(VANCOUVER, BC) January 11, 2021—COVID-19’s emergence in 2020 upended daily life in senior living communities across North America and made it more vital than ever to nurture wellness for residents and staff. Many communities have embraced wellness as a culture shift in the last decade, prioritizing wellness—and its pursuit—as an essential way of life. Today, the International Council on Active Aging® (ICAA) and NuStep, LLC, honor 25 communities and recognize their “Best in Wellness” achievements with the 2020 ICAA NuStep Beacon Award.

ICAA, a professional association that leads, connects and defines the active-aging industry, supports organizations and professionals that develop wellness environments and services for adults over 50. NuStep is a leading manufacturer of recumbent cross-trainers used in healthcare, senior living and fitness settings worldwide. The longtime champions of active aging and wellness launched their joint annual awards program in 2019 to spotlight “Best in Wellness” achievements in North America’s senior living communities. A culture of wellness permeates community life, supporting residents and staff in engaging as fully as possible in all of life’s dimensions. The award is presented to communities that successfully foster a wellness culture and an environment that supports wellness for all who live and work there.

ICAA defines wellness as “derived from our ability to understand, accept and act upon our capacity to lead a purpose-filled and engaged life.” When we do, “we can embrace our potential…to pursue and optimize possibilities” in life’s key dimensions: emotional, physical, intellectual, social, spiritual, vocational and environmental. These dimensions improve quality of life when they are nurtured and prioritized as a whole.

“It’s a pleasure to honor the achievements of these outstanding wellness communities,” says Jane Benskey, marketing communications specialist at NuStep. “Their commitment to creating cultures where wellness is not a program in a room, but rather an essential way of life, is having a lasting and positive impact on many lives.” Adds Benskey, “The momentum toward wellness was influenced by innovative leaders, thinkers and doers. The Beacon Award recognizes those who continue to light the way and serve as shining examples for others.”

ICAA’s CEO and Founder Colin Milner notes, “By identifying winning communities as leaders in creating cultures of wellness, the Beacon Award provides a powerful tool for recruiting staff, attracting new investors or adding extra prestige to marketing materials. Each recipient receives a crystal award trophy to display—a symbol of excellence to inspire residents and staff daily.”

The 2020 “Best in Wellness” ICAA NuStep Beacon Award winners are:

1. John Knox Village of Florida (Pompano Beach, Florida)
2. Lakeview Village (Lenexa, Kansas)
3. Masonic Village at Elizabethtown (Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania)
4. Maravilla Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, California)
5. Sunnyside Retirement Community (Harrisonburg, Virginia)
6. Splendido At Rancho Vistoso (Tucson, Arizona)
7. Tapestry Arbutus Walk (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
8. Tapestry Village Gate West (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
9. The Forest at Duke (Durham, North Carolina)
10. Tapestry at Wesbrook Village (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
11. Westminster Palms (St. Petersburg, Florida)
12. Westminster-Canterbury (Winchester, Virginia)
13. Carolina Meadows (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
14. Westminster Manor (Austin, Texas)
15. Williamsburg Landing (Williamsburg, Virginia)
16. Holland Home (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
17. Fleet Landing (Atlantic Beach, Florida)
18. Matthews Glen (Matthews, North Carolina)
19. Kavod Senior Life (Denver, Colorado)
20. The Hacienda at the Canyon (Tucson, Arizona)
21. Galloway Ridge at Fearrington (Pittsboro, North Carolina)
22. Paradise Valley Estates (Fairfield, California)
23. Mather Place Wilmette (Wilmette, Illinois)
24. Maravilla Scottsdale (Scottsdale, Arizona)
25. The Fountains at Boca Ciega Bay (St. Petersburg, Florida)

In addition, the top five communities—John Knox Village of Florida, Lakeview Village, Masonic Village at Elizabethtown, Maravilla Santa Barbara and Sunnyside Retirement Community—receive the ICAA NuStep Pinnacle Award for their particularly exceptional contributions, carrying on NuStep’s vision in a reenvisioned joint program.

To help other organizations learn from Beacon Award winners and improve their own operations, ICAA and NuStep will catalogue and publicize the best practices of these award-winners on the award program’s dedicated website at https://beaconaward.icaa.cc.