FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Evanston, Ill. (January 5, 2015) – “Our commitment to serving older adults is equaled only by our commitment to our employees. We believe that taking extraordinary care of our employees translates into extraordinary experiences for residents and customers,” said Mary Leary, president and CEO of Mather LifeWays, the Evanston-based, not-for-profit organization which serves more than 40,000 older adults each year through its senior living residences, Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging, and neighborhood outreach.
Mather LifeWays was the recent recipient of two prestigious awards, adding to a long list of accolades for the 73-year-old organization. For the second consecutive year, it was named Illinois’ Healthiest Midsize Employer and Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging was honored with the 2014 Excellence in Research and Education Award by LeadingAge, an aging industry-leading association.
To keep its dynamic culture strong in an industry that often sees high employee turnover, Mather LifeWays gives its more than 500 employees many opportunities to grow both personally and professionally, and to nurture good health in body and mind. Mather LifeWays strong culture is backed by management practices that support employee growth, fulfillment, and wellness.
One wellness initiative is a current Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging’s study, which includes Mather LifeWays employees who wear Fitbit personal tracking devices to monitor physical activity and sleep patterns for six weeks. The Institute is collecting anonymous employee data, and will analyze it to determine what effect the Fitbit program had on participants’ behavior and motivation.
This, and other types of research, is the innovative thinking that enabled the Institute to receive the Excellence in Research and Education Award for its “outstanding contributions in developing innovative evidence-based research and award-winning education programs, translating research into practice, and its commitment to disseminating new knowledge to the senior living industry for more than 15 years,” according to LeadingAge.
“We’re pleased to continue to be recognized in the Senior Housing industry, as a model for good business and wellness practices for our employees too,” said Leary. “There’s really no substitute for fostering a healthy and positive culture, and it’s wonderful when people are provided the opportunity to keep growing both personally, and professionally.”
ABOUT MATHER LIFEWAYS: Based in Evanston, Illinois, Mather LifeWays is a unique, non-denominational not-for-profit organization that has served older adults for 70+ years. Dedicated to developing and implementing Ways to Age WellSM, Mather LifeWays creates programs, places, and residences for today’s young-at-heart older adults. To learn more about their senior living residences, Community Initiatives, and Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging, call (847) 492.7500 or visit online at www.matherlifeways.com.