The Epiphany of Person Centered Care in Senior Living

Wow! What a new discovery! State regulations are now mandating the term "Person Centered Care." What were we doing before? Being in senior living for six years and an individual that believes in the power of the individual, no matter what age bracket, this has always been the only way that I know how to treat another human being. I treat all people that I come in contact with the way I would like to be treated. This is not a complicated issue, but there are conferences and endless meetings dedicated to the future of senior living and the aging population that speak to this direct issue. In my modest opinion, I believe there are four simple rules to remember.

1. Everyone has value.
2. Look for the beauty in each person that you come in contact with.
3. Don't focus on what someone cannot do or any physical or mental limitations. Discover what they can do and pull that magic out of them.
4. Listen. Don't speak. In your silence, your path will be clear on which fork in the road to take.

The community in which I am the Director of Lifestyle was selected by Masterpiece Living as CSA (Center for Successful Aging) certified. This makes us the only senior living community in Illinois and the 18th in the United States to hold this prestigious certification. Through an extensive application process and years of commitment to successful aging, I am so honored and proud of this landmark achievement.

By 2050, it is projected that 88.5 million Americans (one in five) will be aged 65 and older – more than double the projected 40.2 million in 2010. There is no question that we as a society must adapt to the growing older adult population. Coupled with the knowledge from a landmark ten-year study by the MacArthur Foundation, which revealed that 70% of physical aging and approximately 50% of mental aging is determined by the lifestyle choices that we make every day, Masterpiece Living (MPL) set out to create the best successful aging destinations in the country.

“Centers for Successful Aging provide a fundamental change in our view of where we will live and how we will spend our days when we’re older,” MPL President and award-winning author of Live Long, Die Short: A Guide to Authentic Health and Successful Aging, Dr. Roger Landry, said. “CSA's are regional centers of excellence and are a valuable resource for cities and towns who are struggling to adapt to a growing older adult population. They have also taken on the responsibility of outreach for those aging in place, and will eventually be among those who bring about a change in public policy and the way we treat our aging population.”

CSA recipients have incorporated all of the criteria set by a team of experts in the field of aging. These cultural changes are woven into the fabric of their community and include trained leadership and data-driven decision making, active coaching and the use of empowering language, community outreach and civic engagement, caregiver and family member support, physical adaptations to their environment to support successful aging, and multidimensional programming that includes intergenerational initiatives as well as resident-led events that tap into a collective human capital. 

Today, I am proud today to be a part of something greater. A chance to change public policy on aging and ageism. I am honored to be a part of the Masterpiece Living family and joining Dr. Roger Landry's mission. I hope to be able to present with Masterpiece Living's Associate Managing Director of Operations, and my friend, Neal Miller, one day in the near future to start changing the landscape of senior living. It's time to break down the silos and have ONE level of living, not many. One community. One goal. One purpose.

Person Centered Care...what else is there really?