With Boomers in Mind, Catholic Eldercare Expands Creative Programs for Seniors

Outgoing Catholic Eldercare President Dan Johnson led an effort last summer to develop an immersive eight-week "storytelling" program that combines words with visual images to help residents communicate their stories, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune . The project was part of the nonprofit senior housing provider's initiatives to capitalize on its location in the northeast Minneapolis Arts District as it expands its communities, with a focus on fostering a sense of community within — and outside — the organization. The group seeks new ways of honing the program and creating new ones for residents, which also may help it vie for baby boomers in an increasingly competitive marketplace. In northeast Minneapolis, the organization has set up a new 40,000-square-foot extension to an existing building, to deliver transitional care and rehabilitation space. Catholic Eldercare also runs two subsidized independent-living communities in the same area. Johnson and his associates assembled a team that included artists and writers, with staff helping to recruit residents of all abilities. Split into four groups, residents worked with the artists and writers to create foldout books that tell a story that was particularly important to them. The so-called "Memory Speaks in Pictures" project culminated in a gathering where residents framed and displayed their work.