How Resident-Led Programs Are Redefining Modern Senior Living

Senior living has changed. Older adults today are not shopping for a full activity calendar. They want a place that fits who they are and what they still want to learn.

The communities doing this well have figured out something simple: the most interesting people in the building are the residents. Many spent decades as teachers, executives, artists, and volunteers. Good programming does not keep them busy. It gives them somewhere to put that.

A program one resident started herself

Ferne Walpert had barely unpacked when the team at The Leonard on Beverly encouraged her to get involved. A former teacher who also worked in marketing and fundraising, she founded a resident-led committee called Friends & Neighbors.

Residents from Independent Living and Assisted Living spend time with neighbors who live in Memory Support. Volunteers pick how they want to help. Some sit beside a partner during art class. Some go for a walk. Some read aloud.

“I am looking for something to keep me challenged and relevant,” Walpert said. “Our residents can educate and entertain each other. Each interaction, no matter how small, helps to foster joy, engagement, and a feeling of belonging.”

A service built for everyone

Marcia Brous grew up on the Rotary motto: service above self. She leads a weekly Shabbat service that draws 20 to 25 people, and she designed it for a mixed crowd.

“Why should the Shabbat service be only for the Jewish residents?” she said. “I was building something that would be good for everyone: a shorter, universal service.”

She added a modified version for Memory Support residents, and she sounds the ram’s horn there in the weeks before the High Holy Days. “I could tell that they were thrilled to hear the horn,” she said. “Some were brought to happy tears.”

Why it works

Dale Surowitz, CEO & President of Los Angeles Jewish Health, sees the same shift across his organization’s campuses.

“Seniors want to live purposeful, meaningful lives and make a difference in their communities,” he said. “They see where they live as an extension of their home and want to invest their time and energy in it.”

He sees it spread. “When residents help create and lead programs, they bring enthusiasm and a sense of purpose,” Higdon said. “That energy is contagious. Other residents become more engaged, build connections, and may be inspired to participate or create programs of their own.”

The real test is whether a program outlasts the person who started it. Los Angeles Jewish Health serves older adults from independent living through assisted living and skilled nursing, and adjusts programming at each stage.

“Dreams shouldn’t go away just because someone is older,” Surowitz said.

(Adobe Stock)

What families should look for

Calligraphy Westwood describes enrichment as an extension of each resident’s lifestyle rather than a calendar to fill. Its advice to families touring anywhere: count less and ask more. Are programs shaped around real interests? Is there room for lifelong learning, wellness, and creativity? Can residents start something of their own?

Higdon puts it simply: “Families should look for communities that help create a sense of meaning and purpose for their loved ones.”

As Brous put it: “I am doing the things that I enjoy doing the most. They provide the resources and support so that I can make it happen.”

Enrichment is not an amenity. It is a life still being built.