“That survey really yielded a lot more for me than I thought it would,” Mary said. “It affirmed my belief that we were doing a lot of the right things.”

Front Porch communities are making individual decisions to conserve and support the environment, and the overall impact is significant. More than half of Front Porch’s communities have replaced incandescent bulbs with energy efficient LEDs; half have drought-resistant landscaping and water efficient irrigation systems; almost two-thirds have electric vehicle charging stations; and virtually all support recycling efforts, including e-waste. On top of this, individual communities have made individual choices that support green practices, such as Meatless Mondays, tankless water heaters, and solar power projects installed or under consideration.

Nancy Frost, a resident of Canterbury Woods in Pacific Grove, has been encouraging the community’s environmental efforts since she moved in more than 10 years ago. A former employee of the Environmental Protection Agency, Nancy has developed Earth Day programs to keep residents and staff informed about the individual steps they can take. This year, in keeping with the Earth Day theme of Planet vs. Plastics, she is preparing an educational program about plastics, including how to manage the film plastics that are recyclable but not collected by waste haulers.

She’s also educating about hidden plastics. “There’s lots of things that contain plastic that we don’t think about, like tea bags and bottle caps, that you can’t put in a recycle bin,” Nancy explains. “Take away paper cups and paper food containers, they’re all lined with plastic. That makes them trash, not recyclable. So what do you do instead? You get a mug and instead of taking the paper container, you get one of the reusable plastic containers.”

Nancy urges people to take things one step at a time. “One of my display boards for Earth Day this year is going to be Kermit the Frog, and it says, ‘It’s not easy being green, but it’s do-able,’” Nancy says. “I think that’s really wonderful way to put it. It’s just minor little changes. They add up and they add up. And if one year you make a change in one direction, and then you keep that in the next year, you add another one. You don’t have to do it all at the same time. You prioritize what you can do and start doing it.”

At Vista del Monte in Santa Barbara, Executive Director Doug Tucker has been working with the community and prioritizing water conservation in multiple ways. When he first arrived, the community was reviewing its landscaping which had included a lawn in the middle of the campus. “The residents had a slogan: ‘Brown is the new gold’ because they couldn’t water the grass,” he says. The community replaced the water-greedy grass with faux grass in the middle park area and then replanted most of the campus’s landscaping with drought tolerant planting.

But that was only the first step. The community is waiting for final approval from the City of Santa Barbara to engage in phase two. “What we instructed the landscape architect to do is to utilize water saving technologies,” Doug explains. “Some of the things that we’re focusing on is storm water management and returning water back to the groundwater, so we’re putting in permeable pavers, bio basins, and a 3000 gallon catch basin at the entrances and throughout the campus that will move water around the campus for stormwater management, but also to help return water to the aquifers.”

Although the community is allotted 848,000 gallons of water a year for landscaping, it is estimated that with the landscaping changes, the community will only use about 453,000 gallons annually. The landscaping project and its efforts toward water conservation continues the theme that was originally started about 8 years ago, Doug says.

“I’m a firm believer in being an environmental steward,” Doug says. “Being in Santa Barbara with the type of community and the number of residents that we serve, I think that we have a great opportunity to show our environmental stewardship with a lot of the programs that we bring to the community.”

“When you adopt green practices, in order for it to be effective, it has to be personal,” says Mary. “The shift in our communities is exciting to see. Perhaps we need to adjust and reinvent as we move along, but this information about our green practices as an organization gives us a foundation that we up until now really haven’t had.”

In reviewing the Green Initiatives survey, Mary says, “I think that sitting for a moment and taking an inventory of everybody’s good ideas was inspirational. Now that we’ve pulled all this information together, we can actually strategize around it.”

The post Earth Day every day through Front Porch’s green initiatives appeared first on Front Porch.

Several years ago, the community opened Summer House, a memory care neighborhood serving residents with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and began offering Truly Yours, a program that brings personal assisted living services directly to residents in their homes at Vista. The community also recently enhanced resident amenities, including a new resident lounge, refurbished and expanded dining room and an outdoor patio.

In 2022, the Foundation partnered with Vista to pilot video touch-screens that tell resident and community stories, provide information about the campus, and showcase the community’s compassion through charitable gifts to the Foundation.

