Page 31 - BusinessWest January 6, 2025

“This is a new language for me in many ways, but I love learning new things. This was an opportunity for me to take
on the challenge of learning and leading in a new sector. And there are more overlaps between higher ed and senior living than you might think.”
and how can we become more efficient in our operations?”
But most decisions come down to enhancing the resident experi-
ence, Martin said.
“Every decision that we make is based on what’s best for our
residents and ensuring that we have enough programming, and
the kind of programming that is meaningful for our residents,” she explained. “One of the things we’ve had a lot of conversation about in the last year is intellectual engagement, that it’s not just about playing mahjong, but it’s about having access to local speakers or
a TED Talk or a guided discussion on a topic of interest. So we’re making sure we’re being responsive to what is interesting for the residents and engages their families as well in life at Glenmeadow.”
Long History
Glenmeadow traces its roots to 1884, when a group of civic leaders raised funds among themselves and other area families and purchased a house on Main Street in Springfield’s South End, establishing the Springfield Home for Aged Women. This residence opened in November 1886 and accommodated 16 women from the community without family or means.
Fourteen years later, a new, larger home opened nearby, and in 1960, its name changed to Chestnut Knoll. In 1992, the facility began admitting men alongside the women.
In 1993, the organization purchased a 23-acre parcel in Long- meadow to build a new community that would provide both inde- pendent and assisted-living apartments with various common areas, and the name changed again, this time to Glenmeadow. In 2002, it unveiled Glenmeadow at Home, offering personal care, companion- ship, and home-care services to older adults living in their homes throughout Greater Springfield.
The home-care service is important for a couple of reasons, Martin said. “We recognize how important it is for seniors to stay at home as long as they possibly can. It can be very emotional to think about leaving your family home and making a move to a community like Glenmeadow, so we wanted to do everything we can to make it possible for seniors to stay at home a bit longer.”
In addition, she said, “home care is a nice gateway to Glenmead-
Glenmeadow moved from Springfield to Longmeadow in 1993, right around the time the facility took its current name.
ow as a community. We do have residents who started as Glen- meadow at Home clients. We also have residents who use Glen- meadow at Home for some additional care. So it’s an important part of our business model, not only for what it provides our resi- dents, but what we can give back to the local community to make home care more accessible.”
One crucial piece of the organization’s services is the concept of aging in community, she noted.
“One of the reasons that our residents thrive at Glenmeadow is because they’re with people who are having similar life experiences. We actively work to combat social isolation. And for those seniors who are staying at home and maybe increasingly infirm, it’s harder to maintain those social interactions. So a lot of our residents just enjoy being with people of the same age ... it’s a social community as much as it is a residential one.”
In 2024, Glenmeadow elevated the senior experience in a dif-
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