CULTURAL EXCHANGE
range of performances. Why not create something more permanent? Residents were enthusiastic about the idea, as were Springwell staff members. “Our residents so love music,” says Golden, “and music has proven clinical benefits on mood and the ambiance of the community.” Julian Xuereb, classical guitar graduate
student at the Peabody Institute in Balti- more, renewed his one-year contract with Springwell last June. “We were looking for someone with the right blend of talent and personality,” Golden says of Xuereb, who has exceeded every expectation. Golden re- calls a moment when he visited a “beloved resident who was receiving hospice care.” Golden entered the room to see several nurses caring for the resident, along with Xuereb “sitting there playing guitar in this quiet room. It was a remarkable scene.”
“Julian is very much a part of our com-
munity,” Golden says, adding that Xuereb has helped other artists get placed in other communities. “Seeing him enjoy our resi- dents as much as we do has been incred- ibly rewarding.” Golden suggests others considering a
similar program get buy-in from residents and staff first. Are they interested in visual arts? Performance art? A writer? An ath- lete? Look first to the performers and guests who already visit your communities. And be mindful of safety. Springwell conducts the same rigorous background check and re- view for artists as it does for its staff. But artists aren’t the only long-term guests
in senior living communities. Pathway Se- nior Living invites senior dogs to live in its Chicago-area communities. Dogs like Teddy, Daisy, and Nitra—just a few of Pathways’
four-legged residents in the See Spot Retire program—are hand-picked from shelters to ensure they are well-suited to living in a senior living community and then carefully trained. “Like any other program, it takes a com-
mitment from the whole community to be successful,” says Maria Oliva, Pathway’s chief people officer. “Everyone needs to agree to be patient, participate in the train- ing, and give proper care and affection to the dog. Because we don’t always know much about the dog we get or in some cases aren’t told everything by the shelter, there may be some challenges. No two dogs are alike, so just as we use a person-centered approach to care for our residents, we must use a canine-centered approach to care for our dogs. Most families and residents love the idea of a house dog, especially if they were used to having pets.”
Springwell’s artist-in-residence, Julian Xuereb, classical guitar graduate student at the Peabody Institute, spends time with residents and Phil Golden, Springwell’s principal and chief operating officer.
8 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE / ISSUE 1 2017
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