A first-of-its-kind travel exchange program promises to take senior living to a whole new level when it kicks off at eight CHHSM-related continuing care retirement communities next year.
Beginning July 1, residents at participating communities will be able to make lodging reservations free of charge at a sister community of their choice for travel excursions of up to two weeks.
The Passport to Travel program is the first major initiative of the CHHSM Senior Services Collaborative, a kind of ‘think tank’ that aims to foster strategic partnerships for sharing resources, knowledge and best practices among CHHSM’s senior living ministries.
Collaborative co-founder Steve Jaberg says Passport to Travel is the perfect program to initiate the work of the group, which had its first meeting in January 2010.
“We’re still six months away from officially launching, and the excitement among my residents is just overwhelming,” says Jaberg, longtime CEO of Cedar Community in West Bend, Wis.
“Here, too,” added Bob Anderson, CEO of Horizon House in Seattle. “At a recent community meeting I asked the residents how many planned to participate in Passport to Travel, and more than two-thirds raised their hands.”
Jaberg and Anderson say the collaborative will treat the first guest visits as a beta test for how they manage the program long-term. The process of selecting one person or couple from each community has already begun, and the collaborative will be looking to those residents to share their experiences when they return home as a way of helping tweak the program going forward.
Passport to Travel was conceived as the ultimate senior living amenity for older adults leading an active, engaged lifestyle, says Jaberg.
“When you talk to retirees and ask them what’s important to them, the universal answer is travel,” he says. “We’re inviting people to enjoy their retirement in a new and different way.”
Conceptually, the program will work much like a time-share but with simpler styling and very low overhead costs. Residents will make reservations through a team member at their home community. Upon their arrival, guests can expect well-appointed, fully furnished accommodations in an apartment home, cottage or condo. Lodging is free, but guests will pay for their meals and most other on-campus amenities during their trip, such as golf and salon services.
Each property will utilize vacant residential space, so startup costs are expected to be minimal. In fact, the program has come together so easily that the only difficulty thus far has been managing demand, according to Anderson.
“We’ve already had some non-CHHSM organizations approach us and ask if they can join Passport to Travel, and down the road I see no reason not to do that,” he says.
“And ultimately, how great would it be to expand the program beyond the U.S.?” Jaberg asks. “To my knowledge, there is no program like this anywhere – domestically or abroad. And who better to initiate something like this, than nonprofit, faith-based organizations.”
In addition to Seattle and West Bend, the other participating organizations include: Beatitudes Campus in Phoenix, Ariz.; Evangelical Homes of Michigan in Detroit, Mich.; Havenwood-Heritage Heights in Concord, N.H.; Phoebe Ministries in Allentown, Pa.; United Church Homes and Services in Newton, N.C.; and United Church Homes in Marion, Ohio.
To find out more about Passport to Travel, contact CHHSM Vice President Mike Readinger at readingm@chhsm.org.
