Success in the Balance is a white paper on the future of senior housing.

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Dr. Bill Hettler of the University of Wisconsin and President of the Board of Directors of the National Wellness Institute developed a Six Dimensional Wellness Model. These six dimensions include social, occupational, spiritual, physical, intellectual and emotional. Many age restricted housing organizations are citing Dr. Hettler's model as a basis for the development of programs and services.  The goal of the provider is to achieve a more balanced approach to the delivery of opportunity to the residents it serves in each of wellness deminsions.

The not-for-profit age qualified housing industry has focused on providing excellent caring environments for those in need of health related services. To this extent many prospects who refuse to consider a move to an age qualified setting believe that most of the “communities” they have visited are “health” oriented. This translates as “nursing home.” This applies to new communities offering a “lifecare” or a healthcare component as well as to those communities that have allowed their residents to age in place to the point that the community is no longer “authentic” to its original vision.

Stonetrust Partners believes that those offering age qualified housing must find ways to not only balance the opportunities for growth in each of the wellness dimensions but to also embrace the changes needed to achieve such balance. For instance, little has been done within the programming of services to support the occupational needs of those considering a move. During the next decade it is highly likely that many older adults will be starting businesses. A Full Dimensional Life™ community could and should be the resource to help incubate such startup businesses. Not only will a Full Dimensional Life™ community offer a physical location for such startups to call home, but they will also offer services that include legal set up, a volunteer board of directors to provide mentoring, business plan writing and coordination of all issues associated with startup businesses. It might even mean that communities of the future will build a small office building on the same campus that would provide rental space for the older entrepreneurs. This of course could also be an opportunity of additional revenue for the provider.

A word about the Full Dimensional Life™ trademark.

The Full Dimensional Life™ logo denotes any product or service committed to offering opportunities which will allow it customers to grow in every dimension of life.  With so much competition in the age-qualified housing industry, it will be a powerful marketing tool for those who can truly offer a balance of opportunities.  The community must be able ot prove that its opportunities are balanced and a plan is in place to maintain such a balance.  Achieving such balance is not driven so much by budget as it is by philosophy -- and the willingness to embrace each dimension as an equal partner in creating opportunities for a fulfilled life.