfood,andtwo,becauseit’sa

placewhereinteresting,like-mindedpeoplehangout,”Carpentersays.

NoHothenattachestheshoppinglessonsintocookinglessons,andattachesthecookinglessonsand

thesubsequentmealsintosocialevents.

“Wedefinitelyusefoodas…areasontocomedownandplay,”Carpentersays.“It’sreallyabouttrying

tocreateasenseofbuzzaroundtherighttypeofbehavior.”

We definitely use food as a reason to come down and play. It’s really about trying to create a sense of buzz around the right type of behavior.

TimCarpenter,CEOandfounderofEngAGE,Inc.


THE CUTTING-EDGE TECH

DELIVERING WELLNESSMajortechplayersareontheforefrontofwellness,withseniorlivingproviderspoisedtobenefitasa

result.Heavyhittersinclude:

• Amazon, whichhasbuilta“health&wellness”teamwithinitsAlexadivisiongearedtoseniorliving

• Samsung,whoseHealthCareVerticalTeamworksonhealthtechsolutions,includingvirtualreality

for seniors

• IBM,whoseIBMWatsonHealthdepartmentpowersarangeofhealthcaretechinareasincluding

oncologyandautomatedcaremanagement

• Facebook,whichin2014paid$2billiontoacquirevirtualrealitycompanyOculusVR

That’sjusttheconsumer-facingproducts.Itdoesn’taccountforwhateverinnovationswillcomefrom

Amazon,Apple,Googleandothertechcompaniesthatdevelopnewhealthcareandwellnesssystems

fortheirownemployees.

Whetherentertainingaseniororhelpingherlivesafely,newtechproductsarealreadychangingtheway

wellnessisdeliveredinseniorliving.

The technological backbone of today’s wellness environment

Buildingawellnessenvironmentbringstechnologicaldemands.

Fromthepersonalinternetneedsofentertainmentandlifestyle(theemotional,socialandevenspiritual

aspectsofwellness)tothehealth-andcomfort-basedinternetneedsforhealthcareandfitness(the

physicalpieceofwellness),community-wideWi-Fiinthemodernseniorlivingcommunityisamust.

Thatmeansinstallingatechnologicalbackbonethatletsresidentsandstaffeasilyusetheirsmart

devicesanywhereoncampus.Therearetwocomponents.Thefirstiscablingthatfacilitateswireless

coverage.Norterreusesa500-megabyteinternetlinetocreatecampus-widewirelessinternet,andthen

hasaseparate,privateinternetnetworkthatrunsitsnurse-callsystem.

Nextiscampuscellularservice.Thesetwoelements—theWi-Fiandthecellular—laythegroundwork

forpotentiallythenext10yearsoftechnologicalinnovations,andhelpfacilitatenotjustsmartunitsbut

smartcommunities.

OneseniorlivingproviderworkingtowardsmartcommunitiesisBigRockSeniorHousing,whichowns

twoCCRCsinFloridaandhasfourcommunitiesthatwillbreakgroundin2018and2019.


BigRock’sexistingpropertiesopenedinNovember2017andApril2018.TheyarefullyWi-Fi-connectedand

utlizeLTE/4Gcellulartechnologiestoboostcellularsignalinthebuilding.BigRockdoesn’tinstalllandlines

inresidentrooms,viewingthemasobsolete.TheypartneredwithBocaRaton,Florida-basedWhoopWireless

todesignandinstallitsCellularDistributedAntennaSystem,orDAS,toensurestrongcellularserviceacross

theentirecampus.

TheolderoftheirtwocommunitiesisVillagesofWindsorinBoyntonBeach,

Florida,a22-acreCCRCmanagedbyAtriaSeniorLiving.Foracommunitythis

size,acomprehensivetechnologicalbackbonecostsroughly$1million.BigRock

VicePresidentofOperationsSeanNealonestimates$450,000forthecellularand

$200,000to$300,000forthecabling.

Thatdeliversanenterprise-gradenetworkthatletsresidents,staffandfamily

membersusetheirtechwithease.Thisisn’tjustaboutaccommodatingtechneeds.

Becausesomuchofmodernwellnessisdeliveredthroughtechnology,senior

livingprovidersneedtheinfrastructurethatcansupportnotjusttoday’swellness

technology,buttomorrow’s.

