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 sat with Watermark Retirement Communities, two-time Communities That Shine Award winner, about how they use flexible programming, resident insights, and real-time engagement tools to create more personalized experiences across their portfolio.
Key outcomes
-
Expanded programming variety without requiring significant additional staff research time
-
Improved real-time personalization through resident interest tracking and affinity group identification
-
Streamlined communication between residents, staff, and families across communities
What does “engagement innovation” mean at Watermark?
To us, engagement innovation means creating experiences that feel flexible, personalized, and responsive to residents in the moment.
Across all 33 of our communities, teams are empowered to adapt experiences based on resident interests and energy. Whether that means turning an off-hand vacation memory into a travel-themed group discussion, launching an impromptu karaoke session, or quickly pivoting into a game after a program ends early, the focus is always on creating meaningful moments that feel natural and resident-driven.
How do you personalize engagement across such a large portfolio?
We use resident stories, preferences, and participation data to better understand our residents and tailor programming to them.
Our teams use resident information gathered during onboarding to identify affinity groups and create programming around shared interests, experiences, and passions. Having these groups helps us connect new residents with others who may have similar backgrounds or hobbies, fostering close relationships early on.
How has technology helped bring resident engagement to life?
Our teams report that technology helps them reduce administrative burden and prevent creative burnout. In particular, AI-enhanced calendar tools have helped them more easily create personalized and dynamic programming. Instead of spending hours researching activity ideas, our life enrichment staff can easily infuse calendars with creative ideas that are tailored to what residents enjoy.
Technology has also helped make engagement more visible throughout our communities. Lobby displays now showcase photos, upcoming outings, classes, and events in a vibrant, modern way that gives visitors and residents a real-time window into community life.
What impact has this had on families and visitors?
Families have responded positively to the accessibility of information and the ability to stay informed more easily. They can log into their portal to see community updates and photos, helping them feel involved in their loved one’s day-to-day life.
And for visitors, seeing TV screens in the lobby and around the community that showcase community life gives them a glimpse into our culture and what it would be like to live here.
What makes your approach to innovation stand out?
What makes our innovation approach stand out is everyone’s willingness to embrace technology. While it’s normal to feel hesitant about unfamiliar technology, we’re very proud of our team members for overcoming that resistance to embrace new tools that solve real challenges. Our ability to streamline communication, expand programming possibilities, and create more meaningful moments for our residents can be credited to that open-mindedness.
What does success look like for Watermark?
Success means creating extraordinary and innovative communities where people thrive. Our operating principle, “Celebrate Often,” captures our dedication to helping our residents feel accepted, celebrated, and empowered to live life as they choose.