Vista del Monte residents have a zest for life that matches the vitality of the entire Santa Barbara area. Some residents explore their creative sides, in groups like the Vista Voices Choral Group and the Vista del Monte Players theatre company. Others stretch their minds with lifelong learning classes taught by outside experts as well as by residents.

Vista del Monte has always been a generous community. Through gifts from residents, the community has been able to make numerous enhancements to its campus, including the opening of Summer House. Joanne Freeman, the chair of the VDM Philanthropy Committee, made a gift through her Donor Advised Fund (DAF) to support that project, and also regularly donates to the Employee Scholarship Fund. “When I was a child, my family had a practice of giving back to others,” Joanne said. “I’ve kept this practice throughout my adult life and love giving to programs that serve people in my local community.”

Joanne’s friend and neighbor Jeanne Giacobine chairs the Scholarship Committee, a role she took on because “it’s a cause that means a lot to me.” But Jeanne’s charitable giving did not stop there. She has also donated to the Foundation’s Resident Assistance Fund for her community, to assist those neighbors who, by no fault of their own, have outlived their resources. “I look at residents who have been here for a long time and think how scary it must be if they ran out of money,” Jeanne said. “The Foundation elevates Front Porch and this community from just being a business to something bigger and greater. I’m happy to be part of that greater good.”

The post Vista del Monte: Looking to the Future appeared first on Front Porch.

As she delved deeper into her life at Vista del Monte, Judy learned about the Front Porch Communities Foundation through her new friends and neighbors. Their praises for the Foundation’s work resonated with Judy’s own values.

Eager to give back and be a part of something larger than herself, she discovered the benefits of a charitable gift annuity (CGA). A CGA offered Judy the chance to donate in a way that was both meaningful and financially prudent. Through this gift plan, available through the Foundation, her gift annuity was funded by a Qualified Charitable Distribution, free of taxes, directly from her individual retirement account. The CGA provides Judy with lifetime income at a set rate. And after she passes away, the Foundation will receive the balance of her generous contribution to support the community she loves. “The numbers just worked for me,” she explained. “It was a win-win situation.”

“It was important for me to be part of the tradition of giving at this community,” Judy said. Her donation is designated for the Vista del Monte discretionary fund, which is directed to meet the community’s most pressing needs. Judy does have certain causes close to her heart. She is particularly passionate about the Resident Assistance Fund, which serves as a “circle of friends” to help support residents who outlive their resources, and the Scholarship Fund, which helps Front Porch team members pursue their education goals. Her dream is for her contribution to also benefit the Fitness and Aquatic Center and the Caring Companions program, which trains resident volunteers to check on the well-being of other residents and offer one-on-one support.

“For many, there is a feeling in the back of our minds that we may run out of money and as a result, no longer be able to live at Vista. Having a resident assistance fund gives you a sense of security. I wanted to contribute to that,” Judy said.

Her personal history played a major role in her support of the scholarship fund. “I’m a strong believer in education. I went to college on a scholarship, and I want others to have that same opportunity.” At Vista del Monte, Judy found not only a home but a purpose. Her journey turned out to be more than just a change of address; it became a journey of community, generosity, and shared dreams.

The post A New Chapter of Generosity for Judy Gilbert at Vista del Monte appeared first on Front Porch.

The post A New Chapter of Generosity for Judy Gilbert at Vista del Monte appeared first on Front Porch.

“You could say Santa Barbara is part of my DNA,” Marjorie said with a laugh. “Why would I want to live anywhere else?”

But Marjorie’s roots in California go back even further – seven generations further. She is the direct descendant of Luis Quintero, one of the original founders of the City of Los Angeles on September 4, 1781, then known as El Pueblo de Los Angeles. Her descendants moved to Santa Barbara in 1783. Given her historic past, it’s no wonder Marjorie chose to stay in Santa Barbara when selecting a senior living community.

“When I broke my leg on vacation in India, that was a significant moment in my life,” Marjorie said. “I started to think about my future. My kids took care of me when I had the broken leg but I did not want them to have to take care of me forever.”