Campus-wide Wi-Fi matters for wellness

Connectivityhelpsdrivemanyofthemodernwellnessinitiativesthataretechnology-rooted.Norterre,

forinstance,wantsitsassistedlivingresidentswhowearafall-monitoringsystemtobeabletotravelthe

campuswithoutworryingthatwordoftheirfallwon’tbecapturedduetobeinginaninternetdeadspot.

Fromanentertainmentperspective,NorterrewantsresidentstobeabletowatchNetflixontheiriPads

wherevertheygo.Norterre’snurse-callsystemrunsthroughsecureWi-Fi.

Likewise,allequipmentinthefitnessroomatBigRock’sVillagesofWindsorisfromNewJersey-based

Technogym,whichcallsitself“theleadingcompanyinthefitnessandwellnesssector.”AllTechnogym

equipment—fromtreadmillstostationarybikestoweights—collectshealthandfitness-relateddataduring

aresident’sworkouts,whichisthensharedwiththeirpersonaltrainers.

One of the cafes at 150-bed wellness center FutureCare

Capital Region. The community is basically a skilled nursing

facility built around the dimensions and principles of

wellness — among those principles is the relationship

between a person’s diet and attention to nutrition, and that

person’s health.(PhotobyVinceLuppo,ofDirectionOne)

$1 millionFora22-acreCCRC,BigRock

SeniorLivingestimatesthecost

ofacomprehensivetechnological

backboneatroughly$1million.

Cellular system:about$450k

Wi-Fi cabling: about$200k-$300k


BigRockalreadyviewsitstwoexisting

communitiesastechnologicallyoutdated.That’s

becausetheyaren’tyetsmartcommunities,

whichthefournewcommunitieswillbe.Those

willhavetheAmazonAlexasystembuiltinto

thewallsandceilings,whichwillmakeallofthe

apartmentsfullyvoice-activated.

That’smusictoAmazon’sears:inMay2018,

CNBClearnedviaaninternalAmazondocument

thatthetechgianthasbuiltateamwithin

itsAlexadivisioncalled“health&wellness.”

Theteam’sjobwillbetotailorAmazonEcho

speakersandtheAlexavoiceassistanttothe

healthcaresector,makingiteasierforsenior

livingproviderstooutfitresidentrooms—and

later,fullcommunities—withsmarttechnology.

Likeeveryotherareaoflife,wellnessis

becomingsmart.Beds,canes,clothes,flooring,

lights,scales,silverware,toilets,window

panes—alloftheseitemscomewith“smart”

versions,joiningtheubiquitoussmartphoneand

theever-more-commonsmartTVasstandards

inAmericanlife.Wellness-centeredsmart

roomsarethenextstep,withtechnologythat

willguidearesident’sentire

interactionwithhisorher

physicalsurroundings.

NewJersey-basedJuniper

Communities,forinstance,

isdevelopingsmartsuites,

withtwoalreadyinuse.They

utilizeseveralsmartelements,

includingdoorlocks,lights,

thermostatsandtelevision.

“It’sprettycustomizableto

whatevertheresidentwould

wantandneed,”saysVickie

Stotler-Smith,nationaldirector

ofsalesandmarketingat

Juniper,whichoffersthefull

continuumofcareacrossits

portfolio.

Dependingontheoptionstheresidentwants,

theroomscost$1,000forJunipertodevelop,

thoughthatisjustforthesupplieswithinthe

room,nottheinfrastructure.Juniperisexploring

bothAmazonAlexaandGoogleHomeasthe

in-roompersonalassistants.

How smart technology can deliver wellness environments

Two senior living communities from

Juniper Communities offer smart

suites, including Kevo door locks

from Lake Forest, California-based

Kwikset. The resident has a fob or

phone app that lets her unlock the

door by touching it. (Photocourtesy

ofJuniperCommunities)

VillagesofWindsoralsohasmovietheaterscreeningroomsforresidententertainment,broadcasting

exclusivelyin4K,thehighestcurrentlevelofpixelation.

MicahSmithistheservicesaccountexecutiveoutoftheAtlantaofficeofPivotTechnologiesSolutions.

HecurrentlyworkswithBigRockPartnersonalltechnologyareas.Ifacommunitythatlacksthe

comprehensivebackbonewantstoembedAlexaintothewalls,oraddsomeyet-to-be-imaginedwellness-

centeredtechnologythatmightcropupinthenext10years,thatprocesscouldtakemonths,Smith

says.

“Seanandthoseguyscoulddothatwithin24to48hours,”hesays.

