Atria El Camino Gardens: Good Samaritans reach out to make a difference. Residents and staff channel their energies and talents to help others through an extensive volunteer program. The rewards include a sense of purpose and pride for participants.

1. The Journal on Active Aging November/December 2015 www.icaa.cc52
ICAA Innovators
Atria El Camino
Gardens:
Good Samaritans reach
out to make a difference
Residents and staff channel
their energies and talents
to help others through an
extensive volunteer program.
The rewards include a sense
of purpose and pride for
participants
This article profiles a recipient of the 2014
ICAA Innovators Achievement Award,
a category of the Innovators Awards pro-
gram recognizing programs and concepts
that advance active aging. Presented in
three categories, the annual Innovators
Awards honor creativity and excellence in
the active-aging industry. They highlight
innovations that lead the way, set new
standards, and make a difference in the
lives of older adults.
At Atria El Camino Gardens in Car-
michael, California, residents feel the
need to make a difference in the lives of
neighbors in the community-at-large.
That desire to contribute to others led
the community to start the Atria El
Camino Gardens Good Samaritan
Outreach program in 2013.
“Atria El Camino Gardens offers a wel-
coming independent-living, assisted-
living and memory-care community in
which older adults can enjoy opportuni-
ties to create the fulfilling lifestyles they
want,” comments Engage Life Director
Staci Weisz. “Our signature events and
activities program, Engage Life®, reflects
our philosophy as a company,” Weisz
says. “Our residents are people of action
and service. Our job is to facilitate their
goals and support them as they continue
to learn, grow and make a difference.”
Louisville, Kentucky-based Atria Senior
Living owns and operates more than
180 communities in North America.1
At
Continued on page 54
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2. The Journal on Active Aging November/December 2015 www.icaa.cc 53
At Atria El Camino
Gardens, a resident
builds a dollshouse for a
local organization serving
vulnerable children and
youth
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3. The Journal on Active Aging November/December 2015 www.icaa.cc54
Atria El Camino Gardens and other Atria
communities, “social calendars feature
over 200 monthly events based on eight
key dimensions of engagement that
contribute to a fulfilling life.”2
These di-
mensions include such elements as social
and civic engagement, lifelong learn-
ing, spirituality, and family and friends,
among others.
To aid staff in providing meaningful op-
portunities for residents, Atria Senior
Living created the Atria Resident Dis-
covery survey. This tool includes specific
questions that help community staff
learn more about their residents and
uncover their unique interests. “As El
Camino Gardens’ Engage Life director,
I draw inspiration from our residents’
survey answers to develop new programs
and opportunities for joy, growth and
fulfillment tailored to their specific
interests,” explains Weisz. Residents
are also encouraged to lead classes and
events related to their expertise and
passions.
Weisz adds that she “constantly reevalu-
ates, refreshes and enhances program-
ming based on resident input and inter-
est to help take programs to the next
level.” Because programs evolve, new
opportunities are regularly available to
residents. The Good Samaritan Out-
reach program, for example, grew out of
residents’ ideas for making a difference,
which Weisz and her colleagues expand-
ed into attainable goals. The program’s
first three initiatives launched in 2013.
An additional three initiatives were
introduced in 2014 based on residents’
skills, interests and input.
To learn more about Good Samaritan
Outreach, the Journal on Active Aging®
recently asked Weisz to discuss the
program and what it includes, as well as
what it brings to El Camino Gardens’
residents and staff.
JAA: Please describe the Good Samaritan
Outreach program in brief.
SW: The Atria El Camino Gardens Good
Samaritan Outreach program is an exten-
sive volunteer program that creates op-
portunities for our residents with differ-
ent skills and functional abilities to sup-
port their local community. Participants
utilize their unique talents and interests
to help make a difference in the lives
of others by providing visits, meals and
friendships to older adults in the com-
munity-at-large; preparing box lunches
for homeless individuals; and crocheting,
knitting or sewing items for local hos-
pitals, skilled nursing communities and
senior centers, to name a few ways.
