Sharon Towers in Top 25 ICAA NuStep Beacon Award List

Sharon Towers is one of 25 U.S. senior living communities listed in the Top 25 ICAA NuStep Beacon Award list. The list honors commitment to wellness as a way of life for residents and staff.

Best in Wellness

Above all, the name of the prestigious award says it all: “Best in Wellness.”

“To be in the top 25 in the nation is awesome,” says Health and Fitness Manager Patrice Squirewell. She says it showcases how creative the team has been during the pandemic.

The International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) and NuStep presents the ICAA NuStep Beacon Award annually. “The 2021 award winners truly exemplify what it means to be a beacon, lighting the way for other communities,” says Jane Benskey of NuStep. Her company designs, manufactures and distributes recumbent (the user is in a lying-down position) cross trainer exercise equipment.

A Team Effort

Above all, the Vitality and Well-Being Team led by Jessica Bourque earned this recognition by bringing alive the seven dimensions of wellness: Emotional, physical, intellectual, social, spiritual, vocational and environmental. The team includes 20 members. In a given month, more than 1,000 activities and programs fill the Sharon Towers calendar. However, COVID-19 presented a once-in-a-lifetime challenge, sending many gatherings online.

Likewise, Patrice says the wealth and variety of activities offered to residents in all three levels of care – independent living, assisted living and health care – bring a sense of joy and purpose to the community. For example, the activities include exercise (staff tailors each resident’s fitness program his or her specific needs), aquatics, yoga, music, speakers, massage therapy, chaplaincy and more.

All in all, each team member brings a particular expertise to their work. Whether it’s your exercise leader, concierge or shuttle bus driver, each brings a spirit that positively resonates. “People want to come because they have fun,” Patrice says.

“A Different Level”

Enthusiasm. Warmth. Encouragement. “It elevates our program to a different level,” Patrice says. In other words, it’s made Sharon Towers one of the best in the nation.
In addition to the ICAA NuStep Beacon Award, Sharon Towers received the Excellence in Innovation Award for 2020 presented by LeadingAge North Carolina, a not-for-profit organization devoted to expanding the world of possibilities for the aging.

“It feels amazing to be recognized,” Patrice says.

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