Five ways the Lifestyle Departments at Vi keep the community spirit thriving during the pandemic
Lifestyle Departments at our 10 Life Plan Communities across the country have always sought to help residents connect with each other and to discover new passions and hobbies in retirement. However, just like the rest of the world, we have all had to adapt to a new normal.
As residents choose to spend more time in their apartments, the Lifestyle Department at each community, with the help of staff members across all departments, jumped into action to find creative ways to bring the sense of community and connection to the residents.
Below, you will discover just a few of the ways that staff members keep residents engaged and connected while keeping them safely apart:- Dining in and al fresco.
On the culinary side, our teams have shifted seamlessly from dine-in to delivery, even adding opportunities to surprise and delight with birthdays, holidays and just-because days observed with personalized treats, notes and themed meals delivered directly to front doors.
- Staying fit and having fun.
Our teams work together to bring the same fitness and wellness programs offered in the gym to residents via community TV channels. Yoga, meditation and functional fitness classes are staggered throughout the day to ensure residents can partake as their schedules allow. And residents are encouraged to get outside and enjoy the outdoor spaces within the community.
- Going techie.
Staff and tech-savvy residents work together to get the less technologically inclined comfortable with online communication tools like Zoom and FaceTime® Voice and Video Calling.
Staff work diligently to equip personal devices and community tablets with the applications and troubleshoot any issues as they come up. Residents are able to reconnect quickly and regularly with friends and family across the country on their tablets and phones.
And Lifestyle Directors across all 10 Vi communities pooled their collective research and resources to bring a new selection of virtual entertainment to residents every day, including museum tours, online classes, movies and more within an app that all residents can access.
- Encouraging connections.
With residents set up with user-friendly voice and video calling apps, existing groups and clubs, from book clubs to choir practices, were able to resume meetings. Residents also host online luncheons, happy hours and dinner parties.
And Lifestyle Departments have facilitated the return of a little friendly competition and camaraderie by equipping residents with access and instructions to virtual group bridge games. Residents can set up games against fellow Vi residents from the comfort of home.
- Getting creative.
And as for entertainment, staff members from every department pulled out all the stops. In addition to curating and delivering content like movies and lectures through “Stir Crazy,” part of a mobile app provided to all Vi residents, staff conceptualized and recorded their own videos, like live bingo, comedy skits, cooking demonstrations and variety shows.
Even the residents have been getting in on the fun, offering to share their own talents, hobbies and expertise with their neighbors, from cooking demos to stand-up comedy routines.
And staff members at each Vi community show no signs of stopping with their creativity and resourcefulness. Every day, they continue to find new ways to connect with residents and to connect residents with each other. And our residents appreciate the hard work.
Want to learn more? You can use the links below to discover what’s happening at each of our 10 Life Plan Community locations across the country.
ARIZONA
Vi at Grayhawk (Scottsdale, AZ)
Vi at Silverstone (Scottsdale, AZ)
CALIFORNIA
Vi at La Jolla Village (San Diego, CA)
Vi at Palo Alto
COLORADO
Vi at Highlands Ranch
FLORIDA
Vi at Aventura
Vi at Bentley Village (Naples, FL)
Vi at Lakeside Village (Lantana, FL)
ILLINOIS
Vi at The Glen (Glenview, in Chicago’s North Shore)
SOUTH CAROLINA
TidePointe, a Vi Community (Hilton Head Island, SC)