Victoria Sosa, Marketing Director at The Cambridge at Brier Creek in Raleigh, NC, was interviewed by host Adam Torres on the Mission Matters Business Podcast.
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Senior living marketing expert Victoria Sosa talks about empowering elders to live their lives to the fullest in retirement communities focused on optimal living.
How did you get involved with senior living and care?
Sosa says she always wanted to help seniors in some way, dedicating herself to a portion of the population that’s often neglected or ignored. After completing her education in speech pathology, she leveraged her communication and marketing skills in the healthcare industry and started working in senior living about a decade ago. Since then, she’s been striving to challenge the stigma surrounding senior living.
Tell us about the concept of optimal living.
Recalling the original vision of The Cambridge CEO and founder, Kendall Oliver, Sosa explains that optimal living is a holistic approach to wellness care for seniors, providing spaces where people actively want to retire. It revolves around the idea that, after having worked for decades, retirement can offer opportunities to travel, relax, socialize, and learn new things; in other words, it can and should be something to look forward to and enjoy.
Optimal living goes a step beyond reactive care, too, adopting a proactive wellness approach, Sosa notes. At The Cambridge at Brier Creek, there’s a customized wellness program through which residents have access to an onsite healthcare team, including gym and wellness trainers, exercise physiologists, and rehab services via WakeMed hospital. Technology also plays an innovative role.
“We integrate mobile apps and wearables to track the activities and wellness of senior adults and enhance their well-being cohesively,” she says. “It also helps with connecting with family and friends, making them feel enriched and happy.” Residents’ tech perks are customizable, she explains, tailoring the community’s Optimal Living program to meet each resident where they are with regard to their medical history and specific needs.
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What mistakes do people make in choosing senior care living?
Sosa says it’s important not to wait for a health crisis to move to a senior care living unit. “Most communities have a five to ten years long waitlist,” she notes. “If you’re not proactive in planning your retirement living, you’ll be left with limited options.”
It’s wise for a senior to proactively join their community of choice when they are independent and relatively healthy, she explains; this way, they can take full advantage of the host of amenities, including wellness and fitness classes, social events like live music, pottery, art museums, restaurant outings, and seminars. If they enter the community after their mobility and independence begins to decline, they’re less able to enjoy the array of life-enriching experiences available to them, although their medical care is still ensured.
What’s next for you and the Cambridge communities?
The Cambridge at Brier Creek’s sister property, Cambridge Village of APEX, will be expanding in the coming year, and Cambridge Village of Wilmington, our coastal property, is continually innovating to positively impact residents’ lives, making the community stronger as it grows.
To learn more about The Cambridge at Brier Creek, visit retireBriercreek.com; to stay connected, follow the community on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
