Engagement and socialization are the core of senior living

By Wayne Schwartz

This year, thousands of baby boomers are crossing the retirement age threshold each day, marking the start of their “senior” journey. As older adults enter retirement, many will make the choice to move into independent living. In other cases, health needs will require them to move into other levels of senior living, like assisted living or memory support.

Making sure that senior living communities offer engaging and enjoyable activities is crucial to enhancing the lives of the thousands of older adults entering senior living in Southwest Florida. I’ve been at Gulf Coast Village for over two decades, and as the life enrichment director, I know firsthand how significant of an impact activities have on the well-being of older adults.

Doing Our Part
The transition to senior living can be a challenging adjustment. For most of our adult lives, we identify with our jobs and roles at home. When we retire, all that changes, and leisure interest becomes our reason to get out of bed each day. For older adults transitioning into senior living, activities that give them purpose and stimulate their minds can be a transformative part of senior living.

Creating a beneficial activity calendar starts with catering to the residents. Behind the scenes, activities are adapted to fit the needs and capabilities of the residents. When coming up with new activities, we think of physical, emotional, cognitive, spiritual and mental impacts. It’s our job to make sure that our residents have things to look forward to and a reason to get up. Maybe it’s something new that they’ve never done, and now they have the time to try it, or it’s the card game that they’ve loved since they were a child.

Regardless, what each person needs in their life is a sense of purpose and social interaction, which is the goal of community activities. This helps avoid depression, which is common among older adults. We have a few activities in independent living that are similar to some activities in assisted living so when a resident transitions to assisted living, they have activities that they’re used to. Our lifestyle team does everything possible to help make the transition easier.

Gulf Coast Village’s associates respect that some older adults don’t thrive being around people, and if this is the case, we don’t push residents to attend activities. Our top priority is making sure they’re happy, even if that means having some alone time in their room.

Fan Favorites
While each level of care has their own list of favorite activities, like instructor-led fitness classes in independent living, root beer socials and concerts in assisted living, and bingo in our care center, we try to adapt our existing activities so they’re more dynamic. One example is bingo; our residents take bingo very seriously, and we are always seeking ways to enhance the game and keep it engaging. Through technology, we put bingo on a projector screen with an automated caller. Not only is this high-quality, but it is easier for the residents to understand the letters and numbers being called. So far, it’s a hit! Technology is the way to go when enhancing and developing senior activities.

We also welcome feedback and ideas from our residents, which is how our wine tasting events were developed. Hosted by Gulf Coast Village’s very own Sommelier Xavier Duclos, residents can gather to learn about and taste delicious wines, as well as purchase a bottle of their own. Seeking feedback from residents is a great way for us to constantly improve our offerings, which keeps our residents happy and our attendance high.

Gulf Coast Village has also collaborated with the North Fort Myers Art Association (NFMAA) to host a rotating art exhibit in our community. Our inaugural event, “New Beginnings,” will officially kick off at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5 in our independent living lobby. It will include a ribbon-cutting by the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral, welcome speeches by Volunteers of America National Services and the NFMAA, and champagne, hors d’oeuvres and a live pianist. Residents and the public are welcome and encouraged to attend. “New Beginnings” is an exciting opportunity for our residents to learn about art on a deeper level and broaden their horizons. Some of the artwork on display is created by our very own resident artists, too, and notable pieces will be up for sale. To register for “New Beginnings,” please visit GulfCoastVillage.org/Events.

You can go anywhere and find great activities, but what really matters is the people executing them. If seniors cannot relate to and form a bond with the person hosting the activity, they’re less likely to participate. Our family feel is what sets Gulf Coast Village apart – through activities, everyone comes together to enjoy a shared experience.

About the Author
Wayne Schwartz is the life enrichment director at Gulf Coast Village.