Moorings Park has won the 2021 ICAA NuStep Pinnacle Award, recognizing the Top 5 “Best in Wellness” communities in North America. Sponsored by the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA), which leads, connects and defines the active-aging industry this award annually honors best-in-class wellness-centered environments that benefit all who live and work there.
Additionally, Moorings Park Grande Lake has won the 2021 ICAA NuStep Beacon Award, which recognizes the Top 25 “Best in Wellness” senior living communities in North America.
“The global pandemic has further reinforced the vital importance of wellness as a lifestyle,” says Colin Milner, CEO and founder of ICAA. “Congratulations to each of these award-winning communities for embodying wellness and serving as examples of how to successfully empower their residents to pursue a rich, active life.”
Dan Lavender, CEO and President of Moorings Park Communities agrees. “Our goal is to change how the world ages – to create the proverbial Fountain of Youth,” he said. “We believe in doing things differently. It’s all for the benefit of our active, social and eager-to-learn members.”
Seven key dimensions comprise wellness: emotional, physical, intellectual, social, spiritual, vocational, and environmental. Equally nurturing and prioritizing each dimension not only can enhance overall wellbeing but also can lead to greater engagement, higher expectations, and better outcomes.
Dr. Roger Landry, a preventive medicine physician and author of several award-winning books on aging, recently published a call to action for those people who desire a lifestyle that will give them the best chance to maximize their potential as they age. Entitled “Live Long, Die Short: A Guide to Authentic Health and Successful Aging,” the book focuses on how physical, intellectual, and social abilities play into a long life that is also well-lived.
“These basic human needs of movement, diet and this feeling of being part of a community that nurtures our growth is critically important to our health,” Landry stated.
But how does one tap into a more youthful life? It’s quite simple, according to Landry. They exercise. They eat well and they stay engaged with their friends, their family, and their community.
As the boomer and senior population continue to expand, Life Plan Communities can have a significant effect on health, longevity and quality of life through their wellness culture. Beyond simply classes or programs, wellness ideally must permeate the environment as a mindset and daily pursuit for residents and all levels of staff from fitness to dining, from staying social to spiritual opportunities. Moorings Park Communities is helping to lead the way.
“In your house and most communities, you stay home, you get sick and you go to the doctor,” says Moorings Park Grande Lake resident Dr. John Little. “Our (Moorings Park Communities) proactive approach is to identify health problems early and head them off before they become significant. We operate on a wellness model, not an illness model.” It’s an integrated approach to healthcare designed to enhance the mind, body, and spirit of its residents.
Dr. Little and his wife Veora, who have lived in Naples for decades, are prototypical of the type of educated consumer that moves into a Moorings Park Community. They understand the importance of having a robust wellness and healthcare plan included in their contract.
Moorings Park Communities Vice President and senior living expert Tom Mann notes, “There are some very important nuances to our business model like having a concierge physician and truly robust wellness teams included in your monthly service package that astute individuals immediately grasp the value of. Winning the ICAA’s Pinnacle Award is emblematic of this approach.”
About the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA)
ICAA is a professional association that leads, connects and defines the active-aging industry and supports professionals who aspire to develop wellness cultures for adults over 50. This support includes creating wellness environments, programs and services. The association is focused on active aging—an approach to aging that helps older adults live life as fully as possible within all dimensions of wellness—and provides its members with education, information, resources and tools. As an active-aging educator and advocate, ICAA has advised numerous organizations and governmental bodies.
For more information on the many wellness programs at Moorings Communities, or to schedule a visit or tour on any one of our three campuses, visit our website.
