Garden Spot Communities

Our Resilient Aging Environments Network (RAEN) group has been exerting ample brain power at this first annual meeting. What better way to take a well-deserved break than with a visit to the nearby Lapp Dairy Farm and ICE CREAM! They finished the day with visits to some of Garden Spot Village’s innovative living and care environments – the Thistledown Cooperative Living House and the Sycamore Springs Pocket Neighborhood – as fascinating as they sound. We’ll share more in a post-meeting wrap-up. And finally, dinner IN the 4,600 square foot Garden Spot Aeroponics Greenhouse. Located across the street from the Village, this innovative system grows up to 18,000 plants, providing Garden Spot Village diners with fresh, organic, farm-to-table produce year-round. Pictured here are some RAEN members and guests: Mitchell Elliott, AIA, Principal at RDG Planning & Design; Steve Muller, COO of Garden Spot Communities; Jeffery Beegle, CHEC, CEO and Senior Director of Projects at Three Pillars Senior Living Communities ; Annie Peace, Health Services Director at Meadowlark Hills; Andrew Alden, Senior Associate at AG Architecture, Inc.; Jeff McSpadden, Co-founder and CEO of Composure; Melody Karick, CDP, CMDCP, PCHA, VDTCT, PAC, Dementia Educator and Consultant at Garden Spot Communities; Melissa C. Pritchard, aia, ncarb, leed ap bdc, Managing Principal at SFCS Architects; Jake Quigley, Vice President of Operations at Benchmark Senior Living; Kathy Griffel LEED AP, EDAC, Senior Director at Mannington Commercial; Margaret Suit, VP of Architecture, Design & Development at Erickson Senior Living; Steve Lindsey, CEO at Garden Spot Communities; Debra Levin, Hon. FASID, EDAC, CEO and Addie Abushousheh, PhD, Research Associate at The Center for Health Design; and RAEN Facilitator Migette Kaup, PhD. The Center’s Resilient Aging Environments Network – the newest of four Environment Networks of executive level professionals – provides members with a forum to establish relationships, participate in ongoing, open, collegial conversations, and have intimate access to colleagues who are dedicated to advancing aging design throughout the industry. For membership information visit https://lnkd.in/gSmUY5uJ.

Working parents face difficulty during a holiday when schools are closed. The Village Life Experiences team in the Healthcare areas of Garden Spot Village hosted a Garden Spot Village Kids Day. Team members' children spent the day at Garden Spot Village and could participate in activities with residents in all the care areas: DayBreak, Personal Care, Memory Care, and Skilled Nursing. It was a thrilling day for not only the children but the residents as well. #intergenerational #kidsdayatgardenspotvillage #innovation #distributedleadership #bringyourchildrentowork

Today is National Ageism Awareness Day. At Garden Spot Communities, we are sparking a Pro-Aging Revolution. We believe aging should be celebrated, not stigmatized. We reject the mindset of "can't, shouldn't, or won't" because of age. Instead, we embrace aging as a natural progression that brings wisdom, resilience, and self-discovery. We strive to be part of the change, fostering new language, attitudes, and mindsets about aging. We focus on whole-person well-being, where healthcare supports living and vibrant communities thrive. Aging is no longer a liability but an opportunity to enrich lives, communities and society. At Garden Spot Communities, we encourage relationship building between residents and team members, and in doing that, we're redefining aging—not to defy it, but to embrace it with purpose, passion, and impact. Join us in celebrating the power of aging! #AgeismAwarenessDay #TalkAboutAgeism #SparkAProAgingRevolution

The quote from Debbie Allen over the doorway to the Kaleidoscope Performing Arts Center at Ursinus College says, "But out of limitations comes creativity." These members of the "Wisdom Course" at Frederick Living would likely agree. Over several months, we have written (and re-written) narratives in which we've recollected some of the stories and experiences of our lives and drawn out the wisdom and lessons learned. We've looked at the difficulties and joys of the past that have shaped who we are today and gained insights for the future. So last week as we prepared to share our stories with students, some of the course participants travelled to the Ursinus campus for introductions. The Wisdom Course, offered for the first time at Frederick Living, was created several years ago by Garden Spot Communities in conjunction with Elizabethtown College. We are excited to now establish this intergenerational program between Frederick Living and Ursinus College as we learn from each other and establish new friendships throughout the fall semester.

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We are so proud of our first class of graduates from a new CNA certification program held in partnership with Peter Becker Community. These three women completed 125 hours of classroom and clinical training and passed two tests to qualify for certification. We are excited to have these skilled professionals working in the personal care and skilled levels of our community. A celebration attended by team members and board representatives was in order! If you or anyone you know is looking to join a supportive team environment where you can pursue your career goals, please visit us during our Job Fair on Wednesday, September 25 from 11am to 4 pm. Go to https://lnkd.in/eeCSUmky to pre-register. Interviews will take place on the spot. Can't wait to meet you!

A New Episode of Purpose in Retirement just dropped! In this episode, Steve Lindsey, CEO of Garden Spot Communities, discusses the new envisioned future to Spark a Pro-Aging Revolution and how that mindset can help combat ageism. Listen at https://lnkd.in/expaAu_i Or wherever you listen to podcasts. #podcast #gardenspotcommunities #proagingrevolution #proageing #ageism #purposeinretirement #retirewithpurpose

The Center’s Resilient Aging Environments Network (RAEN) – the newest of four Environment Networks of executive level professionals – kicked off its first in-person meeting at Garden Spot Village in New Holland, PA, where CEO Steve Lindsey welcomed and toured the group, together with The Center’s Addie Abushousheh, PhD and Melody Karick, CDP, CMDCP, PCHA, VDTCT, PAC, Personal Care Administrator at Meadow View Memory Support at Garden Spot Village. Together with Jeff McSpadden, Co-Founder and CEO of Composure, Addie and Melody shared an implementation of Composure’s digital audio well-being platform that has been shown through Center-conducted research to improve sleep quality and behaviors in memory care residents. Pictured here are RAEN Facilitator Migette Kaup together with Jeff and RAEN members Mitchell Elliott, AIA of RDG Planning & Design and Jake Quigley of Benchmark Senior Living. Members of RAEN have an opportunity to establish relationships, participate in ongoing, open, collegial conversations, and have intimate access to colleagues who are dedicated to advancing aging design throughout the industry. For membership information visit https://lnkd.in/gSmUY5uJ.

Happy Labor Day to all Garden Spot Communities team members at Frederick Living, Garden Spot Village and Maple Farm! Your dedication to providing excellence and fostering vibrant compassionate communities for the residents. Thank you for all you do! #team #laborday

We're thrilled to announce a new partnership between Pathways Homeschool and Meadow View at Garden Spot Village! Starting this month, 8th grade students will engage with our residents living with dementia, creating meaningful intergenerational connections. After receiving specialized training, these compassionate young individuals will visit monthly to share time, stories, and activities with our residents. This collaboration fosters understanding, empathy, and joy for everyone involved. We can't wait to see the beautiful relationships that will blossom through this initiative! #intergenerational #IntergenerationalConnections #CommunityMatters #GardenSpotVillage