Senior Living Communities Wins ALFA’s Prestigious Best of the Best Award

April 5, 2011 - PRLog -- Senior Living Communities, a Charlotte, N.C.-based owner and operator of 12 retirement communities located throughout the Southeast and Midwest, announced today that the company’s C.L.I.M.B. program has won the Assisted Living Federation of America’s (ALFA) 2011 Best of the Best Award in the category of ‘Resident Health & Wellness.” The award is the company’s second in as many years.

C.L.I.M.B. took home top honors in one of the competition’s most competitive categories, “Resident Health and Wellness.” An acronym for Confidence, Longevity, Independence, Mobility and Balance, C.L.I.M.B. is an evidence-based lower body strength training program designed to help older adults age successfully in place.

“We are committed to programming that helps our residents maintain their long-term health, happiness, and maximum possible independence – what we call the ‘Weller Life’,” said Senior Living Communities’ President Wallace Saunders. “Not only does the C.L.I.M.B. program help our residents reverse declines they have experienced in their quality of life, it is unique because many of our residents use it as a preventive measure to reduce the likelihood of negative health events which may lead to a loss of independence.”

Lower body strength is vitally important because it is a key determinant of mobility which allows older adults to perform activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing and getting in and out of bed without the help of a caregiver.  Research suggests that strength-training exercises also improve balance, helping older adults reduce their chance of falling which may lead to disability, hospitalization and other negative complications.

ALFA’s Fifth Annual Best of the Best Award has expanded from previous years. Only eight winners were selected from 140 submissions, a record number for the competition.

“We have the honor to spread the good news about remarkable resident-centered programs fulfilling every aspect of senior-living operations, from wellness services to staff development,” said Rick Grimes, president and CEO of ALFA. “All of this year’s entries speak to the high standard of innovation and professionalism among our members and demonstrate their resourcefulness and ingenuity.”

Life Stories and Stand Strong, two other Senior Living Communities’ programs, also received runner-up recognition from ALFA as “Programs to Spotlight” in their respective categories.

Life Stories offers members an opportunity to create an autobiographical video journal for their loved ones and future generations. The video is professionally produced, edited and packaged at no charge to members, and the footage is not used for marketing or research purposes.

Stand Strong is a holistic fall management program which uses a person-centered approach to reduce fall risks associated with medication management errors, sleep deprivation and disease progression. One of the hallmarks of the program is its “lights out until 10:00 a.m.” policy, which allows residents to wake naturally and enjoy a better night’s sleep.

In 2010, the company won a Best of the Best award for WAVES, an aquatic therapy program designed to reduce symptoms associated with the progression of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease in older adults.

Winners and runners-up in each category of the Best of the Best competition are recognized in the March/April issue of the Assisted Living Executive (www.alfapublications.org) and were formally recognized at the ALFA 2011 Conference & Expo, April 5-7 in Orlando, Fla.

About Senior Living Communities

Senior Living Communities, headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is an ALFA “Best of the Best” company which owns and operates 12 retirement communities in the Southeast and Midwest. The company’s goal is to help members live longer, healthier and happier lives through maintenance-free living, a focus on multidimensional wellness solutions, gourmet dining and on-site healthcare. Most communities include single-family homes, condominiums, assisted-living, memory-care and skilled-nursing rooms along with grand clubhouses and wellness centers.  More information about Senior Living Communities is located at www.Senior-Living-Communities.com

About The Assisted Living Federation of America

The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) is the largest national association exclusively dedicated to professionally-managed senior living communities and the seniors and families they serve.  For 20 years, ALFA has worked to educate policymakers and consumers by advocating for choice, accessibility, independence, dignity, and quality of life for seniors.  ALFA’s member-driven programs promote business and operational excellence through education, research, publications, professional networking and online tools designed to foster collaboration and innovation in the field of senior living.  Visit ALFA’s Web site at www.alfa.org.

Photo:
https://www.prlog.org/11419284/1