A storyteller by vocation, Joy Wilcox enjoys sharing her craft with other residents at Villa St. Benedict, a life plan retirement community in west suburban Lisle. She puts together storytelling programs and regularly draws about 50 residents to her presentations. One of her most popular stories was that of Cinderella and its origins in ancient Greek folklore. She has recently been working on a story for next month about two adventurers, a 12-year-old boy who got lost in Russia after escaping a whaling ship, and a woman who explored West Africa.
“I like storytelling because it exercises the mind,” says Wilcox, who chairs the activities committee at Villa St. Benedict. “Stories allow the listener’s imagination to work.”
Dose of fun
Residents are often more than participants in the activity programs at retirement communities. They help design and organize the programs, an important part of daily life that provides a dose of purpose and fun.
Residents with shared interests create clubs of their own too. There’s everything from chess clubs to dining-out clubs, along with team clubs for activities such as Wii bowling, the popular video game. Lexington Square of Lombard holds a monthly “book tasting.” Residents bring their favorite books to discuss at a wine and cheese party.
Most communities have an activity director or, as the position is more typically called nowadays, a life enrichment coordinator. These staffers usually work closely with residents to create activity programs based on their preferences.
At Villa St. Benedict, Wilcox has 10 residents on her activity committee. The committee takes suggestions for programs from residents and then works with the life enrichment staff to create the activities.
Many of the activities at Three Crowns Park, a life plan community in Evanston, are resident driven. An art committee made up of residents coordinates a monthly art exhibit. Outside artists display their work, and the exhibit opens with a reception.
Residents at Three Crowns have also created a partnership with two local schools, Lincolnwood Elementary School and Haven Middle School. Twice a year, student artwork is showcased at Three Crowns. The students and their families are invited to the community for a reception.
Currently, residents are working on a program to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the opening of a new building on the Three Crowns campus. A resident, who is a former choral director, is writing the music for a poem authored by a resident to be performed at the celebration. The event will include a dinner and entertainment.
Other resident-led activities have included lectures, such as one given by a resident who is a pioneer in headache research. Residents also formed a writer’s group that meets once a month. They share their work and offer each other advice.
“We’re lucky,” says Gerald Farinas, director of life enrichment and spiritual life at Three Crowns Park. “Our residents have fascinating backgrounds.”
Activities and good health
Research shows that activities are an important component of senior living communities. Activities keep residents engaged and help combat depression, loneliness and isolation. Lexington Square of Lombard recently held a ’50s party. “It was wonderful to see people dancing,” says Paulette Carstens, director of life enrichment at Lexington Square in Lombard. “It brings people back to life.”
Certain activities are still standard. Bingo is always popular, along with movie nights, fitness programs and art classes.
Every Monday at 3 p.m., Lexington Square of Elmhurst holds a team trivia contest. Groups of residents compete to answer the most questions. “Team activities give residents a way to get together,” says Tammy Hemingway, associate executive director and life enrichment director at Lexington Square of Elmhurst. “It’s a good way to make new friends.”
Activities are usually also tailored to the needs of the residents. Independent residents, for example, can enjoy outings, while those with memory problems may benefit more from a music therapy session.
Retirement communities are responding to the need to provide more activity programming.
Last year, Beacon Hill in Lombard opened a new $23 million amenity space on the campus of the life plan community. The facility includes new dining venues, multipurpose rooms, a fitness center and a large theater, along with card rooms and rooms that can easily accommodate activities that use technology such as Wii bowling.
“Programming is a key component at our communities,” says Blaire Goldstein, former executive director at Beacon Hill, who now runs its sister community Oak Trace in Downers Grove. Both communities are operated by Lifespace. “The goal of our company is to give the residents what they want and engage them in that process.”
She adds that their activities department is called a lifestyle department. “It’s the lifestyle you choose to have and how you choose to participate,” she says.
At Oak Trace, Goldstein is spearheading a $150 million revamp of that community. Phase I will include a new health center with skilled nursing, memory support and assisted living units. The center will also feature a generous amount of common area space for activities. The new health center should be complete in mid-2019.
Phase II of the project will add 150 new apartment homes to the campus with new amenity space and dining areas. That project will be built after the new health center is complete.
Both Oak Trace and Beacon Hill offer Masterpiece Living, a program that promotes healthy aging. The program focuses on four aspects of aging: spiritual, intellectual, physical and social. Residents conduct self assessments of their aging journey and receive feedback on activities to enhance their overall health.
Laughter yoga is on the agenda at Villa St. Benedict. It’s an important stress reducer, according to Laurie Freeman, life enrichment coordinator at the community and a certified laughter yoga instructor. “Residents learn how to breathe, relax and laugh,” she says. “It’s natural.”
