NY Nursing Home is One to Emulate

I don’t usually plug nursing homes specifically but one caught my eye for a few programs they are doing.

Island Nursing and Rehab Center in Holtsville, NY offers ian nteractive program which aims to link its residents more closely to their families/friends, by means of web-based internet technology. So essentially they are taking things that you and I may use (example – Skype) and using them for a great purpose.

Then I read in Long Term Living Magazine that a group of 33 residents from the center, ages 71 to 98, are the first class of students to participate in and graduate from Suffolk County Community College’s Faculty Association Community Outreach Program.

The program, which includes a wide range of adult education lectures, is called “Professors on Wheels,” with college professors coming to the nursing home to lecture on a variety of educational topics.


The graduation ceremony was held for residents who attended the complete series of classes over the course of the year. Residents were adorned in caps and gowns, receiving their graduation certificate with family members and fellow residents in attendance.

Educational topics in the series included adult stem cell research, jellyfish and the ecosystem, poetry, fitness, collaborative playwriting, and more.

So really how cool is all this? First the nursing home and its residents are tech savvy. And they are following one of the tenets of my keynote The Meaning of Life, which essentially says that Lifelong Learning is a key to aging with quality.

Check them out.