The mission of Cornerstone Management is to create healthy communities. It’s the thread that weaves together everything we do as a company—from administrative work to caretaking. But it is in each senior living community that a supportive environment is truly fostered. We make it our priority to ensure that every single resident feels at home in a Cornerstone community. Through encouraging family engagement and community building, we build a thriving environment for our residents.

Family engagement and community building are two critical aspects of a healthy senior living environment because of the great effect they have on the residents. And when every resident feels supported and cared for, the whole community reaps the benefits.

Family Engagement: A Key to Resident Wellbeing

Family involvement is an integral characteristic of a healthy senior living community. The support of family affects their well-being in many ways. Residents can feel a sense of stability in the presence of their family, which encourages their psychological well-being. So, not only does family support enhance mental well-being, but it also helps residents live longer and healthier. Statistically, families who are engaged with their loved ones in senior living have a meaningful impact on their overall living satisfaction.

Cornerstone Management understands the impact that family involvement has on the wellbeing of residents. That’s why we prioritize building the family’s trust and keeping them involved every step of the way, creating an environment where residents feel supported by everyone around them.

3 Ways Cornerstone Encourages Family Engagement

Family and Resident Council: Transparent and open communication with the family of residents is one way Cornerstone prioritizes family engagement. Both a family and resident council meet on a regular basis to discuss anything regarding resident’s rights, quality of care, and quality of life. This ensures that both families and residents have the opportunity for conversation with the senior living community.

Open Visitation: Because Cornerstone believes in the importance of family, there are no restrictions on family visitation. Families have the freedom to visit and care for their loved ones whenever possible.

Family Events: Events are a sweet opportunity for families to spend time with their loved ones and get to know others in the community. Cornerstone communities hold regular events such as picnics or holiday celebrations that bring families and residents together.

These are crucial steps that Cornerstone takes to ensure that families feel welcomed in our communities, just as their loved ones are.

Community Building at Cornerstone

A healthy community is fostered by family support, but another critical component is community building among the residents. Like family support, research has shown that residents who have strong social connections and a sense of community have better physical and mental health outcomes.

We all desire friendships and connections with people who care about us—seniors are no different. Here at Cornerstone, we take advantage of frequent events and group outings to foster that sense of community within our senior living facilities. Our goal is to make every resident feel at home within our communities, and that is supported by social engagement of all different forms. Here are some examples of how community events can foster relationships in each residence:

3 Types of Community Events

1. Events that encourage cognitive stimulation: Activities such as board games, ballroom dancing, and cooking can encourage social interaction while also focusing on cognitive stimulation. Social engagement reduces feelings of loneliness in residents and can benefit cognitive wellbeing.
2. Events that focus on physical health: Activities such as walking clubs, gardening, and fitness challenges can build community through engaging in a activity while also improving mobility, flexibility, and supporting physical health.
3. Events that promote social connection: While all of these activities promote social engagement, some events can foster relationships between residents through shared interests. Hobbies like bird watching, arts and crafts, and book clubs can be done as a community, to encourage friendship among residents while also giving each resident the chance to participate in their favorite hobby.

There are many more Cornerstone community events that support different aspects of a resident’s life, all supporting social engagement.

Cornerstone’s mission of creating healthy communities can be found in everything we do. Our communities prioritize family involvement and social engagement to ensure that our residents feel supported, care for, and at home in their Cornerstone community. If you are interested in learning more about us, visit www.cornerstonemgmt.com.