Environments for Aging - Fall 2019 - 7

GUEST EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Lori Alford
Chief Operating Officer
Avanti Senior Living

Group effort
Loneliness in senior living settings is a serious issue, but
it's one that's being tackled on all fronts By Kristin D. Zeit
Loneliness is a bigger problem than ever in the United
States, according to several recent studies, and it's
a problem that spans generations. One of the most
widely reported surveys, conducted by Cigna, reports
that almost half (47 percent) of today's adults feel
disconnected from those around them.
The studies have grabbed headlines largely
because of the surprising number of millennials

CC Andrews
President and Chief Strategist
Quantum Age Collaborative
David Banta
Associate
Wiencek + Associates Architects + Planners
Laura Busalacchi
Senior Director of Interior Services
Brookdale Senior Living
Vassar Byrd
Chief Executive Officer
Rose Villa Senior Living
Margaret Calkins
Board Chair
Ideas Institute
Daniel J. Cinelli
Managing Principal and Board Director
Perkins Eastman

and Gen Zers who consider themselves lonely,
despite (or, some argue, because of) the always-on
nature of social media and digital connectedness
that surrounds their daily lives. But for those who work in senior living, the
widespread, harmful effects of loneliness on human health and happiness are,
well, old news.
But there's good news, too. Whether they live alone or share space within a
senior living community, seniors are the focus of substantial efforts to combat
loneliness and improve well-being. Some of these efforts have been around for a
while, but others are offshoots of more modern developments.
For example, the more we learn about the potentially isolating effects of
technology, the more technology innovators work to diminish those dangers
and even promote more face-to-face (or at least voice-to-voice) engagement.
Easy-to-use community services are popping up that connect seniors with
local teens and college students (all vetted and screened in advance) for rides,
odd jobs, and just hanging out. Community architects and designers are
responding to demands of the newest retirees-the baby boomers-with more
shared-experience spaces, active living amenities, and an overall more convivial
atmosphere.
If you really want to draw someone out of isolation, though, it's hard to
beat the time-honored appeal of good food around a welcoming table. As
you'll read in Jennifer Silvis' article "Contemporary Cuisine" (page 34), senior
living dining spaces continue to evolve in incredible ways to serve up variety,
excitement, and, yes, honest-to-goodness camaraderie and community.
Some of these latest efforts are on display in our annual Remodel/Renovation
Competition, where all three winners chosen this year are dining areas (check
out our coverage beginning on page 46). So pull up a seat, and dig in! You're
among friends. EFA

Michelle Clark
Vice President of Development
Domus Development
Andy Coelho
Senior Vice President of Facilities, Design,
and Development
Sunrise Senior Living
Alexis Denton
Principal
SmithGroupJJR
Mitch Elliott
Senior Partner
RDG Planning & Design
Lorraine Hiatt
Environmental Gerontologist
Planning, Research and Design Consultation
Steve Lindsey
Chief Executive Officer
Garden Spot Communities
Dean Maddalena
Founder and President
StudioSix5
Eric McRoberts
Partner
RLPS Architects
Robert C. Pfauth
Director of Senior Living Planning
Erdman
Jane Rohde
Principal
JSR Associates Inc.
Jill Schroeder
Senior Planner/Senior Interior Designer
Pope Architects

Kristin D. Zeit, Publisher

Rob Simonetti
Senior Associate and Design Director
SWBR

Fall 2019 * EFAmagazine.com

7
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Environments for Aging - Fall 2019

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