Fortunately, around that time, Marjorie was a volunteer at Vista del Monte’s renowned Fitness and Aquatic Center, where she also enjoyed jazzercise classes. She did her due diligence and checked out other communities but they did not feel like home.

“I knew deep down Vista was the right place,” she said. “The other places I looked at were large and impersonal. Here, the community is intimate and inspirational.”

One of Marjorie’s desires was to live in a place where she could continue her active lifestyle, not only at Vista but in the greater community. Every August, she enjoys attending Old Spanish Days Fiesta, a citywide celebration of its heritage and attends mass at her long-time church nearby.

She is a theater buff and attends plays at numerous venues in the area. In fact, for 30 years, Marjorie was a volunteer usher at the Granada, Garvin, Arlington and the Lobero, the oldest continuously operating theater in California and the fourth oldest performing arts theater in the country. “During that time, I crossed paths with Desmond Tutu, Joe Biden and when the Russian Ballet performed here, Mikhail Baryshnikov.”

At Vista, Marjorie enjoys water volleyball, Pilates, meditation, Rummikub and doesn’t miss the Friday night happy hour each week. She also reads a book a week while enjoying quiet times. She was thrilled in 2015 when King Felipe the VI of Spain visited Santa Barbara to meet with Spanish decedents. “I actually shook hands with the King!” Marjorie said. “That was exciting.”

“I love having choices here at Vista,” she said. “I can be as busy as I would like to be. I pick the things I like and I do them in a community I love.”

The post Marjorie Elkin Continues to Find Inspiration in Santa Barbara and Vista del Monte appeared first on Front Porch.

But on the occasion that you do have a problem – whether it’s a question or concern, or a bigger roadblock in your pursuit of happiness – and you’re not sure where to turn or who to call, then we have just the person: Amy Ross, Director of Resident Services.

Every resident knows Amy. She’s been Vista’s “go-to” person for almost seven years. She’s one of the first people you will meet because she is part of the preadmission process. She will orient you to the community. And that’s just the start. Amy is there for you, no matter what you need, and either she’ll solve your problem herself, or she’ll expedite your request with the right person on the staff. Either way, you can count on Amy.

“The beauty of our staff is that we all do a little bit of everything,” Amy said. “Everyone’s goal from administration, environmental services, housekeeping, life enrichment and dining services is to make residents’ lives a little bit better. Every day is an adventure and I love it!”

Amy has a wide range of duties. She is part of the disaster preparedness team and the health services transition team. She helps new residents settle in and shows them the ropes, so to speak and assists residents with internal moves. As a licensed notary public, she assists residents with personal matters, advises maintenance of any requests (and on occasion, does easy fixes herself), picks up mail when residents go on vacation, supervises the beauty salon and much more.

During the pandemic, she helped deliver food to resident apartments, and on Fridays, she can be found holding down the resident “Corner Store” and serving dinner many evenings at Fernbrook, Vista’s assisted living residences.

Once upon a time, Amy’s career goal was to become a nurse, but after volunteering at a hospital, she realized the job was a little too clinical for her. Instead, she decided she wanted a more personal approach with people and a senior living community was the perfect fit. She worked for more than 20 years as a resident services director, admissions director, administrative assistant as well as in a myriad of other positions at senior living communities.

“In my last position, I was doing a lot of paperwork and it was not as fulfilling as I would like, so when the resident services position opened up at Vista, I jumped at the chance to come here. I just love that personal connection with residents. They are just a fountain of information. Their experiences and life stories are such a blessing to me.”

As a new resident, you’ll get Amy’s phone number and email, or you can just pop into her office and say, “hello” or ask her any question under the sun. And if you’re taking an inventory of all the great amenities Vista del Monte offers, make sure you add Amy to your list.

The post Meet Vista del Monte’s No. 1 ‘Go-To’ Person appeared first on Front Porch.

Falls affect us all. The risk of falling increases with age. Falls are the leading cause of injury among older adults. If you slip, trip or fall, it could change your life. You could break a bone, take a trip to the hospital, be injured or develop a disability. Fear of falling may keep you from walking, shopping or taking part in social activities. Overcoming this fear can help you stay active, maintain your physical health and prevent future falls.

The good news is that there are simple ways and free online resources to reduce the risk of falling and help stay falls free. Here are some tips with hyperlinks on how to prevent most falls.

