Senior programs, communities offer activities that can lengthen your life  

Fortunately, there are many options for older adults today. They do not have to be isolated, thanks to local senior centers, senior living communities and resort living communities, which all offer opportunities for social interaction and both mental and physical challenges to keep them young and vital.

Many empty-nesters whose children are grown and gone, busy with their own families and careers, have been finding their way to Heritage Harbor, a resort living community in Ottawa. Resorts are designed for leisure — on weekends or once in awhile if you are still working or full-time if you are retired. So communities like Heritage Harbor are ideal for Baby Boomers who suddenly have lots of time on their hands and want to live an exciting, carefree life now that they are able to stop working to support themselves.

Heritage Harbor has been designed to consist of pocket neighborhoods where residents interact regularly, while taking walks on the carriage walk that meanders in front of the homes or while getting their mail at the communal mailboxes, according to Tammy Barry, director of marketing and resort sales.

In addition, other gathering spaces have been created throughout the community including the swimming pool, restaurant, the marina Harbor Walk and several firewood-stocked bonfire pits.

“The neighbors often have fires together on Friday and Saturday nights. Someone will go to the closest one and get it started and then everyone starts to gather for an evening around the fire,” Barry said.

Organized events are also planned periodically, ranging from progressive dinners, to wine tasting/painting-on-barn-wood events, Sunday bingo, book clubs and trips to nearby Ottawa for beer tastings, festivals, concerts in the town square, shopping and restaurant visits.

Active events like kayaking, bike trips, nine-hole golf tournaments, mushroom hunts, boating on the Illinois River, fishing and exploring the surrounding communities are also plentiful, affording residents the opportunity to socialize and remain active and engaged, Barry said.

Those who choose to remain in their longtime homes and communities may avoid loneliness and social isolation by becoming active in their local senior center.

“According to a study by the National Institute of Senior Centers, older adults can manage and delay the onset of chronic disease and experience measurable improvements in their physical, social, spiritual, emotional, mental and economic well-being by becoming active in a senior center,” explained Karen Hansen, manager of the Arlington Heights Senior Center.

The needs of a million older adults are met each day by 11,400 senior centers across the country. In fact, between 500 and 600 people go through the doors each day at the Arlington Heights Senior Center where eight different agencies provide them with services, Hansen said. The center is open six days a week.

“We have seen so many people blossom after they start coming here, making friends, taking day trips, participating in lifelong learning and special events and becoming more physically fit,” she stated. “People, overall, are social beings. They like to spend time with others and they are just happier when they take advantage of the opportunities made available to them.”

The Senior Center and the Arlington Heights Memorial Library will even team up soon on a program called “The Age of Love.” A movie on love will be shown and then several weeks later participants will take part in speed dating.

“It is a novel program that gives older adults the opportunity to recognize that companionship and love are important at any age,” Hansen said.

As retirement progresses, aging adults sometimes choose to move to a senior living community with a continuum of care in order to enjoy activities with others on a campus that is reminiscent of their college years.

“Social interaction has so many benefits when it comes to memory and cognitive skills. Just being able to easily meet neighbors for coffee each morning or dinner in the evening is beneficial. When people’s mobility becomes impaired and it becomes harder to get out to the local coffee shop, it is nice to be living in a community where seniors and staff are living and working together,” said Lisa Vandermark, executive director of The Moorings in Arlington Heights.

The Moorings has over 400 seniors living on their 45-acre campus.

“We have a very active welcome committee that gets newcomers integrated into the community by inviting them to dinner and various events. We also have a social hour once a month during which new residents are introduced and toasted and a separate orientation session with staff so they can understand what everyone does,” Vandermark said.

They also try to assess what each individual might be interested in and encourage them to get involved in fitness classes or the choir or Spanish classes, art classes or the community garden. There are also lectures, outings, shopping trips and much more offered where residents stay mentally engaged and socially active.

Friendship Village in Schaumburg encourages its residents to actively engage in their own lives and in the world around them, keeping them healthy and mentally alert.

“Many talk about the virtues of allowing seniors to stay in their own homes. But for those whose family has moved away and whose friends have died, staying in that house can make be an isolating trap,” said Mike McCann, director of lifestyles. “They are simply existing in that house. They aren’t truly living. At Friendship Village residents are encouraged to embrace life again.”

McCann said that they continually teach residents new skills in order to keep their brains young. For instance, they have a technology program that teaches residents how to use the latest technology so they can remain informed about pop culture.

“All doors are open to residents here. We create a culture of opportunity and adventure. Residents camp, sky-dive, practice archery, go-cart, ride horses and even do crossfit exercises. We also hold an annual Senior Olympics that residents love,” he added.

Friendship Village is Illinois’ largest senior community with approximately 1,000 residents.

Beth Grigg, director of residential health services at Wyndemere in Wheaton, said she really enjoys watching new residents grow and their health improve after they move to Wyndemere, thanks to the social, physical and cognitive stimulation they receive at the community.

“Socialization is so important. Social interaction causes you to make less cortisol in your blood and that decreases the likelihood that heart disease will develop. And when you live in a community like this, there is so much peer support. You don’t have to be hesitant to engage socially at exercise or music class or on an outing or at a lecture. Mealtime is even like a built-in lunch date,” Grigg said.

For those who might have a difficult time becoming accustomed to their new surroundings, Wyndemere even has a peer support program called the Butterfly Club. Members become the friendly face and support for their new neighbors, especially those that are more introverted or lonely. As for the Butterfly Club members, they are improving their own mental, emotional and cognitive health by assisting others.

“We structure everything here around the eight dimensions of wellness: physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, occupational/vocational, environmental, social engagement and health services. We look at everything from a full body wellness perspective and reducing stress by preventing loneliness and social isolation is part of that,” Grigg said.

Greenfields of Geneva is another continuum of care senior community that offers companionship, as well as healthy living, to its approximately 300 residents.

“Research shows that folks who enter into a senior community like ours generally expand their life span by three to five years,” said Jim Holbrook, executive director. “The staff keeps watch on their physical situation and gets help going quickly, if necessary. In addition, residents keep pretty active through fitness center classes, the walking club, golf games, card-playing clubs, lectures by outside speakers, lifelong learning courses and much more.”

Greenfields offers periodic cooking demonstrations, nutrition programs, unique local tours and trips to local theatrical and musical productions. In addition, they occasionally offer opportunities like the salmon fishing trip on Lake Michigan that is planned for this summer and the snow tubing adventure at Villa Olivia that was held in February.

“I love to see the vibrancy of our residents when they come back from one of these trips. You can hear them laughing and having fun and thoroughly enjoying life. That is why we take pleasure in creating new opportunities for them to engage life,” Holbrook said.

“They aren’t just sitting in their apartments at Greenfields. There is never an empty schedule in a community like this.”