Home / Archive / Bust a Move
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Feature: May 2008
Bust a Move
Wellness centers get better with age
Story by Russell Nichols
Philmore Graham hasn’t bowled in years.
He used to bowl often with kids from the Vallejo area, but that was back when he ran Vallejo’s Omega Boys and Girls Club, and his muscles moved with ease. He used to do a lot of things back then, including work as a mechanical engineer at Muir Island. But Graham is in his 60s and retired now. He came to the Aegis Living senior community four months ago to rest.
On this particular Saturday at 4 p.m., he sits back and watches as others bowl in front of him. But they didn’t need bowling shoes or have to find the perfect bowling ball. They’re in the activity room facing a big-screen television and playing a Nintendo Wii, a home video game console that uses a hand-held, wireless controller and simulates real motion.
“You’ve got to get the timing just right,” says Laura Gomes, the activities director, gripping the controller and swinging her arm back just as she would in a real bowling alley.
“Whoo-hoo!” she howls as the bowling ball plows down nine of the 10 pins on the screen. Gomes turns to Graham and asks if he wants to try. He declines.
At Aegis Living and many other regional senior communities, activities such as video game bowling have been integral to the daily routines of senior residents and retiring baby boomers. With the aid of technology, wellness centers connected to senior communities offer programs that help residents nurture their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual and vocational health. But it is more than 24-hour senior care. Many communities have created resort-style amenities that give seniors a chance to live out their glory days well into their golden years.
Today residents can do yoga, take exercise classes, get a massage or a manicure, watch a movie, dance, play bingo or go for a swim — all from the privacy and comfort of their own communities.
Among other benefits, these types of physical exercise can increase bone density, which decreases the likelihood of fractures from falls. Falls are the leading cause of deaths from injuries among those 65 and older, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Exercises like tai chi, which the Centers for Disease Control says increases strength and improves balance, are often offered at these community centers.
“In California and nationwide, there is a clear emphasis on wellness,” says Anne Burns Johnson, president and CEO of Aging Services of California, an advocate for quality nonprofit senior living and care in the state. “We’ve seen many wellness centers redesigned. Keeping physically active prevents diseases and enhances mental well-being.”
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates by 2010, 100 million U.S. residents will be 50 and older, totaling about one-third of the country’s population. Many of them will transition to the twilight years by moving from single-family homes to apartments in senior communities. There was a time when independent senior communities consisted of studio apartments with three-quarter kitchens and small living spaces that emphasized group housing. But that’s been changing over the years as more and more seniors seek independent living in their own communities with one-bedroom apartments and full kitchens.
As local senior communities have evolved into developments that contain assisted living units and private apartments, the hub of it all has become the wellness centers. Recently, there has also been an increase of new programs for low-income elderly, Burns Johnson says, which may use low-cost methods such as “soup cans to do weights so you don’t have to be dependent on a fully equipped gym.” Eskaton Jefferson Manor in south Sacramento is one of 12 affordable living communities operated by Eskaton, a Carmichael-based nonprofit that provides health, housing and social services for seniors. Funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Jefferson Manor has about 120 residents, and it was the launching site for a mental aerobics computer program one year ago, says Lynette Tidwell, vice president of community relations.
In some cases, communities have not only expanded their programs but also changed their names to reach a wider audience. Five years ago, the Mission Oaks Community Center in Carmichael — a 25-year-old center run by Sacramento County — dropped “senior citizen” from its name, which has made a difference.
“We were having trouble getting baby boomers who were retired to come in and participate because of the stereotype associated with senior citizens,” says Terri McAdam, supervisor of recreation services. “I had people coming in my office all the time saying ‘I just retired, and I’m trying to figure out what to do, but you’re a senior center and that’s not for me.’ It has a stigma to it. But now we’ve got the baby boomers coming in to join them.”
But whether it’s an old wellness center getting a makeover or a new one forthcoming, the main focus is physical and mental fitness. The Eskaton Villages in Roseville and Placerville plan to break ground on Village Centers in June, which would become social and recreational hubs for neighboring homeowners. The gated communities would sit on 53 and 45 acres, respectively, for the 55 and older crowd. Both are a blend of assisted living apartments and private homes, totaling 290 and 112 homes, respectively, at buildout. Each center would include a senior fitness center, locker rooms, a cafeteria for light breakfast and lunch, game rooms, card and meeting rooms, and an indoor heated pool and spa.
