News

The Lifestyle Department at Vi at Silverstone, a Life Plan Community in Scottsdale, Arizona, has 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 had to adapt to a new normal as stay-at-home orders continue to shift across the country. As many residents choose to spend more time in their apartments, our Lifestyle Department, 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.

“The entire team is working together to do some really creative problem-solving and we’re having fun doing it,” shared Sales Director Susie Downey.

Below, discover just a few of the ways that staff members keep residents engaged and connected while keeping them safely apart:

1. 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.

2. Staying fit and having fun.

Our team works together to bring the same fitness and wellness programs offered in the gym to our residents directly via the community TV channel. 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.

3. 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.

4. Encouraging connections.

With residents set up with user-friendly voice and video calling apps, existing groups and clubs were able to resume meetings, including Vi at Silverstone’s Vi Tones. Residents also host online luncheons, happy hours and dinner parties.

And the Lifestyle Department 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.

5. 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 for easy access 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 and variety shows.

Lifestyle Director Curtis Rick, his team, and staff from every department produce new entertainment weekly, including a talk show called “The View at Vi at Silverstone,” where Curtis interviews members of staff who might not otherwise interact with residents on a regular basis. “One week, he interviewed our director of security. It’s a really creative way for residents to get to know staff members in a way they didn’t have an opportunity to do before,” said Susie.

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 and fitness routines to standup comedy routines.

And the creativity and resourcefulness of staff members at the community show no signs of stopping. Every day, they continue to find new ways to connect with residents and to connect residents with each other. And residents appreciate the hard work. “Residents write kind notes to staff who deliver their food and then the staff send notes back. And the emails we get are so positive. We were close before, but now we are a family,” said Susie.