Exercise to Improve Your Balance and Strength

One easy way to prevent a fall is to improve balance and strength. The National Institute on Aging has tips on fitting EXERCISE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY safely into daily life to help stay healthy as one ages. It also has tips with the right steps to take to PREVENT FALLS AND FRACTURES. Life enrichment and wellness directors offer many programs. Try walking, gardening, tai chi, yoga or whatever you enjoy.

Talk to Your Doctor or Pharmacist

Regularly review your medications and their side effects with your doctor or pharmacist. The National Council on Aging has a FALLS FREE CHECKUP that allows you to check your risk for a fall to help stay independent. Tell your doctor if you have fallen, even if not hurt. Get your vision and hearing tested. Ask a physical therapist about acquiring a walking aid if needed. Vitamin D and calcium can help keep your bones strong.

Make Your Home Safer

Make sure there are no cords, pet toys, loose rugs or excess furniture in your path. Clutter on your floors and around your home can make it more difficult to stay on your feet. Use the CDC STEADI initiative checklist to identify and ELIMINATE FALL HAZARDS in the home. Adequate lighting in hallways makes navigation easier. Ask an occupational therapist about a home safety evaluation.

Put in a request to add grab bars for the bathtub, shower and toilet if you think you need them.

Make Smart Choices

Be aware of personal abilities and limitations. Request help from someone for difficult or awkward tasks like retrieving objects on high shelves or carrying large or bulky items. The California Department of Aging’s FALL PREVENTION PROGRAM has fall and injury prevention education and information. Stand up slowly with your feet under you. Wear proper footwear. Don’t drink alcohol to excess.

Educate Yourself Today

Understanding fall risks is the first step to staying safer, reducing the risk of falling and helping stay falls free. Check out the free resources above for practical prevention solutions to do the right exercises, take proper care of yourself, make your home safer and ask for help when you need it.

The post Simple Steps You Can Take to Prevent Falls appeared first on Front Porch.

At Summer House, a memory-care neighborhood at Vista del Monte senior living community in Santa Barbara, these sensory experiences are woven into the daily lives of residents living with Alzheimer’s and other cognitive challenges.

Some are achieved in the usual way, such as making chocolate chip cookies in the counter-top Otis Spunkmeyer oven located in the multi-purpose room where arts-and-crafts activities take place.

But leading-edge engagement technology plays a role, too. Vista del Monte’s work with its partner, the Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing, is instrumental in bringing the variety of technologies used at Summer House.

Since its debut at Vista del Monte in 2019, the 24-bedroom Summer House has built a reputation as an early adopter in the use of touch screens, virtual reality, music therapy to enhance memory and even an interactive, therapeutic baby harp seal robot named PARO to support residents as they explore different paths to self-expression.

Most recently, Vista del Monte debuted a Sensory Room with a dedicated quiet space where scent, lighting, massage chairs and other elements become tools that can both calm and engage.

“This isn’t about technology for technology’s sake,” said Ali Reynoso, director of health services at Vista del Monte. “It’s about technology that helps residents have meaningful interactions.”

A prime example is the use of a group-engagement system created by Colorado-based iN2L (short for It’s Never Too Late). It features wall-mounted, TV-style touch screens through which Summer House residents can take part in guided quizzes, sing-alongs, travelogues, reminiscing sessions and any of the more than 4,000 other life-enrichment content items in iN2L’s targeted library of programs.

The screens are also used for regularly scheduled group Zoom meetings with UC Santa Barbara students, giving residents a chance to interact with the larger community in a protected environment.

In addition, the iN2L system can be tailored to individual residents, providing personally relevant activities at the tap of a screen.

“We spend a lot of time during the pre-admission process making sure we know residents’ likes and dislikes, what they’ve done in the past and what their occupation was,” Ali said. “All of our caregivers are expected to know a lot about the residents, so we’re not asking them: We’re participating with them.”

Many Summer House residents also enjoy interacting with the smaller, personalized touch screens mounted near the doors to each of their private rooms. The iPad-like devices act as digital memory boxes, family photo albums, memo boards — and cameras.

