At Kendal-Crosslands Communities, our Vitalize 360 program helps residents with all aspects of wellness, and develop personal goals to improve whatever area in their lives needs a little attention. It’s based on the seven dimensions of wellness which include:

  • Emotional
  • Intellectual
  • Vocational
  • Environmental
  • Spiritual
  • Social and
  • Physical health and wellness.

Lathie Gannon, the Vitalize 360 Wellness Coach for Kendal-Crosslands, sees a lot of what she does as helping to personalize the Kendal-Crosslands experience for residents and help them connect to the many services and programs available.

Wellness means different things to different people.  “Each resident has different things that come up, and with all of the resources we have available, we can find the right solution, and sometimes, it even leads to new programs to address issues,” Lathie said. Often Lathie dispells the misconception that a Wellness Coach is focused solely on physical fitness.  As illustrated by The Wellness Wheel, there are multi-dimensions of wellness.

For example, after Judy joined the community, she decided to try Vitalize 360. Lathie came to her home, and they filled out a survey and got to know each other. Through the process and a few visits, Lathie learned that Judy was having trouble sleeping at night, something many older people struggle with from time to time. Judy said she just felt like she was always thinking and processing what happened during the day, and it was hard to shut that off at the end of the day.

Lathie and Judy looked into solutions together, that included getting Judy evaluated for possible sleep apnea, and looking for a way to help her relax and quiet her mind before bed, making it easier to fall asleep and sleep well. Judy decided to replace her mattress and Lathie helped coordinate choosing one that would work for her. Judy also began using the Calm app on her smart phone, which has a 10 minute program that helps people unwind, to help her relax before bed, She’s now been using now for over 120 days, and Judy couldn’t be happier with her progress over time! She’s sleeping better and feeling better, which helps with almost every other aspect of her life as well.

Based on Judy’s success, Lathie is working with several other residents who have similar issues,so the solutions that worked for Judy are now also helping other residents across the community. They have even arranged for a local expert in sleep to come give a presentation to the community, helping everyone learn about better sleep.

Through the Vitalize 360 program, Lathie got to know Judy and build a relationship that allowed them to develop an individualized program to help Judy, but in the process, the resources they discovered are really helping the whole community!

Setting individual goals can be almost anything that’s important to a resident. For another resident, his goal was to dance with his granddaughter at her upcoming wedding, but he was currently using a walker for mobility. Lathie helped coordinate a program with the physical therapists and trainers to improve his fitness and stamina over an eight-week period so he could stand, and using his granddaughter for support, dance with her for 2-3 minutes- a family memory that is simply priceless.

“By talking to residents and helping them set goals, we can help them stay motivated and engaged to get everything they want to out of life, and their experience here at Kendal-Crosslands Communities. Knowing what’s happening in their lives means we can be proactive to  head off any problems, and connect them to the right resource that can make things so much easier for people,” Lathie continued.

“I see some people weekly, some monthly, and some just once or twice a year for a check-in. Being here and getting to know them well really helps me connect them to all the resources we have available here, and make sure they are getting the most out of living here in the Community.”

The individualized approach of Vitalize 360 means every resident’s experience is a little different. Lathie says that her job is a little bit like being a care coordinator, but it’s about so much more than just medical or physical needs. It’s a whole-person approach, that gives each resident the ability to live their best life.  Research show that when people stay engaged in purposeful activity throughout life, they tend to stay healthier.

Judy said “Many people like me, rely on their spouse to be their cheerleader and give the support you need every day. Living alone, I need to find that same support from other people and in other areas, and I get that through Vitalize 360.”

Many years ago, Kendal partnered with Hebrew Senior Health (part of Harvard Medical School) and developed this wellness platform.  Vitalize 360 is just one of the many aspects of Kendal-Crosslands Communities that helps transform the experience of aging for our residents. Ask yourself, “What’s Life Like Today?”, “What Matters Most?”, and “What Is Your Plan?”.  This program can help you stay focused, motivated, and pro-actively engage in managing your health.  If you’d like to learn more about Vitalize 360 or other aspects of our wellness programs, please be sure to fill out the form below and subscribe to our newsletter.