Moving into a new place can be disorienting for any one. It takes time to find your way around the new environment, become acquainted with how the community operates, and get acclimated to the local culture and routines.
In any such situation, the assistance of someone more familiar with the surrounding can help ease your transition by introducing you to other people, identifying important locations, and answering your questions.
For senior citizens, moving to a retirement community is one of those transitions that – while beneficial in the long-term – can be challenging and uncomfortable at the start. Unless you already know other residents at the facility, you may at first feel lonely and out of place. Daystar Retirement Village, anticipating this tough transitory phase, established its Ambassador Program to help incoming residents get acclimated to their new living situation on campus more quickly and efficiently.
What Is Daystar’s Ambassador Program?
Daystar Retirement Village’s Ambassador Program is comprised of about a dozen volunteer residents who are unofficial emissaries for the community. Akin to resident advisors or other peer leaders, the ambassadors help acclimate new residents after they move in, lessening the learning curve for them to become familiar with and comfortable in their new environment.
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The ambassadors – who work alongside a staff liaison – will meet with residents soon after they move in and give them another tour around the community, showing them where certain facilities are located and demonstrating how to access them. They also will provide information about the community’s weekly and monthly activities and events, transportation options, and dining and wellness services, along with other particulars specific to the community.
While many of these topics are covered during the initial tour process you undergo with a Daystar representative before you move in, it’s helpful to get a refresher once you are on site. The ambassadors will revisit all the most important aspects of life in the retirement community and answer your questions. One of the advantages of the program is that you have access to insider information, or the perspective and insight of a resident. Having lived within that environment day-in and day-out for several months or years, ambassadors are uniquely equipped to provide honest, accurate information and additional tips they’ve picked up during their tenure at Daystar. Their primary goal is to make sure you feel comfortable and know how the community operates in order to overcome early challenges of retirement living.
Joining the Social Life at Daystar
The ambassador’s job is not just to show you around to various facilities and important sites on campus when you first arrive, but to continue to offer support and assistance during your initial few weeks living in the community. They will offer to dine with you for lunch or dinner and join you for activities and events. Additionally, the ambassadors make an effort to introduce you to their friends or other residents, so you can start developing new acquaintances from the get go. This helps alleviate the feelings of loneliness and isolation that typically strike during a big transition to a new living situation.
Ambassadors also periodically volunteer at the front desk, so you will see a friendly face when you’re out and about, and they occasionally represent Daystar at off-site events, such as the West Seattle Parade or at the West Seattle Senior Center. Because they are out and about in the city, they can help familiarize you not only with the retirement community but also what the greater Seattle area has to offer. They can offer advice on the best way to get to and from shopping, dining, and entertainment establishments near Daystar.
Making Daystar Retirement Village Your New Home
If you are considering Daystar Retirement Village or already planning to live in the retirement community, rest assured you won’t be on your own once you’ve moved in. Through Daystar’s Ambassador Program, a friendly, knowledgeable resident can show you around the community, introduce you to your neighbors, and revisit important details about how things run. From amenities and activities to dining, spiritual, and wellness services, they can provide you information and insight to help you feel at home in no time at all.
