“Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.” –Walt Disney. There’s so much more to life than just living. Living well is what we all truly want to do. Can you imagine how boring scrapbooks would be if they were filled with the bare necessities of life? At Baptist Life Communities, it goes without saying that all of your daily needs will consistently be met. However, what about your wants and desires? We want to have fun! We want to go to the zoo! We want to go shopping! We want to try new things…make new memories…and write new adventures! At BLC, our professional Event Planners strive to make every day different, social, and fun. Here’s how we do it.
Staying Active:
For some residents, 5 AM jogs are out of the question. Staying active doesn’t have to mean such strenuous activities as jogging. Each year, Baptist Life Community residents have a thriving activity calendar filled with events. One example is the Red’s Opening Day Parade. In preparation for this “big day” residents assist in creating and decorating a special BLC float, then these same residents are able to ride on the float in the Red’s Opening Day Parade. Other activities include things like attending popular plays, dancing at our yearly Prom, or strutting through the Festival of Lights in December.
Activity Director Angie Mitchell touches on the annual parade:
“I love being an Activity Director because I enjoy bringing smiles to the residents, whether it is participating in events such as the REDS Opening Day Parade or a simple touch on someone’s hand.”
Staying Social:
Fulfilling a resident’s social needs is associated with lower rates of disability, depression, and mortality. Residents are always invited to a variety of frequent outings, including trips to the local movie theater, scenic drives, plus much more. We find that our residents are also very competitive and we often see them planning ahead and gearing up for euchre night. Other residents choose to volunteer in giving back to the community by making beautiful blankets for the less fortunate. Offering a variety of fun, active events is what makes BLC so wonderful for the 55+ community. Our residents have many different types of events to choose from!.
Amanda Scott, Independent Living Program Director explains:
“I love being a Program Director at BLC, because I enjoy being able to offer a wide variety of activities for our residents to participate in and enjoy. I am very blessed to have a job where every day I get to come to work and interact with our wonderful residents, families and employees.”
Staying Happy
Our professional Event Planners do an AMAZING job keeping our residents active, social, and happy. And, sometimes, our residents come up with ideas of what they’d like to do on their own. The Bucket List Program not only encourages residents to share their ideas, but BLC makes these ideas become a reality. These can be personal Bucket List items that residents have longed for all their lives. Some of our more recent excursions included tubing on a lake, attending a professional basketball game, participating in a marathon, playing slot machines in a casino and visiting the local zoo.
Activity Director, Shonda Stokes coordinated the trip to the Cincinnati Zoo. Here’s how she reflected on the day:
“My favorite thing about being an Activity Director is during our monthly town hall meetings when residents share with me what activities they want to do for the upcoming month. I love listening to their ideas and then turning those ideas into a reality that we all enjoy. Recently, we traveled to the Cincinnati Zoo and spent the day watching all the animals together.”
Interested in joining the fun? Visit our website to view our various 55+ programs and services, as well as our career opportunities.