For many, religion and faith are some of life’s most important aspects and are often what provide meaning for each challenge and triumph faced along life’s journey. In fact a recent study by Seniorly, a senior living referral company, found that seniors find faith and their health are the most important factors as they age. Faith and religion become factors that help seniors to cope with the fear of aging and death, and for those with active spiritual lives there is often less uncertainty about the future. It’s with this in mind that Buckner Westminster Place has developed a culture that centers on faith and high-quality care. The senior living community, located in Longview, has taken an approach to faith-based senior care that has fulfilled the spiritual needs of staff, residents and their families since its doors opened more than 20 years ago. According to Dr. Rick Webb, chaplain at Buckner Westminster Place, there is a spirit of sacrifice at the community, where residents and team members look out for one another and seek to live out a Christian mission together. It’s something Webb says can be seen regardless of a resident’s religious affiliation, due to the culture of kindness and understanding at Buckner Westminster Place.

“While everyone who calls Westminster Place home may not be of the Christian faith, we’re all benefiting from the ideals and teachings,” said Webb. “However, the majority of our residents are faithful, and we’ve seen how they’ve been able to face difficult circumstances as they’ve integrated into an environment that allows them to flourish spiritually. There’s a great feeling of community here, and it makes it so much easier to face the reality of a new stage in life. Through our religious offerings, we provide residents the opportunity to seek what makes them comfortable, while also respecting that some things might be off limits to them. I’m constantly reminding people I’m not their pastor, but I will walk alongside them and advise where I can.”

Webb has been a member of the Buckner Westminster Place team for 20 years and has seen how residents have flourished in an environment that promotes faith and allows residents to ask the tough questions. Through various activities, such as Tuesday Devotion, residents have the ability to come together and pray. Its small activities such as this one that Webb says help residents to live life well and not just dwell on the future. This is something that he carries over to other activities, like Wednesday Bible study, and through one-on-one conversations with residents. According to Webb, his mission is to help residents live their lives to the fullest in any way that he can and ensure they have the resources they need to do so.

“When I’m meeting with a resident who is struggling in some way, one of the first things I ask them is what’s hurting and what loose ends do we need to address,” said Webb. “From there, we seek to find where that individual has placed their purpose and where their hope lies. For many seniors, when they come to a retirement community they know that life is changing, that it is narrowing to the end. Here at Westminster Place, we do all we can to show that life continues to be worth living. One of the best ways we do that is through our ministry and helping residents to understand their lives and their mission doesn’t change because they live here, it just looks different. This certainly sets a different standard than a part time retired pastor, or allowing kind words and prayers at mealtime to equal “faith based.”

Studies and surveys have shown that for the majority of older Americans, faith and religious affiliation is important, and that knowledge is taken to heart at Buckner Westminster Place. By promoting a sense of community and opportunities for activity, the senior living community provides Longview seniors with the ability to live their lives to the fullest – and that includes fellowship with friends and neighbors.

“At Buckner Westminster Place, we believe in the Christian mission and seek to provide team members, residents and their families with the opportunity to flourish spiritually,” said David Sims, executive director of Buckner Westminster Place. “As a faith-based community, we have the opportunity to serve residents in a way that they may not know they even need, and it helps us to ensure a superior quality of life. It’s an honor for all of us here at Westminster Place to walk alongside residents in fellowship each day, and we hope that our community can be a testament to what it means to live a Christ-like life.”