By Alexander Germanis
Nothing will stop the turning of the globe or interrupt its path around the sun. Time marches on no matter how much we may wish it to stand still. In short, we all age.
For centuries, aging—specifically entering the senior years—has been synonymous with slowing down both physically and mentally. But there is a tendency among some seniors to maintain a sense of youthfulness through cognitive sharpness. These seniors are often called super-agers.
At Proctor Place in Peoria, a focus is placed on keeping their residents active—not only mentally, but physically as well—to focus on living a healthy, active lifestyle for far longer than past generations enjoyed. Proctor Place is facilitating a new age in senior living—not just a time of the super-ager, but the era of the Super Senior.
Experience and Wisdom
It’s fitting that the oldest senior living home in the Peoria area also be the home of people who refuse to embody what is typically associated with “being old.” It’s founder, John C. Proctor was a man of many endeavors and never let his own age slow him down. Born in 1822, he was 41 years-old when Congress passed the National Currency Act of 1863, establishing a national banking system. On December 23rd of that year, he became one of the original founders of the First National Bank.
At age 61, John Proctor donated money for what would become the 100 bed Cottage Hospital, (later named Proctor Hospital in his honor). Years later he donated more property for an addition to the hospital to be used for a nursing school. In 1906, at the age of 84, he founded the current Proctor Place’s predecessor, the Proctor Home, near downtown Peoria. A year afterwards he became one of its first residents.
John C. Proctor thus became one of the first ever to start a bank, hospital, nursing home, and retirement home; and he did nearly all of it in the latter half of his life. Proctor Place is the inheritor of John Proctor’s legacy, and it carries forward with his drive to always keep active and make a positive impact.
Even the staff at Proctor Place is determined to last as long as Proctor’s legacy. “You’ll not likely find many homes in the local area with the long tenure you will find here among our employees, particularly our leadership team,” states CEO and President of Proctor Place Donna Malone. “Most of our team has been calling Proctor Place their work home for more than 15 years.”
The Mind of the Super-Ager
Step one toward becoming a Super Senior is to be a super-ager, meaning staying mentally fit. “We understand that our residents have led full active lives that often included a challenging and successful career,” Donna says. “We also understand the importance of continuing to use these problem-solving skills to stay mentally sharp. This is why we have several resident committees that are a little different than you will find elsewhere.”
Each committee, whether music, newsletter, life-enrichment, or dining services, is led by and for the residents themselves. The music committee meets on a regular basis to develop and hold musical events. “This group recently began a sing-along event that’s held monthly,” Donna shares.
The newsletter committee writes and produces four pages for the monthly newsletter. Residents meet and work together during each month to decide on topics, write articles, take pictures, and organize their spread in the newsletter.
The dining services committee, after conducting a survey of all the residents, is developing a four-week menu based on the results. “Once this project is complete, they plan to create our very first Proctor Place Cookbook,” Donna announces. “They plan to work with all of our residents to pull together their favorite recipes from over the years. Each resident who submits a recipe can also submit a brief description or story about when they used to make this recipe. Maybe it was a favorite recipe they made their kids, or a recipe passed down from their mothers. We’re excited about this project. It will bring our residents together as they all share their favorite recipes and stories, along with giving them a keepsake they can give to their families. We believe these are the types of projects that set our committees apart from others.”
Empowerment, Donna says, is also what sets Proctor Place apart: “We are here to help our residents create the life they’ve always wanted. Residents remain active in the process. We’ve found that by empowering our residents we help them stay independent longer because they are keeping their bodies and their minds active.”
The Body of the Super Senior
The mind without the body can only do so much. For this reason, at Proctor Place they strive to go beyond the typical senior exercise classes. Residents can choose the Easy Yoga class, Tone and Weights class, or explore the new addition of Proctor Place: the pool.
Designed to look like a dream home pool and not a cookie-cutter commercial pool, the Proctor pool is now an aquatic home for the Super Senior. “Our residents’ environment quietly shapes their well-being. This is something we take seriously. New studies in neuroplasticity show that our brains are constantly rewiring, and visually stimulating spaces encourage healthy brain growth,” Donna explains. “With this focus in mind, we set out to create a calming, beautiful pool and I think we accomplished this goal.”
Helming fitness activities in the pool is experienced fitness instructor Nancy Shallenberger. With an outgoing personality that shines through in every class, Nancy leads aqua classes every Tuesday and Thursday—one for beginners and two classes for the more experienced. “Shortly after the classes started, we quickly found residents loved them so much many came for one class, but then stayed for the next class too!” Donna says. “Like any exercise class, the residents have become close. They’re not only getting physically fit, but they’re also gaining the emotional and social benefits of belonging to a group. As the group perfects one exercise routine, Nancy finds a way to physically challenge the group with a new routine.”
Opportunity Knocks
Nancy is not alone at Proctor Place when it comes to challenging and helping the seniors in her care. Donna, the leader of the team, has always had a passion for helping people. “After earning my degree in psychology, I spent the first half of my career in customer service at AFFINA,” she recalls. “I enjoyed combining what I learned about the factors that drive human behavior with the challenges that came with managing a business handling all of the customer service issues for more than 50 clients. It was rewarding building their brands with best-in-class customer service, but I was ready to focus my attention on caring for people rather than brand loyalty. Proctor Place gave me that opportunity.”
Proctor Place may have given Donna an opportunity to care for people, but it has also given and continues to give countless seniors the opportunity to live with dignity, to age with purpose and, who knows, maybe even stop the clock a little when it comes to aging itself. No matter how many more times our planet orbits the sun, Proctor Place will be the place for the Super-Ager.
Proctor Place is located at 2724 West Reservoir Boulevard in Peoria, Illinois. If you would like to take a tour of your new home, stay for a visit, or if you have any questions, please call us at (309) 685-6580. Or visit us on the web at www.proctorplace.org.
