Hello and welcome to the Glowing Older podcast, where we interview experts about innovation in senior living. I’m your host Nancy Griffin with Contento marketing—I am a 25-year veteran in the hospitality and wellness industry.
Why segue into Senior Living from the sexy world of 5-star resorts and spas, you ask? Well, it seems senior living is in my blood. My grandparents were Quakers who co-founded one of the first CCRC’s in the country—Broadmead outside of Baltimore, Maryland. My grandfather also advocated for resident’s rights by starting NaCCRA, the National Continuing Care Residents Association in the early ’90s. Today NaCCRA is a nationwide collaboration of residents and prospective residents of Continuing Care Retirement and Life Plan Communities.
Although Broadmead was truly one of the top CCRC’s in the country, spending time there told me that the place left a lot to be desired. Stuck in an institutional model, the food from the community garden never made it into the dining room – inclusive wellness programming was absent. My grandmother swam every day until the day she died, and she and my grandfather took daily walk nature, but these were isolated activities. My thoughts were, there has to be a better way.
Fast track to the year 2020—hospitality and wellness trends have infiltrated senior living in a big way. I’m seeing friends from hotels, resorts and spas bring their skill sets to new senior living facilities—with a focus on active aging and multigenerational engagement. Today there are Michelin-starred chefs serving fresh, nutrient-dense local fare, wellness suites with hydrotherapy, halotherapy, facials, and massage, as well as programming to keep the mind, body, and spirit healthy and happy. At the luxury level, wellness and hospitality are the biggest trends in senior living – what a perfect time for me to transition!
I hope you enjoy this podcast, whether you are a senior living professional, or a resident or potential resident wanting to learn about the leading edge of what’s available now, and what is to come. We all deserve the chance to Glow Older.