Team Spiritual Care: Vital Life Community

Submitted by Sister Kateri Theriault

In late September St. Leonard Franciscan Living Community will receive formal recognition as the first CCRC to achieve the status of being considered a Vital Life Community – a title we have carried proudly since early June of this year. Over a year in process, the program, headed and energized by Wellness Director, Debra Stewart has been a concerted effort by the executive director, leadership team, managers, supervisors, employees and residents of SL. Teams were formed to attend to and progress more deliberately in the eight dimensions of wellness.

What the program, Vital Life Community, challenged us to brought us to a deeper commitment to our Mission Statement: Responding to the Gospel of Jesus, SL assists seniors of all faith to achieve their highest level of independence. We are committed to offering a variety of programs that have the potential of keeping our residents independent for as long as possible. That could happen only if there was significant participation from residents and employees.

Over the past year plus, SL residents and employees have expanded their understanding of wellness as they engaged in a variety of activities addressing the eight dimensions of wellness. What can this mean for us down the line? It is the hope/expectation of our executive director and leadership team that we are a community of well-rounded, healthy, adults – both residents and employees. That we are a workplace where caregivers want to be and that we are able to retain employees and play a significant part in the reduction of health care costs for both residents and employees is the ultimate goal of SL. We have only just begun! May the momentum continue!