“Theindividualhastodrivewellness,”Nealonsays,“butwewanttohelpwiththat.Wewanttoassist

withthatlifelonggoalofhealthy,successfulaging,anddoingitinamodernway.”


Virtual reality delivers new experiences and connection

Whenmostpeoplethinkofvirtualreality,theyprobablythinkofaheadsetthattransportsthewearer

toanotherlocation.WhenFacebookpurchasedOculusVR,FacebookfounderandCEOMarkZuckerberg

saidasmuch.

“Oculus’smissionistoenableyoutoexperiencetheimpossible,”Zuckerbergsaidinastatementin

2014.“Theirtechnologyopensupthepossibilityofcompletelynewkindsofexperiences.”

Thesenewexperiencesarenowbeingdevelopedspecifically

forseniors,aimedathelpingtheagingpopulationsolve

problemsoflackofmobilityandincreasedisolation.

Thatisthepowerofvirtualexpeditions.

KyleRandco-foundedVRexpeditionplatformRendever

afterwatchinghisgrandmotherdeterioratementallyand

physicallywhenshemovedintoseniorlivingfollowinga

secondcancerdiagnosis.Adeveloperbytrade,Randsetout

tohelpenergizeandactivateseniorsstuckintheirsenior

livingrooms.

Duringhisteam’sresearch,theylearnedaboutthestrongcorrelationbetweensocialisolationandboth

depressionandcognitivedecline.Further,theyfoundthattherewasashighasa50%rateofreported

isolationinseniorlivingcommunities.

Oculus’s mission is to enable you to experience the impossible. Their technology opens up the possibility of completely new kinds of experiences.

MarkZuckerberg,CEOandfounderofFacebook

A man at Maplewood Senior Living at

Strawberry Hill in Connecticut wears

Rendever virtual reality with Samsung

GearVR for a virtual expedition.(Photo

courtesyofRendever)


Henowdevelopsandsellsvirtualrealityplatforms

focusedondeliveringbothgroupandindividual

experiencestoseniors.Theseexperienceshavemultiple

benefitsforseniors.Theyletthemvisitplacesthey

couldneverotherwisego,orplaceswheretheyhave

notbeenindecades.Andtheyletthemsharethese

experienceswiththeirfellowresidents,sparking

conversation,nostalgiaandthedeepbondsforged

withtravelandsharedexperiences.

“WelookatVRasthisamazing,innovativetechnology,

butthatinitiallywasonlyusedforgaming,forkids—

thingsthatdon’tnecessarilyfocusonsocialgood,”

Randsays.“Butwhenyouthinkofitfromahighlevel,

youcanputonaheadsetandbeanywhereinthe

world,andyoucanbedoinganything.Whatbetter

populationthanseniors,whohavehadalifetimeof

experiencesandarenowatthepointintheaging

processwhere,duetomobilityissues,healthissues,

whateveritis,they’restuckinasmallersettingand

theiraccesstotheworldhasshrunken.Werealizedthis

wastheperfectapplication.”

OneofRendever’smottosis“Whenyourresidentsare

happy,you’rehappy.”That’swhatthecompanyaims

todeliver:theemotionalandspiritualsideofwellness.

Theexperiencesincludetraveltofarawaysitesor

visitingthestreetorevenhousewhereonegrewup.

Andbecauseit’svirtualreality,thetravelexperiences

haveanaddedelementofimpossibleperspective.You

don’tjustvisittheChristtheRedeemerstatueinRio—

yousitonthestatue’sshoulder,98feetintheair.You

don’tjustgotoMardiGrasinNewOrleans—yousiton

topofparadefloatsandtossbeadsintothestreet.

In2017,MITstudentCharlesLincompleted

histhesisinconjunctionwithMITAgeLaband

BenchmarkSeniorLiving,inwhichhestudied

morethan60assistedlivingresidentswhoused

anexpedition-basedvirtualrealityprogramfrom

VR-companyRendevertocombattheirdepression,

comparedtofellowresidentswhowatchedthe

sameprogrammingonaflat-screenTV.Among

theresults:

• Aftertwoweeksusingtheplatform,

residentsusingtheVRexperiencedanoverall

improvementintheirhealth

• ResidentswithVRfeltimprovementsintheir

socialandphysicalwell-being

• ResidentswithVRbecamesignificantlyless

likelytobecomenervous

• ResidentswithVRshowedsignificantlybetter

resultscomparedtotheTVgroupinphysical

well-being,overallhealthandsatisfaction

withthetechnologyitself

• TheVRgrouphadalowerdepressionscore

thantheTVgroup

The evidence behind virtual reality and wellness

We look at VR as this amazing, innovative technology, but that initially was only used for gaming, for kids — things that don’t necessarily focus on social good. But when you think of it from a high level, you can put on a headset and be anywhere in the world, and you can be doing anything.

