Reposted from UNCG News & Features
Stephen Fleming, president and CEO of Well•Spring Services Inc., and UNCG Chancellor Linda P. Brady announced plans Tuesday for a collaborative initiative that aims to enrich the lives of older adults.
The reciprocal relationship will benefit members of both Well•Spring Retirement Community in Greensboro and UNCG by bringing together talented and experienced adults and a vibrant, academic community. Well•Spring will provide guidance to UNCG faculty and students regarding best practices in aging. Residents may serve as mentors or volunteers for student and community activities, sharing their business expertise and life experiences with UNCG students. In turn, UNCG’s cutting-edge health care programs, along with its diverse cultural arts, business and educational opportunities, will enrich Well•Spring’s culture.
“UNCG is one of the top universities in the state. Well•Spring is an award-winning retirement community,” Fleming said. “The teaching, research, service and engagement efforts of both UNCG and Well•Spring will help both institutions and all participants gain a greater sense of purpose.”
Fleming and Brady said that both Well•Spring and UNCG are committed to community engagement and service to older adults.
“With the aging of our population, programs like this innovative partnership are crucial to enhance the lives of older adults and those caring for them,” Brady said. “Some of the most important lessons a student can learn take place outside the classroom. UNCG is committed to taking our students beyond the campus to serve the community, which benefits everyone involved.”
The initiative will involve a wide range of departments across UNCG, including the School of Nursing, the School of Health and Human Sciences, the Athletics Department, and the School of Music, Theatre and Dance, as well as Jackson Library and Weatherspoon Art Museum.
Celia Hooper, dean of the School of Health and Human Sciences, served as co-chair of the project’s organizing committee, which represented all parts of campus. “This will truly be a community engagement opportunity for our whole university,” Hooper said.
Residents of Well•Spring will have the opportunity to attend on-campus lectures, concerts, recitals, athletic events and other activities as well as enroll in or audit classes. The partnership will allow for lectures and concerts to be held at the retirement community.
Well•Spring, founded in 1986 by a multi-denominational group of nine local churches, is the area’s only not-for-profit, lifecare retirement community. In 2009 it was awarded the Pathways to Greatness award by Larson Allen and LeadingAge. Well•Spring is the first retirement community in the state of North Carolina and the only one in the Triad to receive both the North Carolina New Organizational Vision Award (NC NOVA) and accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities/Continuing Care Accreditation Commission (CARF/CCAC).
Also read more about this partnership at the Greensboro News and Record.