At the Top of Her Field
Jill Lund Steco's foray into planning activities for older adults was an accident, albeit a fortunate one. Almost twenty years ago, with a degree in special education, Jill had experience working in an elementary school. The schedule, however, wasn't compatible with her wish to be home with her young children. Jill chanced upon an ad in a church bulletin, for an activities leader for senior programming. This ultimately led to a career in life enrichment for older adults, that has now spanned two decades. Jill is the new lifestyles director for Friendship Village retirement community in Schaumburg.
At one point, Jill said, she had two part-time jobs planning activities for seniors. She met a gentleman who heard about her work and said, 'my daughter-in-law is in senior housing and would love to talk to you.' "I hadn't actually been looking for a job but I met with her on a Monday and by Wednesday found myself working full time. I was on the leadership team for a retirement community that was under construction, and I continued there for 15 ½ years. At the beginning, I did a little bit of everything including fitness classes, assessments, spirituality programming, outings, and social programming. I even drove the bus for outings," she said. "It was a lot of fun and gave me a lot of experience."
Over the years, Jill has accumulated impressive experiences and credentials including her Senior Fitness Instructor certification, Senior Adult Ministry Specialist certification, Activity Director AL/IL certification, and graduation from LeadingAge Leadership Academy. She's also been a speaker at the International Council on Active Aging Conferences and the LeadingAge Conference.
Jill said she loves working with seniors. "They have a wealth of knowledge. They're living history books. I love listening to their stories. Everyone has a story. A special talent."
As the new lifestyles director for Friendship Village, Jill hopes to continue and expand the award-winning programming already underway. "I'm looking forward to getting to know the residents," she said. "This is a fabulous place to work. The associates are so helpful, kind, and friendly and have amazing empathy for the residents."
Jill said that she's "followed" Friendship Village's lifestyles programming for years and has found it to always be "cutting edge. The residents here go sky-diving, scuba diving, rock climbing…they've been doing things that in the past, were unheard of for seniors to do. I'm happy to be here, where we are dedicated to providing opportunities for seniors to continue to live a vibrant lifestyle."
Friendship Village
Friendship Village is a leading Life Plan retirement community offering independent living garden homes and apartment homes, as well as assisted living, memory support, skilled nursing care, and short- and long-term rehabilitation services. For more than 40 years, Friendship Village has been providing Chicago area seniors with exceptional retirement living options. For additional information visit www.FriendshipVillage.org