KyleRand,co-founderofRendever


Rendever’splatformcurrentlyusesall

Samsunghardware,whileatAtriaatFoster

SquarenearSanFrancisco,residentsare

takingvirtualexpeditionsthroughGoogleVR.

TheseresidentshavevisitedtheGreatWall

ofChina,MachuPicchuinPeruandeventhe

InternationalSpaceStation.

VRisbeingusedinhealthcare,too.

AppliedVRinLosAngelesisaconsumer-grade

virtualrealitysystemdesignedtotreatpain,

helpingseniorsandothersduringrehab

stints,surgeriesoranxietyoverchronicpain.

IrisVisioninPleasanton,California,usesVR

gogglestoaugmentsightforthehard-of-

seeing.

“OftenwewriteoffnewtechnologyandsomethinglikeVRasbeingforyoungerpeople,butifyou

cangetaseniortotryit,theresponseisevenbettermosttimesthanwiththeyoungerperson,”says

JoshSackman,co-founderofAppliedVR.“Itfeelsrealandprovidesrealbenefit.Theexperiencetrulyis

emotionallytransformational,andshouldn’tbesomethingthatisseenastoofuturistic.”

Often we write off new technology and something like VR as being for younger people, but if you can get a senior to try it, the response is even better most times than with the younger person. It feels real and provides real benefit. The experience truly is emotionally transformational, and shouldn’t be something that is seen as too futuristic.

JoshSackman,co-founderofAppliedVR

AnexampleofaseniorusingtheSWORD

PhoenixsystemfromSWORDHealth,which

deliversin-home,digitalrehabwithanartificial

intelligence-powereddigitaltherapist.Theview

ontheleftshowstheimagethattheusersees

onhisscreen.(imageviaswordhealth.com)


In2017,theWashington Postanalyzeddatacollectedbydata-driventrendswebsiteFiveThirtyEight.com to

projecttheageoftheoldestpersononEarththroughtheyear2100.In1955,theoldestpersononEarth

was113.Today,theoldestpersonis117.By2050,theWashington Postprojectstheoldestpersontobe

120;by2100,theoldestpersonwillbe125.

Thatlist,alongwiththeU.S.CensusBureaupopulationprojections,paintapictureofjusthowoldthe

worldwillcontinuetobe,andjusthowstarkseniors’wellnessneedswillbe.

Thetechnologiesandmethodologiesthatwilldeliverwellnesstothesepeopleare,inthatrespect,

somethingofamystery.Fromfullysmart,voice-activatedcommunitiesthatgiveacomprehensive

readingofaroom’sphysicalpropertiesdowntothemolecularleveltorobotcaregiverstogreater

implementationoftelehealthtoadeeperunderstandingofnutritionalneeds—thefutureofwellnessin

seniorlivingiswideopen.

Yetwhateveritlookslike,thedimensions

ofwhole-personwellnessandtheprovider’s

abilitytocareforhumanswillremainatthe

core.

“Wellness—therearealotofcomponentsto

it,butifyoufeelyou’reapartofsomething

andyoufeellikeyou’reconnectedtoyour

neighbors,thelikelihoodofengaginginthese

programsismuchhigher,”saysCarpenterof

EngAGE.

“Alotoftimes,thereasonspeoplemoveinto

theseplacesisthelossofaspouse.That’sa

lonely,scaryplacetobe.There’snoinstruction

manualonhowtodothis.Noonehands[a

senior]apamphlettosay,‘Thisishowit’s

done.’That’swhatwe’retherefor.”

THE WELLNESS REVOLUTION

IS HERE TO STAY

Source:WashingtonPostandFiveThirtyEight

Baby boomers demand wellness—andtheywillbealivealongtimetodoso

125

120

115

110

105

100

1950 1975 2000 2025 2050 2075 2100

YEARS

PROJECTION

120.23

122.84

125.45

AGEATDEATHOF

WORLD’SOLDESTPEOPLE

Formoreseniorhousingresearch,visittheSenior Housing Industry News Resource Library

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