"Shining a Spotlight on Brain Health” Charter Lights the Way

A group of joyful seniors enjoying companionship and learning at a TBH class

“Thanks to the passion of our teams, TBH has not only educated residents about brain health but also sparked purpose and connection in their daily lives. Together, we are proving that brain health programming can truly be life changing.”

Jayne Sallerson, President and COO, Charter Senior Living

Brain health is a top three health concern of older adults. More than ever, community residents expect you to offer enriched cognitive fitness programs that gives them the chance to stay sharp and connected and reflects a commitment to help them age with vibrance.

It stands to reason therefore that offering meaningful brain wellness training should be a “no brainer” for senior living companies. However, the challenge of launching a new initiative across multiple locations, each with their own strengths and challenges, can be daunting. What does it take to add cognitive training to your wellness programs in a way that is inclusive of your team, engages residents, and meets your goals for success?

Charter Senior Living’s recent brain fitness initiative is a case book study for how companies can bring better cognitive health to their communities. Their recent launch across 65 communities met with outstanding results. Survey results from over 300 residents showed that:

94% were overall satisfied with the TBH programs
87% said they increased their knowledge about brain health
95% discovered new opportunities to socialize and engage with their peers
86% tried new brain-healthy activities as a result of the program
100% expressed interest in continuing with another TBH course

Charter’s grand slam rollout has set a new standard here at TBH, and one we are proud to share as a best practices case study as you add cognitive fitness to your offerings.

What is the secret sauce to Charter’s success? Here are some of the steps that really made their launch shine.

Take Training Seriously

Charter made a clear commitment to making sure their team was prepared to lead the TBH courses, with an upfront goal of 100% TBH trainer certification within the first month of launch. Strategic decisions setting aside time for staff training, regular TBH support calls, as well as personalized support for team members who needed additional help. These steps underscored leadership’s seriousness about trainer preparation and helped them meet their training goals with great success. Leadership then took the extra step of collaborating with TBH to create a training manual for their team, simplifying team members’ access to support and program resources post-training.

Integration is Essential

A well-planned integration of the new brain health program into STRIVE, Charter’s existing wellness initiative, eased program adoption across the communities. Amber Dahle, Charter’s VP of Memory Care and Resident Programming, worked closely with TBH to create a company-wide TBH class schedule that seamlessly wove the program into STRIVE’S trimester plan, giving trainers clear directions for class promotion, scheduling and engaging residents. This uniform TBH timeline made it easier for trainers to focus on teaching and celebrating residents’ success. In addition, leadership introduced Total Brain Health to other departments, with high touch introductions to national and community level leadership, including marketing. As Dahle shared, “(T)ying TBH into our SPARK program has also been a highlight, allowing us to involve prospects, partner with marketing, and shine a spotlight on brain health and healthy aging.”

Lead the Way

Perhaps most critical to the success of Charter’s brain fitness initiative launch was leadership’s visible investment in the success of the TBH programs across their communities. Corporate wellness leaders guided their direct service team with a winning combination of high expectations and generous support. This ensured team members understood both the high organizational value of the program and their access to resources they needed to meet those goals, including ready assistance from leadership, TBH, as well as experienced peers when needed. Leadership’s commitment showed in ways that were both overt, such as the dedication of time and resources to the new program, as well as more subtly, for example completing the trainer certificate training along with their team. As a result, team members were well prepared and enthusiastic as they engaged residents in the program, sharing feedback such as “(I)t has been a fantastic class – they can’t wait for the next one!”

Celebrate Success

Charter’s best practices model is completed by their emphasis on celebrating the success of the TBH programs to residents, trainers, families and the greater community. The highly social, interactive nature of the TBH programs provided wonderful opportunities to showcase these new, fun engagement workouts using social media, with many communities posting detailed descriptions and photographs visible to residents, families, the TBH audience, and other followers. Results of student surveys were shared with all team members and corporate leadership, resulting in even greater buy-in and enthusiasm for the new program. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, residents celebrated their own personal successes, sharing feedback such as “(T)his class has given me hope, the sense to move forward in my life.”

For more information on the Total Brain Health programs to support brain wellness with guided, group-based holistic training for older adults, contact us at info@totalbrainhealth.com.

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