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Our Communities That Shine Awards program celebrates senior living communities that use innovative strategies to help residents live with purpose, passion, and joy. Our winner spotlight series highlights one award winner at a time, sharing what makes their community shine.
In this spotlight, we're featuring Country Meadows of Frederick, winner of the Brilliance in Community-Wide Engagement Award, for creating a community where residents are empowered to not only participate in programming, but contribute to make it their own.
Key outcomes
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Residents are empowered to plan, lead, and participate in community activities.
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Families play an active role in engagement, using shared schedules and updates to encourage loved ones to stay connected to the programs they enjoy.
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A campus-wide approach to communication drives participation and connection across all levels of care.
Congratulations on winning the Brilliance in Community-Wide Engagement Award! What makes engagement feel community-wide at Country Meadows of Frederick?
We don’t see engagement confined to one department. We want everyone—residents, families, and staff—to feel like they have a role in shaping the community around them.
Some of our most meaningful programs come directly from residents themselves. We have residents directing choirs, teaching classes, mentoring others, participating in purposeful service projects, and sharing interests they've carried with them throughout their lives. One resident, for example, has a passion for geology and turned that passion into an educational program he created and led for other residents.
Those kinds of experiences are special because residents get to share something that's meaningful to them and invite other people into their world.
We love that. How do families become part of that engagement too?
We had one resident who was excited to join our all-inclusive choir, but wouldn’t always remember to check when rehearsals were happening. Her daughter would check the calendar to see when choir practice was happening, and would call to remind and encourage her mom to attend. Not only did the resident attend choir more, but it gave she and her daughter a chance to connect over her interest.
We've seen similar moments with other families on campus. One son will check the community display when he visits, see what's coming up, and encourage his mom to attend the 11:15 fitness class.
Photos and updates add another layer to that. Families get to see residents engaged, trying new things, and contributing to the community. It gives them more to talk about during calls and visits and helps them feel connected to those everyday moments.
Country Meadows of Frederick includes independent living, assisted living, and memory care. How do you create connection across the whole campus?
Our community-wide communication tools help a lot. When everyone can see what's happening, it's easier to bring people together around shared interests rather than having engagement feel limited to one area of the community.
For instance, hosting veteran-focused events has helped our veteran residents and staff connect across levels of care.
That’s wonderful. You also mentioned in your submission how residents help introduce new neighbors to community life. What does that look like?
One of our independent living residents serves as an ambassador for new residents. Recently, they showed a new move-in the community displays and explained that they're the "hub" for what's going on.
We love that because it shows how engagement becomes part of the culture. It isn't always a staff member or a calendar telling someone where to go or what to do. Residents are not only helping one another integrate into the community, but foster their own sense of purpose in the process. It’s a win-win.
What do you think is at the heart of a truly engaged community?
People don’t want to just passively attend activities. They want to feel like they’re contributing to their community, shaping what it looks like.
When a son can remind his dad to attend a memorial event for veterans, or a former teacher feels empowered to lead history trivia, engagement begins to feel like more than programming. It becomes the thread that ties the whole community together.
Love hearing these community stories? Visit Senior Living Heroes for more stories from passionate life enrichment professionals about how they help residents rediscover purpose, connect with their community, and live with joy.
