Gerontology Center

The Palisades at Broadmoor Park

Do you want to optimize your wellness? The Palisades at Broadmoor Park has partnered with the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs to provide opportunities that will help senior housing residents stay engaged, active and healthy as they want to be. This is a unique collaboration between the university and Dunn & Associates, Inc.. Dunn and Associates, Inc. is the developer of The Palisades at Broadmoor Park, a 120-unit retirement community in southwest Colorado Springs. “This agreement, which brings together academic expertise and private development, is an example of the university’s commitment to engage with its community,’’ said Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak.

Sara Qualls, Kraemer Family Professor of Aging Studies and Director of the UCCS Gerontology Center,
is leading the effort to bring together university experts, ranging from psychologists and nurses who
specialize in the needs of older Americans, to engineers interested in creating new devices to aid the
elderly.

“This is a learning opportunity for university faculty and for students ranging from freshmen to doctoral
levels,” Qualls said. “We don’t know everything there is to know about aging or creating a supportive
environment. This partnership gives us the opportunity to discover and to learn how to improve the
quality of life for a fast-growing segment of the population.”

Senior housing is a rapidly changing industry driven by active older adults as well as boomers who seek high quality options for aging parents. The Gerontology Center partnership with The Palisades at Broadmoor Park offers new options for residents, students, faculty and the community

The partnership centers around fostering and supporting wellness in all its facets: cognitive, physical, emotional and spiritual. UCCS brings faculty expertise along with student creativity and resourcefulness to the partnership.

The Palisades Scholar program employs students interested in learning how to integrate wellness-enhancing activities into the daily lives of residents. Students who are eligible for work-study may apply be contacting Marsha Scully, Director of the Aspen Wellness Center ( and UCCS Alumnae) at 226-2273

The collaborative approach appears to be both helpful and personally meaningful. Residents appreciate the focus on their individual wellness that allows them to learn how to meet their personal goals.

Dr. Kluge's physical wellness team emphasizes fall prevention because of its great importance to residents. They report pilot data on nine of the initial residents who improved substantially on lower body strength within six months.

For a tour of the Palisades, contact Erica Gioga at 226-2273. For more information on the Aspen Wellness Center, contact Marsha Scully at 226-2273