JAA: What was the catalyst for the Good
Samaritan program?
SW: Our residents were already engaged
in meaningful programs at Atria El
Camino Gardens, which benefitted staff,
friends, family and other residents at
the community. But, residents expressed
a desire to expand those programs to
benefit the broader community. So, the
Good Samaritan program was created.
The goal of the program is to empower
and engage residents with a sense of
purpose, regardless of physical abilities,
to help make a difference in the lives of
others in the community-at-large. There
is no better gift to give somebody than
the opportunity to see beyond self.
JAA: How did you create and deliver
the Good Samaritan program and its
components?
SW: I evaluated the current programs
at the community and explored how to
expand the programming utilizing resi-
dents’ talents and interests to help meet
needs in the greater community.
Atria El Camino Gardens:Good Samaritans reach out to
make a difference Continued from page 52
A worker in the local community receives a healthy treat as part of ‘Random Acts of
Kindness,’ a Good Samaritan Outreach initiative at Atria El Camino Gardens
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4. The Journal on Active Aging November/December 2015 www.icaa.cc 55
I created a flyer to let the residents know
we were launching the Good Samari-
tan program. One of the first ways our
residents decided to give back was to
feed the homeless. We started with sack
lunches. We partnered with culinary
services staff on the project and deter-
mined the initial menu—peanut butter
and jelly sandwiches, potato chips, gra-
nola bar, fruit, cookies, napkin, bottled
water. We also engaged the help of our
Clip and Chatter Card Club members
to make cards with personal notes from
the residents to include in the lunches.
Once we started this program, we had a
variety of residents with different inter-
ests and physical capabilities wanting to
participate and engage, which led to the
creation of more programs.
JAA: How did you introduce and promote
the Good Samaritan program to residents?
SW: The Good Samaritan program was
promoted to residents throughout the
community by me and my staff, by other
residents who were passionate about the
program, and by posting signs, mention-
ing the programs at every meal, and
printing out a “special notice” on the day
of the event.
Participants have responded positively
and enthusiastically to the program by
encouraging other residents to get in-
volved. They are proud of the contribu-
tions they have made to organizations
in need in the community. And it is con-
tagious! They share wonderful stories
about giving, which inspires other resi-
dents to participate—including those
facing their own challenges of aging or
disease.
JAA: In 2014, the Good Samaritan pro-
gram added three new initiatives, includ-
ing the “Adopt a Senior” program. What
is the “Adopt a Senior” approach, and why
did you choose it?
SW: The “Adopt a Senior” initiative
was born out of a partnership with a lo-
cal organization that delivered meals to
older adults at home. The organization
asked our residents to make some holi-
day ornaments to be delivered with the
meals. We were initially thinking about
adopting four individuals, but we de-
cided we could have a larger impact on
the community by working with senior
centers on a larger scale. We went to cen-
ters in the local area, serving food and
participating in activities and programs.
Our resident choir also performed. Soon
we were adopting families that we could
help during the holidays.
The program has allowed our residents
to connect and engage with older adults
all over the community, including skill-
ed nursing communities, hospitals
and senior centers.
JAA: Are there other ways in which the
Good Samaritan program has evolved
since its launch?
SW: Yes, the program has evolved im-
mensely since its initial launch. Due to
new residents moving into Atria who
have unique skill sets and interests, sev-
eral new programs have been developed
or used in conjunction with one another
to complete projects. For example, we
have a new woodworking program in
which the residents build dollhouses for
a local children’s receiving home [a non-
profit that provides refuge and services].
Other resident programs have been
tasked with projects to help complete
the dollhouses. The Sewing Club
is sewing rugs and window coverings,
the paint class is painting the structures,
and the craft class is making furniture.
The dollhouse project engages resi-
dents of all abilities and talents in the
community.
JAA: What does the Good Samaritan
program require from an organizational
perspective?
