Senior Living Communities Wins National Award

emPowerD is an award-winning wellness program that Members participate in to fight the impacts of Parkinson’s Disease. With its uncommon spelling, the capital P and D representing Parkinson’s Disease, emPowerD depicts the unique approach to supporting those affected by Parkinson’s Disease and their loved ones.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes nerve cells to weaken in the part of the brain that controls movement. More than 10 million people across the globe are experiencing this debilitating disease. Due to the progressive nature of this disease, those living with Parkinson’s can find themselves having trouble walking, poor posture, slowed movements, shaking, and difficulty performing classic activities of daily living (ADLs).

Senior Living Communities developed emPowerD in early 2021 as the need for a better approach to combating Parkinson’s Disease became apparent. One-on-one personal training was already available for Members with Parkinson’s, but it was the introduction of group settings and class structure that was found to be successful at building a community of Members that support one another as they fight the same disease.

Members in the emPowerD classes explore circuit-style training to help improve balance, motor control, strength, gait, flexibility, speech, which increases their ability to perform everyday activities such as eating and dressing. Several of the circuits that Members participate in are:

• Boxing

  
  Movements typically associated with a boxing class are great for muscle memory. They help our Members feel confident while carrying boxes, opening jars, reflexes and hand-eye coordination.

• Fine Motor Coordination

  
  Sewing, sorting objects, repetitive writing, and labeling items increase hand coordination.

• Yoga

  
  Yoga positions and flows appear in many emPowerD classes. The movements reduce slowness and stiffness, improves balance and flexibility (especially in hips and ankles), and increases muscle strength and power.

Senior Living Communities is honored to be awarded this distinction by Argentum and takes pride in provided programming that enriches the lives of their Members.