Welbi Masterclass: Fostering Connections Between Residents

Welbi makes it easy for you to foster connections between residents in your community through the data that exists on your site.

This video is a recording of a live Welbi Masterclass that took place on July 6, 2023.

Why is it important to foster connections in your community?

Social Support: Fostering connections between residents can help create a strong support system within the community. It provides opportunities for individuals to share their experiences, concerns, and advice with others who may be going through similar life transitions. This social support network can enhance overall well-being and reduce feelings of isolation or loneliness. Regular social interactions can lead to a greater sense of fulfillment and happiness in their day-to-day lives.
Sense of Belonging: Moving to a retirement or long-term care community can be a major life change, and connecting with others helps individuals feel a sense of belonging. By establishing relationships, new residents can become integrated into the community more easily, find common interests, and develop a feeling of being part of a larger social group.
Emotional Well-being: Social interaction is essential for maintaining emotional well-being. By fostering connections, residents can engage in meaningful conversations, share their life stories, and develop friendships. Such interactions contribute to feelings of happiness, fulfillment, and improved mental health.
Shared Hobbies & Interests: Encouraging connections among residents allows for the organization of group activities and events. These can include group outings, exercise classes, book clubs, game nights, or other recreational pursuits. Participating in shared hobbies and interests enhances residents' quality of life, promotes a sense of camaraderie, and fosters a vibrant and engaging community

Leveraging Welbi to foster relationships between residents in your community

Resident Filters

When you have a new resident moving into your community:

Complete their profile & assessment to learn about the resident’s background, interests, preferences, and any barriers to participation.
Filter your resident list to find residents with similar backgrounds, interests, etc (e.g., perhaps your new resident speaks Spanish and enjoys watching sports).
Export or print out this list and use it to make introductions and foster connections

When you have a resident who doesn’t come out to programs and may be in need of engagement:

Look at their last assessment and see what their hobbies and interests are (e.g., perhaps they love to cook and play cards)
Filter your resident list to find residents with those same hobbies and interests.
Export or print out this list and use it to introduce these residents to each other and see if they want to start playing weekly card games or swap recipes.

Profile Insights

To find and connect residents with similar backgrounds or demographic characteristics (e.g., Occupations, Languages, Hometown):

Drill down on profile insights to identify groups of residents with similar backgrounds (e.g., all of your retired teachers or veterans, residents from the same hometown, etc.)=
Based on the above, make introductions or plan something special to encourage connections (e.g., a Teachers’ Appreciation event)

Assessment Insights

To find and connect residents with similar hobbies and interests:

Drill down on your ‘hobbies’ insight (often in assessment insights, but could be in your profile insights depending on your organization)
Based on the above, make your introductions or set up an activity related to the shared interest to encourage connections

NOTE : Use the resident filter to print/export a list of residents with a specific hobby or interest

Documenting Resident Gatherings

Meaningful engagement happens both inside and outside of scheduled programming! Resident gatherings that happen outside of your scheduled programming can be captured in Welbi as an unscheduled program.

Any attendance you log in these unscheduled programs will contribute towards resident engagement insights, allowing you to get a better understanding of each resident's overall engagement both inside and outside of organized programming. More attendance data also means better program suggestions!

If you notice your residents gathering on a recurring basis (e.g., weekly), you may wish to add these activities to your planning calendar as recurring programs to make logging engagement quick and easy. You can always filter these out when it comes time to print!

In Summary

Fostering connections between residents in your community, particularly for newcomers, provides social support, a sense of belonging, emotional well-being, and opportunities to bond and gather over shared hobbies and interests. These factors contribute to a thriving and supportive community environment, improving the overall quality of life for all residents.