“The concept of having not only the care facility but also private homes came about because Eskaton realized that most seniors would still rather have their own homes,” says Michael Anitra, community sales manager. “We offer private homeownership, but now all those services are right in their own community. We’ve combined the best of both worlds. It’s right up-to-date with a growing senior community and the need for the services.”
At the River’s Edge Retirement Community, two buildings sit on seven acres, gated up against the river and lined by old trees, where 100 senior residents live in studios or one- or two-bedroom apartments. As part of the community’s life-enrichment program, seniors sign up for various courses. Residents can take sessions on almost anything from aromatherapy to nutrition, and their progress is tracked with surveys.
“We just want to make sure that they’re engaged in something,” says Steve Sarine, executive director at River’s Edge in Sacramento. “When it comes to wellness centers, a lot of people are using the term — having specific isolated programs or discussions, focusing on how to keep the mind active. By keeping your mind active, you’re actually combating the reduction of brain cells. Basically, it’s use it or lose it.”
That’s the common goal at senior communities. As people get older, they tend to slow down, so the objective is to keep them active and moving. Laurel Creek Health Center, a continuing care retirement community in Fairfield, offers tai chi, daily exercise classes and a fitness room with balance balls, stationary bicycles and parallel bars. It also has an indoor swimming pool, hot tub and ballroom dancing.
“What we’d like to do is get people out and moving as much as possible,” says Yvonne Wood, health services director. “As long as you’re standing, you’re putting weight on your bones. Bones need that to remain strong. They start deteriorating the minute you don’t stand on them. We also know that if you are walking, you’re using your brain to figure how to stay in balance to be able to walk.”
There are 80 residents at Laurel Creek, most of them retired military officers, at an average age of 87. Residents can hire a specialist to do pressure point reflexology or a masseuse to help with blood circulation and muscle tension.
Technology has also become a key factor in strengthening the mind, memory and motor skills of residents. Like many other communities, Laurel Creek’s new building has wireless Internet “because we know that seniors are coming to us with their laptops,” Wood says.
Some residents still need to learn computer basics, but others use email regularly to keep in touch with friends and family. They also play various brain games privately on their computers with headphones. One of the games is a listening game where players have a series of noises to remember. Another one is a matching picture game, which also helps nurture the memory.
“We’re really getting into those kinds of things and looking forward to them,” Wood says. “The machines that we have are also wired into some tracking of individual improvement. The whole push at this point in care is to stay in your own home as long as possible. And to do that, electronics are really helping.”
At River’s Edge, technology has been pivotal in helping the vision-impaired. The community has partnered with the Society for the Blind, offering tools and devices such as magnifying screens, a news service they can dial and software that speaks directions.
“Before you know it, these residents — who used to wait for the doctor to change medications and change pills — can do certain things to improve their own health,” Sarine says. However, he adds, “By putting out all these great things, you still can’t make someone have a quality of life. They have to meet you halfway.”
That is also why the Nintendo Wii has become a must-have item at many senior communities. And not only does it help residents with balance, coordination and motor skills, but it also serves as a link between aging residents and the tech-savvy generations to follow. Grandparents can play with their grandkids again.
When Gomes, activities director at Aegis Living, first unveiled the bowling video game a few months ago, six women — including some who rarely participate in activities — came to the activity room to play. Betty Basler, who has one leg and uses a wheelchair, was one of them.
“I’m not much on this electronic business, but I thought it was a great idea,” says Basler, who grew up in the area and moved to Aegis Living six months ago. “I would love to keep doing it and trying. It’s fun, and anyone can do it.”
After Gomes saw its success among senior residents, she quickly put “Bowling with Nintendo Wii” on the Saturday activities lineup between bingo, trivia and tai chi. She plans to start hosting bowling tournaments, too.
“This is so neat,” Gomes says. “A lot of people are not able to get out and golf and bowl anymore. It’s going to help them with motor skills, help them with thinking. The main thing is to get them to have fun again.”
On that same Saturday, after sitting out the first few turns, Graham cannot sit back and watch any longer. He decides to give the bowling game a try. He stands up, and Gomes hands him the controller and explains how the game works. Facing the big screen, Graham lifts his arm in front of him, swings it back and then flings it forward. Just like old times. And 10 frames later, when it’s time for dinner, Graham is beaming.
“It was excellent,” he says of his video game experience. “I threw a strike!”
