10 AMENITIES ADULT CHILDREN SEEK IN A SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY “I’ve been to three communities lately
that built gyms and now they’re the most underutilized spaces in their buildings,” Korpi said. “They’re just not getting used. It’s great to have these spaces but they have to be appropriate for your residents. It’s again not about what we expect would be great for them but what they actually want.” Gittings said Arbour Square residents often
The 1950s-style diner at Arbour Square at West Chester, a Blue Harbor community.
sary for meaningful conversations, she said. “It’s nice to have the kind of space where
[adult children] are welcomed into the com- munity and they have an opportunity to be together with their family member,” Wylde said. “It’s cozy, but it also has a sense of being out in the world.” Family members frequently find the pres-
ence of a bar appealing because it suggests socializing opportunities for parents, but Wylde said bars also are attractive to many residents because the vibe is informal and social interaction is not required. “Nothing is required of them except to
sit and sip their drink and maybe carry on a conversation if they want to,” Wylde said.
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Outdoor spaces One of Wentworth’s major selling points to both prospective residents
and their families is a vibrant garden area that overlooks the Piscataqua River. The garden can be a particularly comforting sight for adult children whose parents have been avid gardeners. Wylde said one of the most coveted op-
portunities for senior living residents is the chance to spend time outside. Attractive outdoor sitting areas where residents can sit on pleasant days and visit with each other and visiting family members and friends can be powerful, she said. Korpi said Wentworth uses the garden in
informal and formal ways. Regular activi- ties and events are scheduled in the garden, including a weekly lunch from spring to fall,
34 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE JULY/AUGUST 2018
and Wentworth’s memory care specialists hold sensory therapy sessions there, so that resi- dents can feel the sun and breeze and smell the lavender and roses, among other sensations. “And then from an informal perspective,
a lot of people who come to visit will take their loved one out to visit with them in the garden, because it is pretty spectacular, especially in a place like downtown Plym- outh,” Korpi said. “I don’t think people expect to have that as an amenity in an ur- ban area like ours—they don’t expect to see this big green space with trees and peonies and everything. We have a bunch of special bushes that attract butterflies. It’s beautiful.”
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Fitness and wellness Sons and daughters want to see their parents stay fit and active
and a fitness center provides an encourag- ing sign that will happen. In its community gym, Wentworth offers exercise classes sev- en days a week in such disciplines as yoga, Zumba, and weightlifting. Each class is done in chairs to ensure it is accessible to all res- idents. Residents also can get one-on-one guidance from Wentworth personnel. Korpi said an elaborate gym can be the
kind of amenity that impresses children for the wrong reasons. A gym with extensive equipment does not necessarily draw res- idents to it. Instead, she said, classes and instruction—ways of encouraging residents to come into the gym—are paramount. Of- fering an impressive gym with no structure will not be effective, she said.
use the community’s gym for physical therapy, but residents can prove hesitant to simply go work out there because of uncertainty about how to use the various pieces of equipment. In response, Arbour Square has held demonstra- tions in the gym and contracted with a person- al trainer to work with residents individually. For Arbour Square residents who want to use a pool, the community partners with a nearby YMCA to offer access.
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Health care The presence of health care on- site at a community serves as an
especially attractive amenity, Neetz said. Before her mother moved to Grandbrier, Neetz was shuttling her to appointments with a variety of health care professionals. Neetz still prefers to take her mother to see some of her long-time physicians, such as her general practitioner, but her mother also can take care of some appointments without leaving Grandbrier, such as for a visit with a podiatrist or for regular physical therapy appointments. “That was a battle for me before, but she
likes it now because they just come and get her,” Neetz said. “She doesn’t have to worry about remembering when the appointment is.” Arbour Square partners with a home
health care service that provides physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, as well as nursing and hospice ser- vices. Therapy, Gittings noted, is a critical service for residents across the spectrum of care. Arbour Square also partners with mobile services that can tackle tasks such as taking X-rays or drawing blood—all with- out residents leaving their apartments. Residents have access to general practi-
tioners onsite, but the community also works with them to provide transportation to local specialists so that family members do not have to arrange it. Finally, Arbour Square has partnered with a local neuroscience
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