Resident Committees: What They Are and Why You Should Join In

Move over, boring retirement communities of yesteryear. Retirement communities are implementing new techniques to make the communities more like home by letting the residents take control.

Resident-driven communities are becoming more popular in Lifecare (also known as continuing care retirement communities or CCRCs) retirement communities nationwide. The building blocks of resident-driven communities are resident committees that help shape the community by planning events, activities and giving residents a chance to connect over a common interest.

Resident-Driven Community

At resident-driven communities, residents have a hand in how their community is shaped. These types of communities feel more like home because the residents are in charge.

Some benefits of living in a resident-driven community include:

• Better relationships between residents and staff members;
• A sense of empowerment;
• The ability for residents to make choices and live independently.

A big part of the resident-driven community is resident committees that bring people together and let them bond over topics they are passionate about.

These committees also plan activities and events that help residents stay social and active. This type of community normally doesn’t have a full-time activities director hired – it’s all run by the residents.

Related: Learn more about lifecare communities >>

Resident Committees at The Admiral

When you move into The Admiral, you will quickly encounter one of the resident committees, appropriately named the Welcome Committee. This committee helps residents get comfortable in their new surroundings and introduce new residents to current residents. They can also help you find other committees that match your interests.

The Admiral currently has more than 50 resident committees and groups. The topics range from volunteering and gardening to fitness, creative arts and much more. If you can’t find a committee that interests you but have an idea for a new committee, you can always propose your idea to The Admiral’s Resident Association.

The point of these committees is to help residents get to know other residents and staff members with the same interests and passions. They help plan activities that any resident or staff member can join and shape the community to make it feel more like home.

Here are two examples of resident committees that are currently active at The Admiral.

Gardening Group

This group meets twice a month to help plan and execute gardening duties and keep The Admiral at the Lake looking beautiful all year round. Some duties include placing and maintaining plants throughout the community, organizing trips to Chicago’s iconic gardens, sourcing garden-related speakers and presenters, and more.

If you’re interested in this committee, you simply need to pay attention to the bulletin boards throughout the community and attend a group meeting to get started.

You may also like: How to feel at home in a resident-driven community >>

Health and Wellness Liason Committee

The goal of this committee is to enhance the experience of living at The Admiral by addressing issues that affect the physical and mental well-being of residents. This committee consists of residents and The Admiral Wellness team, Health Services and Culinary Services.

When this committee meets once a month, they discuss topics like planning educational presentations for other residents, healthy food ideas and fitness class suggestions.

Staying Active and Social at The Admiral

The common goal surrounding these committees is to keep residents engaged and active, which is essential to their health and well-being. Each resident who moves to The Admiral has the ability to shape the community they now call home.

These committees provide an opportunity to get to know your neighbors and the staff members and eventually, become a part of the family.

“Some residents who have lived in high-rises all their lives never got the chance to know their neighbors and never were friends with people in the building they lived in,” explained Jennifer Deitelhoff, Director of Resident Services for Independent Living at The Admiral at the Lake. “At The Admiral at the Lake, everybody knows everyone, especially the staff members.”

Are you intrigued by The Admiral’s resident committees? You can learn more about resident committees, get an in-depth look at five of The Admiral’s committees and see a full listing of current committees by checking out our Resident Committees page.