What would you find surprising about a resident of a senior community? That one woman not only takes a CardioFit class and helps out with a local farm’s hardy tasks, but is also a member of a flash mob dance team? What about a grandfather who ziplines at ninety?
These are the unexpected stories you hear if you visit one of our local senior communities. “People think it’s going to be bingo all day,” says Nan Rush of Mennonite Home Communities (www.mennonitehome.org), “but our residents lead a pretty active lifestyle.” Bocce ball is the hot thing on this campus, but residents initiate and lead many activities, from trips to Alaska to snow tubing to hikes around various parks. “Being outside changes their mindset; it works miracles. It’s my greatest joy to see them connected and involved and enjoying life,” adds Rush.
More than Just Vitamin D
Being outdoors is, of course, good for you. It improves your concentration, lifts your mood, helps you heal, keeps you active—and signals your body to produce healthful vitamin D. Exercising brings a host of other benefits, like helping you live longer and healthier, and improving sleep and balance. Combining them is about as close to a magic bullet as you can get.
Willow Valley Community’s Kim Daly Nobbs comments, “Everyone benefits from being outside. There is healing, and nature is balancing for people. Part of a full life is being connected to nature.” At the community where she works (www.willowvalleycommunities.org), cycling, tennis, hiking, and more take place, but the newest hit is their outdoor pool. Skeptics questioned the wisdom of a pool that couldn’t be used year-round, but Nobbs enjoys seeing residents play with noodles in the pool with their grandchildren. “‘hearing, 'Grandma, when can I come back?’” was definitely a validation that this was the right thing to do.”
“Being outside and active keeps people young,” observes Beth Merkel of Bethany Village (www.bethanyvillage.org). “It piques our curiosity and enlarges our world. I just think that’s how we’re made. We want to give residents opportunities outside the norm, make sure they can do things maybe they’ve always wanted to do—or things they’ve never done before.”
Trying Something New
One senior had never gone snow tubing, but she was the first to sign up. Another snow tuber, at age ninety-five, says she’s “ready to do anything.” Merkel explains, “Some of our residents just never had the time or the opportunity or the courage to try this, and now they have the support of their friends and neighbors. They gain confidence from trying something different.” Merkel is quick to point out that they focus on safety, but that doesn’t mean these seniors don’t have adventures, whether they’re tubing on snow or in a river. Residents also compete in a variety of events, like badminton and the softball toss, in the Village’s Olympic-style games.
Messiah Lifeways (www.messiahlifeways.org) holds its own version of the Olympics, with athletic competition, an array of global flags, and medal winners. But the Frisbee® golf course is where you’ll find people most often.
“It’s a pretty challenging course,” admits Messiah Lifeways staffer Karin Bisbee, “and integrating a large pond made it even more challenging.” Bisbee sees residents playing with their families when she drives by on weekends. Water volleyball can get fairly competitive, and residents keep busy with a croquet tournament and lots of educational trips. “Just because you’re getting older, it doesn’t mean you enjoy the world any less,” says Bisbee. “There are interesting things to see and people to meet no matter what your age. There’s always some new adventure to enjoy, even if you enjoy it in a different way.”
Nature Lovers Unite
For example, raised planter beds make gardening accessible to many who grew up farming. One of the plots, a “pizza garden,” supplies the fixings for a fireside grill favorite. Other residents, says Bisbee, “get to ride in the cool golf cart” as they water hanging flower baskets. On the wilder side, a bear decided to take a dip in their pond one night last summer. Fortunately, it was spotted by residents from inside; most of their wildlife observation is much tamer.
At Mennonite Home Communities, the only nature-related trouble they experienced last year were resident gardeners tiring of the endless zucchini their efforts produced. But they did create a heck of a salad bar.
Normandie Ridge (www.normandieridge.org) offers gardening and Olympic-style games as well. However, the fastest growing group is the remote control airplane club, which gets enthusiasts out and about. Dave Bell says, “Just because we age does not mean we cannot still enjoy our senses. That’s why we encourage residents to enjoy the outdoors. We want them to never forget that feeling, no matter what age they are.”
Bell’s next endeavor is to try to install golf driving nets for those who can no longer play a whole game out on the golf course. “The biggest thing we do here is to encourage people to try doing something they haven’t done in a long time. It brings back memories, and they enjoy watching each other try them. We have people who grew up playing and watching baseball, so we try to bring back those memories by taking them to York’s Revolution baseball stadium.”
Pursuing Wellness
Normandie, like many of the other senior communities, is making walking a more compelling activity as well, identifying trees, providing species-specific birdhouses, and giving incentives. “Making our walking areas more inviting gives Normandie Ridge residents an extra incentive to go outside,” states Bell.
Messiah Lifeways’ approach is to conduct contests and set mileage goals (as if, say, residents were walking to Pittsburgh or Scranton). Completing a target means residents receive gift certificates they can use toward wellness classes or in the on-site café.
Several of these communities integrate as many wellness dimensions as possible (see sidebar on p. 38), such as incorporating a walking meditation into an outdoor picnic or offering tai chi as part of a nature event.
For instance, SpiriTrust Lutheran (www.lutheranscp.org, formerly Lutheran Social Services) offers Soulful Strides, a walk-and-talk activity ending in a twenty-minute meditation. But senior activities aren’t always conducted at such a moderate pace.
It might startle you, one day, to see these seniors climbing the rock wall next to you, or suddenly exploding into the “Fox” dance or “Gangnam Style” as part of a flash mob. Likewise, imagine a ninety-one-year-old woman shooting hoops or a ninety-year-old man zip lining. It can get the relatives Facebooking like crazy. Grandpa did what?!
Active Lives are Happier Lives
At Willow Valley, those involved in a model sail boating club travel to pit their eighteen-inch sloops against the small ships of other senior communities. Another group gets their exercise by braving the crowds at Lancaster’s First Fridays. One resident, Elaine Eichner, who plays tennis five days a week, notes, “When I’m involved in outside activities, it gives me a positive sense of being healthy and also of having an enthusiastic lifestyle. When I’m surrounded by fresh air and sunshine, it’s a wonderful experience, both emotionally and physically.”
“There are so many great things you can do outside,” agrees Kathy Stevens of SpiriTrust Lutheran, mentioning the steady stream of players on their mini golf course. Before establishing the residents' potential for various activities, SpiriTrust staff conduct a health assessment to evaluate their abilities. “So even if people haven’t exercised regularly in twenty years,” says Stevens, “if we can empower them to become more active, they can do things that maybe they did in the past.”
Merkel says, “The children of our residents may be surprised at what they are involved in, because they never knew their parents when they were five and sledding down a big hill. But doing these things can rejuvenate them because of the feeling of being teleported back to being a kid. Their energy level, their balance, their confidence: all of these things can be improved by keeping moving.”
Whether they’re hiking or dancing, more seniors are remaining active longer. “We’re committed to engaging residents,” concludes SpiriTrust Lutheran’s Stevens. “We get people back to doing what they love to do.”
