It’s Not Over for the Boomers Yet! Active Adult Retirement Communities

When I used to hear the words “senior center” my brain would conjure up images of hushed spaces with seniors slowly making their way through the corridors to the recreation room (which usually consisted of a television and perhaps a chess board). Meals were mush and life seemed rather dull.

It was this ideation of a place I'd never been that worried me when my 83 year old grandmother was finally told she had to go to a “home”. I felt guilty and sad for her, particularly as she had always said she never wanted to move out of the house she had been living in for well over 50 years.

Its Better than You Think

I suppose that's why I was shocked to hear her carrying on about her current senior’s residency in such a positive manner.

“Oh yes, we had a wonderful pianist come in during our Italian dinner night, and earlier in the day we had this woman come in with a bowl of fruits and she MADE me try to draw it. It came out pretty well! Oh, and did I tell you how well I bowled the other night...?”

Bowling? Drawing? Italian dinners? She even tells me about her spa days and how she tried out blue nail polish for the first time. Blue nail polish on an 83 year old woman! I swear she's having more fun these days than she did when she was 20.

The great thing about these activities is not only that they keep seniors physically and mentally engaged, but they are tailored in such a way that anyone – and I do mean anyone – can join in. Suzy with a cane can participate in these activities just as able-walking Bob can. These scheduled events are well monitored and led by expertly trained staff members who I could tell when visiting truly loved their job.

Staying Active

Now grandmothers like my own are able to take part in things that they would have never otherwise had the opportunity to enjoy, like drawing, painting and even hip hop dance classes. Keeping older adults active and engaged in many different ways not only keeps them from becoming incredibly bored and passive in life, but such activities have proven to lengthen their lives significantly (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1116367/). Who wouldn't want that for any loved friend or family member?

photo by Antonio Jiménez Alonso