IN Millcreek Spring 2019 | Page 45

INDUSTRY INSIGHT SENIOR LIVING SPONSORED CONTENT STUDY HIGHLIGHTS The Age Well Study by LifeWays Institute on Aging and Northwestern University is based on survey data of 5,000 residents in 80 communities across 29 states. Key fi ndings included: • 69% of CCRC residents reported improved social wellness. Senior Living: Good for Your Health? Study Shows Key Wellness Benefi ts P • CCRC residents experience greater emotional, social, physical, intellectual and vocational wellness than their peers. • Residents of entrance-fee communities had lower rates of depression and better diets than their peers living in rental communities. Learn more about Springhill Senior Living and its programs, events and residents by visiting SpringhillErie.org. erhaps the greatest benefi t of retirement communities is one that seldom tops the list of reasons for moving to one – the increased engagement that this model is designed around. People facing social isolation are at higher risk of cognitive decline and depression, as well as physical issues such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Now, a study by Northwestern University and Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging has found that residents of continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) see measurable health advantages and report greater life satisfaction than their peers – based largely on the engagement that community living helps sustain, even after age- related health challenges begin. Among participants, 69 percent felt the move had improved their social wellness. Three important measures of emotional and physical health—social contact, intellectual engagement, and volunteerism— were also higher among CCRC residents. Why might that be? Continuing care communities are designed for successful aging. Although residents maintain existing community ties and friends, and even vacation homes, they now have friends, support networks, and all kinds of events and classes right outside their door. CCRCs off er opportunities to remain engaged through volunteering, planned trips and programs, resident clubs, and fi tness centers with trained staff . Springhill Senior Living is excited to add an Aquatic Center to its wellness menu in 2019, with groundbreaking scheduled for April. The people who live and work at Springhill Senior Living have long understood how continuing care retirement communities support aging well. They’re excited to see research bear out what they have seen with their own eyes. MILLCREEK ❘ SPRING 2019 43