“We’ve found that some of our residents love taking selfies,” said Marlene Godinez, a licensed vocational nurse who also serves as Summer House manager. “One gentleman posts several new ones each day.”

“An exceptional memory care community like Summer House at Vista del Monte is designed to provide peace of mind for families and caregivers, but more importantly to enhance the quality of life for those with Alzheimer’s and dementia,” said Doug Tucker, Vista del Monte’s executive director.

Vista del Monte’s 9.5 acre campus was built in 1964 as a retirement community for teachers, but now welcomes nearly 200 residents from all walks of life. The nonprofit, continuing care community offers a variety of apartment floor plans for independent residents, along with an assisted-living community called Fernbrook as well as offering assisted living services brought directly to their independent living residences.

Summer House is located next to the community’s Wellness Center, giving its residents 24-hour access to an LVN and other services in a setting that is protected, familiar and inspiring.

“This is where all the senses come together in customized, person-centered care,” Ali said. “Sometimes, those senses help recall comforting feelings from the past. And other times, they open the doors to new possibilities.”

The post Summer House at Vista del Monte Offers Innovative, Comforting Environment for Those With Cognitive Issues appeared first on Front Porch.

“I wanted a community where I could have privacy and a sense of community, not where every time I opened my door, everyone would ask, ‘Where are you going?’” Helen said with a laugh. “I wanted an apartment on the ground floor, no stairs. I did not want a hallway. I also had two dogs and, you’d be surprised, but not every retirement community is thrilled with that.”

She found everything on her floor-plan checklist – along with a friendly welcome for her dogs — at Vista del Monte, a continuing care retirement community in Santa Barbara.  

Complete with a Wellness Center, a newly remodeled dining room and a fitness and aquatic center that boasts a professionally recognized senior fitness program, the 9.5-acre campus is a just mile from the beach and five minutes from downtown. But passers-by often don’t realize it’s there.

That sense of privacy extends from the grounds dotted with pines, fountains and citrus trees and into the apartments that Vista del Monte residents call home.

At Helen’s courtyard home, the patio door opens onto a garden area surrounded by a low fence and a lush forest of ferns. The outdoor space features potted plants, a water bowl for her chocolate lab, Suzy, and the lounge chair where she likes to relax on warm evenings.

“I’m a California girl,” Helen said. “I’ve always had a backyard, so this apartment really appealed to me.”

But while Helen appreciates a division between public and personal spaces, fellow Vista del Monte resident Jan Purcell revels in the neighborly camaraderie offered by her cheerful second-floor apartment she moved into nearly eight years ago. Its patio and picture windows look onto a canopy of jacaranda and pepper trees, while the front door opens onto an interior hallway that can be reached by stairs or elevator.

“I try to keep the door open, so if anyone wants to stop in and chat, they can,” Jan said. “This is the kind of place where there’s always a neighbor who’s going to give you that egg or cup of sugar you need.”

Find your ideal home

The fact that Helen and Jan both found their ideal, yet very different, living arrangements at Vista del Monte highlights what makes the campus a best choice for anyone considering senior living community options.

“There are so many ways to make the Vista del Monte experience uniquely your own while also enjoying the values, mission and the overall vibe of the community,” said Sales and Marketing Manager Wendy Cafferky.

Vista del Monte offers independent living, assisted living and memory care onsite. Services included in the monthly fee, with or without a continuing care contract, range from housekeeping and chef-prepared meals to on-site security and an emergency call and response system for added peace of mind.

Additional-fee services include guest rooms for visitors, an on-site salon and barber shop, and non-emergency nursing and other support services. For residents in need of a little more TLC, the Truly Yours program offers a variety of plans that include assisted-living services such as medication management, bathing, dressing and more, in the privacy of their home at Vista.

Stay healthy, fit and engaged

Already an avid swimmer before moving to Santa Barbara, Helen loves having access to the Vista del Monte Fitness & Aquatic Center (FAC) as a major benefit. (Other local seniors agree: FAC memberships are a hot ticket among non-residents.) The shallow-water, heated exercise pool offers aqua aerobics, water volleyball and Helen’s personal favorites: lap and open-swim sessions. An “endless pool” is Vista’s newest feature, which is available for lap swimming against a gentle current or for physical therapy.

