Waking Up With A Sense Of Purpose

Posted: March 20, 2024

At Casey’s Pond Senior Living community, there is an understanding of the profound significance of awakening each day with a clear sense of direction and meaning in our lives, especially as we age. Waking up each day with a sense of purpose can enhance overall well-being, foster a deeper sense of fulfillment, and illuminate the path to a more meaningful and vibrant life journey.

An Eden Alternative: Why Purpose Matters

Casey’s Pond is an Eden Alternative Community, meaning it promotes a culture that fosters the importance of purpose and collaboration between caregivers and receivers. The care partner teams “strive to enhance well-being by eliminating the plagues of loneliness, helplessness and boredom.”

Research shows that having a sense of purpose in life is essential, especially for seniors. One National Institutes of Health-funded study of seniors showed that people who expressed having goals or purpose lived longer and better than those who didn’t. Other research shows that a sense of purpose helps prevent heart attack and stroke, helps people sleep better and can even stave off dementia, according to a report in New Scientist, a science and technology magazine.

Five Pillars of Well-Being Frame Purpose at Casey’s Pond

At Casey’s Pond, our approach to life enrichment is grounded in the belief that every individual has a distinct story, rich experiences, and unique talents to offer. Embracing the principle of “Being Well Known,” we are committed to fostering a community where each person’s journey is celebrated and their contributions valued. Central to the Life Enrichment model are five core pillars aimed at promoting holistic well-being: social connectivity, intellectual stimulation, purpose-driven living, physical vitality, and spiritual exploration.

Our philosophy emphasizes engaging residents in activities and pursuits that align with their passions and aspirations, regardless of where they find themselves in the rhythm of life. We prioritize resident-directed initiatives, empowering individuals to make choices that resonate with their interests and preferences. From organizing various activities, classes, and events to arranging excursions, our programs are co-created with residents and often led by them, promoting autonomy and a sense of ownership in shaping their living experience.

Casey’s Pond Executive Director stated, “Purpose matters because it provides meaning and connection to our lives. It enhances our physical, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being by giving us a way to contribute to our community and add meaning to our daily life. Without it, we are adrift and disconnected. Casey’s Pond is a community that supports and encourages purposeful living in both its residents and team members, and by doing so creates an environment of belonging, ownership, connection, love, and value.”

The residents of Casey’s Pond have found purpose in unique and impactful ways, and one in particular has taken on a project that has served more than just her own sense of purpose:

Suzanne Beals – Casey’s Pond Resident

Suzanne Beals spent 70 of the last 87 years of her life with her husband by her side. When he passed away, her heartbreak could have easily impacted her feeling of purpose in life.

With the help of family, she found the strength and courage to start a new chapter, leaving her home of 50+ years to move into Casey’s Pond. She immediately pursued a project there that brought meaning and joy to her life.

“I had asked if there was a library at Casey’s Pond. Building a Little Free Library is something I always wanted to do when we lived in Lakewood, but I felt like we were too far off the beaten track,” Beals said.

The staff at Casey’s Pond embraced the idea, though, said Beals’ daughter Donna Starbuck.

Starbuck added, “Casey’s Pond valued her idea, acted on her idea, gave her something to engage upon, something to stimulate her mind, to stir excitement and they have given mom a sense of importance, a sense of sharing and serving others.”

Starbuck has enjoyed seeing her mother have a reason to get up each day. After her father died, she worried her mother would struggle to adapt to life without him because they were a unit for 70 years. But now, Casey’s Pond has helped her mother find purpose again. Starbuck says it’s a testament to a culture that values its residents.

The Power of Purpose: It Spreads Like a Smile

Many other residents have rallied around the project, too. Some have helped by creating artwork in the Creative Arts Center to decorate the library box, which is conveniently located on a walking path just outside the building and next to a small outdoor seating area.

Beals loves that what was once an idea in her head has brought joy to so many others in the community. It’s also promoted a conversation around books and what other people are reading. Further, since she has so many family members visiting her, including grandchildren, she thinks the books will also be a fun distraction for children visiting Casey’s Pond. She jokes that kids can get bored hanging out with seniors for too long.

“There is a power that is contagious when someone pursues a life worth living,”says Casey’s Pond Lifestyle Director. “It makes others want to join along.”

As individuals enter this stage of life, the search for purpose takes on heightened significance. From fostering a sense of belonging to providing opportunities for continued growth and contribution, discovering purpose in this phase enriches lives and sustains a sense of vitality and fulfillment.

Embracing this journey not only enhances the well-being of seniors but also enriches the fabric of senior living communities, creating vibrant spaces where individuals thrive and flourish, exemplifying that age is not a barrier to purpose, but rather a gateway to its profound realization.

This story originally appeared on The Steamboat Pilot & Today and is used by permission.