Five key steps to offer-
ing a Good Samaritan
Outreach-type initiative
1. Preparation. Know your resi-
dent/member and uncover de-
sires, interests and abilities.
2. Participation. To have a well-
attended program, promote the
program to residents/members
by posting signs, mentioning the
event at every meal, and printing
out a “special notice” on the day
of the event.
3. Engagement. Strive to ensure
residents/members are passion-
ate about the programs being
offered. Develop initiatives
based on what you learn about
individuals through your
preparation.
4. Interaction. Incorporate an
interactive component with ev-
ery initiative. This is key. Some
initiatives are hands-on for resi-
dents/members, such as prepar-
ing sack lunches to be delivered
during their outreach.
5. Feedback. Solicit feedback from
residents/members, as feedback
is critical to success. Share pho-
tos and recap programs with
participants. Encourage indi-
viduals to share their thoughts
and experiences with their peers,
which helps promote the pro-
gram to others. By talking with
residents/members and solicit-
ing their feedback, you can de-
termine improvements to make
to the next initiative to ensure
continued success.
Continued on page 56
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5. The Journal on Active Aging November/December 2015 www.icaa.cc56
SW: The program requires the support
of our company to engage residents and
determine their interests, allowing us to
uncover new possibilities for develop-
ing programs. Practically, it involves a
willingness to see beyond oneself, and
the support of department heads, staff,
residents, and the broader community to
be successful.
A lot of resources for our Random Acts
of Kindness initiative are donated by
residents and others who want to help
those in need, with the Resident Council
contributing monetarily as well. I seek
Good Samaritan resources everywhere
in the community and the community-
at-large—local businesses, for exam-
ple—and assess what is already avail-
able for free. So there are options to ex-
plore before I utilize my programming
budget.
JAA: Most programs encounter challenges.
What challenges have you encountered
with the Good Samaritan program?
SW: The only challenge is accommo-
dating the overwhelming number of
residents who want to participate in
delivering the various donations to or-
ganizations in the greater community.
To address this challenge, we arranged
for our deliveries to be made at larger
locations, so everyone could participate,
regardless of mobility.
JAA: Have you had any unexpected
opportunities for outreach?
SW: Absolutely. There was a devastat-
ing fire in Northern California that left
thousands in need. Our residents saw
the devastation on the news and orga-
nized a collection of toiletries, blankets,
towels and other items for the victims of
the fire. The residents then took the sup-
plies to the victims.
JAA: In your view, how has the Good
Samaritan program helped advance well-
ness and engagement at Atria El Camino
Gardens?
SW: The Good Samaritan program gives
residents a sense of fulfillment, over-
all emotional well-being and renewed
purpose from knowing they made an
impactful difference in the community.
The program has also helped new resi-
dents feel more socially connected.
JAA: What have been the most notable
outcomes for residents and staff ?
SW: The most notable outcomes have
been the joy and happiness residents and
staff feel in knowing they have made a
positive difference in the lives of others.
They feel like they are a part of some-
thing bigger than themselves.
The Good Samaritan program will con-
tinue to grow and expand, yielding new
opportunities for residents to continue
to make a difference to the outside
community.
The Journal on Active Aging thanks
Staci Weisz, Michele MacMartin and Lili
Kinman for their help with this article.
For more information about Atria Senior
Living, visit www.atriaseniorliving.com.
References
1. Atria Senior Living. (n.d.). About Us.
Company Facts. Retrieved on Novem-
ber 24, 2015, from http://www.atria
seniorliving.com/about-us/company-
facts.
2. Atria Senior Living. (n.d.). Life at
Atria. Engage Life. Retrieved on No-
vember 24, 2015, from http://www.
atriaseniorliving.com/life-at-atria/
engage-life.
Images courtesy of Atria Senior Living
Atria El Camino Gardens:Good Samaritans reach out to
make a difference Continued from page 55
Good Samaritans at Atria El Camino Gardens prepare sack lunches to distribute to
homeless individuals in the greater community
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