Page 9 - Healthcare News Nov/Dec 2021

‘We’re Like
a Cruise SVhip’
Activities Are a Critical Element
By MARK MORRIS
of Life in Senior
isit any senior-living community and it’s easy to notice all the activities residents take part in. But there’s more to all that activity than just fun and games.
Indeed, while providing entertainment, activities also contribute to the well-being of seniors in every setting, from independent living to
assisted living and memory care, and even in skilled-nursing facilities.
It all begins with crafting an activities calendar. Sondra Jones, chief marketing officer for
Communities
the Arbors Assisted Living communities in Amherst, Chicopee, Greenfield, and Westfield, said residents have a full schedule of activities from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. They can take part in anything from exercise sessions to religious services to food classes and lectures. On one sunny day in October, residents in Chicopee took part in an outdoor drumming circle. Calendar offerings change all the time based on the types of activities that interest residents the most.
Cheryl Moran supervises a balloon volleyball game at the Atrium at Cardinal Drive.
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