Marjorie P. Lee Senior Living Blog

The words “nursing home” often bring to mind thoughts of colorless, sterile and depressing environments. This stereotype couldn’t be further from the truth—especially when you consider the emergence of a new model of long-term care designed to maximize independence, dignity and personal choice among residents. How, specifically, are these senior living communities raising the bar when it comes to positive aging?

Read on for a roundup of five exciting—and unexpected—trends transforming the face of long-term care.

In his career as a cognitive psychologist and University of Cincinnati professor, Dan Wheeler was best known for his scientific brain. In his personal life, he's equally well-known for his artistic brain.

"I was a photographer first," he explained. "I was a very serious photographer in both high school and college."

As a teenager, he entered and won science competitions. He once won "a week in the Navy."

"We joked that second prize was two weeks," Wheeler said. "The Navy flew a bunch of us from all over the country to Boston, and we went out for a week on a heavy cruiser. They showed off all the stuff that they did."