The founder and CEO of Cambridge Village, Kendall Oliver, has been working with senior living communities for over 30 years. During his early days as an administrator, he realized the establishments he managed were only aiming to make residents comfortable as they declined mentally and physically in their final years. While that was and still is the baseline model in many senior living facilities, Oliver knew he could use his vision and operational experience to create communities where seniors thrive and live their best lives rather than simply surviving. In 2008, he was inspired to start his own brand of active retirement communities, where residents are encouraged to focus on overall wellness regardless of age. Each Cambridge Village community has been designed to embody their signature Optimal Living® approach, with a focus on exceptional amenities and concierge healthcare. Now with three communities located in Raleigh, Apex, and Wilmington, North Carolina, Oliver and his staff emphasize the importance of staying youthful, active, and healthy and incorporate a multidimensional curriculum of spiritual, vocational, occupational, mental, and physical health for their 400+ residents.
“Our goal is to get residents as involved in activities as possible, but we don’t like to force people to do anything. We want our residents to feel comfortable and at-home here. So, what do we do? We bake it into the culture with a variety of programs and amenities that are going to appeal to every kind of resident, and those activities are ability-focused rather than limitation-focused”
William Gillespie, Wellness Director at The Cambridge at Brier Creek
In the Spring of 2022, Cambridge Village opened their third community, The Cambridge at Brier Creek, in Raleigh’s bustling Brier Creek neighborhood. Led by William Gillespie, Wellness Director at the Brier Creek location, the onsite team has created a way for every resident to achieve a fulfilling, holistic lifestyle. Their programming is as inclusive as it is engaging, with a variety of social events, continuing education, live music, weekly group exercise classes, and more. The bespoke health and wellness resources available onsite include access to an Exercise Physiologist, Personal Trainers, Therapy and Primary Care services. At Cambridge, concierge healthcare means each resident receives personalized, individual attention.
“Living at Cambridge doesn’t mean following the traditional path of aging. We have full-time wellness directors, wellness coordinators, group exercise instructors, and personal trainers on staff because it’s about more than just the availability of the equipment. It’s about having experts there to guide and encourage residents in all aspects of their lives. We don’t see any reason why somebody can’t be stronger at 85 years old than they were at 80.” ”
William Gillespie, Wellness Director at The Cambridge at Brier Creek
In the 6,300 square foot onsite fitness center, the quality and quantity of fitness equipment rivals the inventory of a high-end private health club. It’s easy to see the intentional focus on engagement and accessibility in the equipment selection and design of the space, achieved through a partnership between Cambridge and Advantage Sport & Fitness’s own Teresa Boland. Teresa’s guidance and expertise ensured that from an equipment standpoint, every base was covered. Traditional cardio and strength equipment is available to meet traditional exercise needs, while a variety of interactive exercise machines are also included where users can play games, compete, and get in a great workout at the same time. However, the mission of optimal wellness at Cambridge doesn’t stop at simply providing fitness equipment. Each community’s wellness staff offers newcomers an initial orientation to the fitness center to familiarize them with the location and the functionality of each type of equipment, then follows up regularly to ensure every resident can get engaged and actively participate, whether through social group exercise offerings or one-on-one sessions with a personal trainer. At the heart of the focus on fitness at Cambridge is their philosophy that Optimal Living® encompasses not only physical health, but also mental, social, and emotional wellbeing, and it is their mission to see each resident reach their best lifestyle at Cambridge communities.
The teams within the Cambridge Village communities see the remarkable impact of their philosophy every day in the growth and development of their residents. One resident who was not previously active started coming to the gym every day with a friend, bringing his family along with him whenever they visit. Another resident who was suffering with limited mobility and pre-diabetes received specialized treatment and training, and during the lease renewal process her daughter expressed gratitude to the staff for going above and beyond to improve her mother’s health and overall wellbeing. There are countless stories like these at Cambridge communities, illustrating the incredible impact their efforts have on individuals and families. Their work has become a gold standard that will influence the industry to change and inspire a more holistic and thoughtful approach to serving the active aging communities.
