AS PEOPLE AGE, taking part in meaningful activities and hobbies is essential to maintaining a high quality of life and the best possible physical, cognitive, emotional, and spiritual health. At The Gardens of St. Francis, a member of CHI Living Communities located at 930 S. Wynn Road in Oregon, Ohio, the caring, dedicated staff members recognize this fact and place a high priority on keeping residents engaged in a variety of enriching pursuits and passions.
“Taking part in activities is so very important to forming a sense of community, belonging, and wellbeing,” explains Rosanne Kalinowski, Director of Activities at The Gardens of St. Francis. “For some residents, it’s about getting back to doing things reminiscent of what they enjoyed earlier in life, while for others, it’s an opportunity to pursue interests they never had time for in the past due to work, family, and other obligations.” Kalinowski says that activity programs offer numerous opportunities to nurture residents in mind, body, and spirit, which is a strong focus at The Gardens of St. Francis. Trivia and other games, Lunch & Learn programs about various fascinating topics (e.g. the Buffalo Soldiers), and Armchair Travel programs that explore different destinations and cultures around the world all serve to stimulate and strengthen residents’ cognitive function. Activities that involve physical movement—not just exercise programs, but anything that encourages residents to get up and moving—help strengthen the body and improve physical health. Furthermore, any activities that encourage residents to interact with others can help them build social skills.
“Taking part in activities just gives residents a sense of enjoyment and purpose, as well as the anticipation of doing something fun and fulfilling. It also gives residents’ families peace of mind to know that their senior loved ones are getting involved and forming their own community in a new environment,” Kalinowski says.
Yet another important benefit activities offer to seniors is reducing anxiety and loneliness. Kalinowski points out that a lot of residents have experienced the loss of a loved one— whether a spouse or close friend—or are grieving the loss of the home they left behind, their ability to drive, or their overall sense of independence. “Staying active helps them focus on the positive and enhances their feeling of purpose,” she states.
Of course, not all activities beneficial to seniors have to take place in group settings, which might be welcome news to individuals who are more shy and introverted by nature. “It’s important for every resident to make connections and build relationships, but it’s not always about participating in group activities,” says Kalinowski. “It’s our job to get to know our residents, find out what interests them, and meet them where they are—even if it’s in their own room. For example, we provide room-to-room pet visits with a dog named Daisy for residents who are comfortable around dogs, and we deliver a little newspaper containing a word search to each resident as a ‘boredom buster.’ We can also try to partner them with another resident who can help put them at ease and encourage them to get involved in other activities. In addition, we invite families to come to The Gardens of St. Francis to enjoy activities with their loved one.”
Amongthemorepopularwarm-season activities offered at The Gardens of St. Francis is fishing in their beautiful onsite pond—a pastime made possible thanks to volunteers such as Ann and Tom Gomoll, who come to help the resident anglers once a week, as well as the Bite Me Bait Shop on Navarre Avenue, which has been donating bait for the fishing excursion each week. Kalinowski notes that some residents enjoy actively fishing while others enjoy simply watching them fish. The record catch as of this writing is 15 fish!
Given the importance of meaningful activities to seniors’ wellbeing and quality of life, Kalinowski advises anyone looking for a senior living community to seek out one that offers a well-rounded activities program—not just social activities, but also pursuits that provide a creative outlet, healthy physical activity, and help with cognition. “Here at The Gardens of St. Francis, we really do love our residents and want to do whatever we can to strengthen them in mind, body, and spirit. That’s why we do what we do!” she says. ✲
