Institute for Optimal Aging Determines Focus of Research
By Dr. Kevin O'Neil
The Institute for Optimal Aging was recently formed with help from resources of Brookdale Senior Living. Governed by a board of directors, including Bill Sheriff, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Brookdale as the President of the Board, The Institute achieved non-profit status on May 7, 2007. Dr. Kevin O’Neil is the Medical Advisor to The Institute, and Caron Petersen is the Executive Director.
The goal of The Institute for Optimal Aging is to research and study what helps people stay healthy longer, and share the information. The Institute’s mission is to seek and distribute funding for research and initiatives that will enhance the wellness of older adults. All of the Institute’s projects are tied to the six dimensions of wellness: physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual and purposeful.
Since literally millions of factors impact people’s health, happiness and sense of worth, one of the initial challenges The Institute faced was where to begin when trying to decide which of these factors to research. How should The Institute determine which focus should receive priority? To make the decision process more logical and manageable, The Institute turned to Concept Systems, Inc. This research firm has worked with many large companies in the medical sector, including the American Cancer Society and the Centers for Disease Control, and helps groups make an informed decision and an action plan when faced with many options and lots of information.
First, The Institute and Concept Systems went to the experts: Chicago-area Brookdale residents living at the Devonshire of Lisle, the Devonshire of Hoffman Estates and the Kenwood of Lake View. In addition to providing invaluable information, all participating residents and associates exercised the purposeful dimension of living an Optimum Life®.
Residents were truly making a difference for themselves and all Brookdale residents. Associates were helping to perform the mission of care on a whole different level. The results of everyone’s assistance will be seen in months and years to come, a complete fulfillment of the purposeful dimension. The Executive Directors and associates at these three communities devoted months to talking with residents, using the following prompt as the opening for a conversation “One specific topic that should be examined to better understand what seniors need to live a healthy life is …” Multiple sessions were held to get just under 500 responses from residents, associates, and friends and family members. The 500 responses were reviewed, and combined to around 90.
Then, residents and executives sorted the 90 phrases by putting the statements into groups and naming each of the groups. Rating came next; for each of the 90 statements, each person rated how important each of the items is using a scale of one to five.
Meanwhile, a group of selected professionals in the field of healthy aging were busily reviewing current literature related to the wellness dimensions. Concept Systems then came in and took all the rating and sorting information and combined it with the research reports prepared by the professionals. The data was analyzed and the result is a Concept Map.
Thanks to the work of generous volunteers in the Chicago area, the Institute for Optimal Aging now has guidelines for its research and education efforts. Keep watching future editions of Optimum Life® for updates on the specific focus areas.
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