The traditional approach in senior living is to view older people as customers or consumers of services. You can see that reflected in advertising promising a carefree life of leisure – kind of the resort or cruise ship approach.  This approach is rooted in false and limiting beliefs of aging. That when we reach a certain age, we have nothing of value to give back to this world.  That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Combating Ageism & Ableism through Citizenship

At Christian Living Communities we are committed to combatting ageism and ableism. We believe changing the way things have been will start with what we call the CLC Citizenship Model of community living.

The CLC citizenship model is an age-positive, empowerment model rooted in the belief that each individual, at every age and level of abilities, has gifts and passions and talents and experience that can make the community stronger and better. That might be a formal role – such as resident leadership in committees – or it might be the small things that someone does – an act of kindness to support a neighbor.

This moves beyond person-directed care to elders having influence in their community and helping address issues in the community. Achieving community citizenship takes time, commitment, and an ability to dismantle traditional ways of providing senior living.

Here you will see a continuum of living experiences in a community. At CLC we like to put our own “twist” on things so with guidance from a valued resident, we made a few tweaks to the original model.

It’s important to keep in mind that every year we’re alive, we gain experiences and knowledge. We have so much to give as we age! And the evidence is clear… to live a long and healthy life we need a role to play, meaningful purpose in our lives, we need to belong and have influence. In short, we need community and we need to be active members of our community – we need to be citizens!

Citizenship at CLC is about each of us having an active role to play, not focused on just our own independence but interdependence. Knowing that we need each other and taking responsibility for not just ourselves but for others.

Citizenship in Practice at CLC Senior Living Communities

You may be thinking, this all sounds great, but how do I start a culture-shift like this? Our best advice to get started is to begin asking questions.

At Clermont Park, a Life Plan community in south Denver and CLC’s founding community, each new resident and team member is asked, “What gifts would you like to share with your community? What passions do you have, how do you want to contribute and grow?” These simple questions uncover all types of opportunities to build citizenship within your community.

The results are amazing. To see more about Clermont Park’s journey, watch their I Am Video.

You can also ask these questions with residents and team members who are already in your community. It is never too late to get to know who is in your community – you can do this during meetings, host a learning circle, or send out a survey. The key is what you do with the information you gather once you have it.

At Someren Glen, a Continuing Care Community in Centennial, the Philanthropy Committee recently demonstrated the Citizenship Model‘s impact on new and long-time residents alike. Someren Glen is flourishing with resident groups that gather around shared interests and passions. Woodworkers, knitters, singers, librarians, gift shop organizers, game players, and gardeners, make up just a handful of those groups.

To help ease the transition to the community for newer residents, the Philanthropy Committee organized a Coffee Chat. New neighbors who had recently moved to Someren Glen were invited to join together for coffee, donuts, a meet-and-greet, and an introduction to the many resident-led groups ready to welcome them with open arms.

 

 

 

 

 

Barbara Lusk, a philanthropy committee member, shared, “How can we create a culture of philanthropy if people don’t know how to get involved or feel welcomed? I moved in recently, and it is overwhelming, but finding a way to get to know people and then to give back, like I do at the gift shop, has helped tremendously.”

The gathering closed with every attendee – whether a new neighbor or a long-time friend – sharing who they are, where they are from, and what drew them to Someren Glen.

Residents, team members, family members, and our vendor partners are all citizens who, together, weave a beautiful and vibrant tapestry of living.

We believe this approach will revolutionize aging services, moving beyond traditional cultures that focus on a declinist view of aging to purpose-filled cultures of shared responsibility, to citizenship.

Community Leaders Discuss the Impact of the Citizenship Model

In May 2023, Jill Vitale-Aussem, President & CEO of CLC, hosted a Facebook Live event with guests Maddy Chapman, Associate Executive Director at Holly Creek, and Andrew Sharp, Community Life Director at Clermont Park, exploring what citizenship is, discussing how it can revolutionize aging services, and sharing the evidence-based results that this approach really works. Watch the event recording.