The FAC’s strength-training and conditioning room is also exceptional. Classes range from simple but effective seated-chair exercises to open-gym times showcasing several pieces of equipment that are so state-of-the-art you won’t find them in public gyms, said Heidi Reyes, the FAC’s manager.

“It’s so important to keep your body strong and healthy throughout the aging process, and we have lots of ways to keep it fun along the way,” Heidi said.

Jan agrees. Still recuperating from recent hip-replacement surgery, she is looking forward to kicking up her heels at an upcoming dance in the main lounge.

“I’m just going to start moving around and getting some other people out there on the dance floor with me,” Jan said, laughing.

“People are so warm and welcoming here,” Helen said. “It’s been such a healing environment for me.”

These days, Helen calls on her expertise as a retired department administrator to serve on the executive committee of the Resident Association. But she’s also delving into something she didn’t know about herself before arriving at Vista del Monte four years ago: She loves playing – and teaching others to play – mahjong.

“It has been magic,” Helen said of teaming up with local community members to offer mahjong classes on campus and at off-campus organizations like the University Club of Santa Barbara and the Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara.

“The thing about a game like mahjong is, you make life-long friends. It’s just so important to connect and get to know each other and have a good time.”

The post Community is Why You Feel Welcome at Vista del Monte appeared first on Front Porch.

After they settled into Vista in 2019, Roxana became president of the Resident Association and currently serves as its past president. She was also a member of Vista’s Philanthropy Committee, which helps guide how donations to Vista del Monte through the Front Porch Communities Foundation will be used.

The couple recently made a generous gift to the Foundation from Fred’s individual retirement account. The gift was made as a qualified charitable distribution (QCD), one of the savviest ways for those over 70½ to use their IRAs to maximize their charitable impact and realize tax savings. Fred, a retired university professor, and Roxana,
a retired librarian, have a particular affinity for the Foundation’s scholarship funds, which awards cash
grants to qualified Vista employees and also to their children. Scholarships benefit those who attend traditional two- and four-year colleges and those attending trade schools, pursuing certificate programs (like nursing programs), continuing education or GED studies.

“We donate to the Foundation because Vista is our home, and it’s our way of supporting an organization that we admire,” Fred said. “The staff here takes good care of us so we want to be generous to them in return,” Roxana added.

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Ever since moving to Vista about five years ago, Helga has participated in almost every fitness class the community offers. Six days a week, she takes a mile walk around the campus – enjoying its beautiful landscape and checking in with neighbors. She says her favorite and most challenging class at Vista is definitely Pilates and she is a regular at the community’s Fitness and Aquatic Center.

She also regularly works out at the local YMCA, where she lifts weights, does aerobic exercise, and has been known to kick it into high gear during kick boxing class. “I always loved staying active because I had a stressful job and outdoor activities gave me an outlet,” said the retired registered nurse anesthetist. “Anytime I’m exercising, I feel better both physically and mentally.  There are so many wonderful classes here. I enjoy them alI. I encourage people to give it a try.”

Helga was also a devoted runner and participated in the inaugural Los Angeles Marathon in 1986 at age 60. Up until the last few years, Helga was an avid skier – her favorite outdoor sport. She has skied dozens of slopes across Europe, the United States and Canada, including her favorite location, Zurs, Austria. She even met her late husband, John, on the slopes of Mammoth, in California.

“Helga certainly is an inspiration to so many here,” said Heidi Reyes, Vista’s Fitness and Aquatic Center manager. “I’m happy she found a community that encourages her to maintain the lifestyle she loves.”

Some studies show, devoting just 11 minutes of moderately-intense physical activity each day is sufficient to lower the risk of diseases such as heart disease, stroke and a number of cancers. In an international study led by the University of Cambridge and published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, finding that one in 10 early deaths could be prevented if everyone managed at least half the recommended level of physical activity.

“I believe exercise is an important component for a long life,” Helga said. “I appreciate the opportunities we have here.”

Find your inspiration at Vista del Monte. Schedule your tour today by calling 805-687-0793 or by emailing VDMsales@frontporch.net.

The post Helga Carden Stays on the Move at Vista del Monte appeared first on Front Porch.