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| SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2024
Bringing generations
together as seniors enter their
third age
(ABOVE PHOTO COURTESY OF ISTOCK IMAGES)
By Staasi Heropoulos
anything else. Our residents Age.” What do you do after residents who ‘want to’ do is launching the community’s learn about one another and you retire from work? What something, learn ‘how to’ get “Age of Excellence Awards.” do you do after your kids have it done. “This is an opportunity to On any given day, residents the young people who come and spend time with them.” left the home? For many, this “Many of our residents are celebrate the accomplishat the Glenmeadow retirement living community in “For some of our residents, is a time of reinvention,” said well connected in the commu- ments of those in our region, Martin. nity. Our staff is well connect- who are over 60, and who are Longmeadow might be deco- who have advanced medical conditions or different levels Seniors planning the next ed. If there is a resident who redefining what it means to rating cookies with children, of infirmity, the tendency can phase of their lives may want wants to start a business, or get older,” she said. getting help with their smart be to stay in their apartments. to be entrepreneurs, comhike the Appalachian Trail, Glenmeadow has received phone from a high school munity volunteers or benewe can help connect them 33 nominations—three for whiz kid or recalling their past But residents, who have historically been more likely factors. While no one will be with people who can assist residents of the senior living by reflecting on life with a to do that, are now joining ac- leaping tall buildings, they them. We consider ourselves community itself—and is teenager. Intergenerational protivities because it’s interacting may want to scale mountains prompters, but we can also announcing honorees in gramming at Glenmeadow brings the community’s 160 residents together with local school children, high school honor students and occupational therapy students from local colleges—and whether its icing a treat, downloading an update to their mobile phone or learning how to stretch their muscles and - Dr. Kathy Martin, president and chief executive officer at Glenmeadow minds—generations are coming together to inspire each other. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for our residents to spend time with children and young adults, which brings to mind their grandchildren or great grandchildren, not all of whom are nearby and can visit,” said Dr. Kathy Martin, president and chief executive officer at Glenmeadow. “We have a high percentage of our population who are retired teachers, so it brings them back to their vocation. An added benefit is that it is a way to combat social isolation.” It might be difficult to imagine feeling isolated at an independent and assisted living (ABOVE PHOTOS COURTESY OF GLENMEADOW) community where residents with students, and they look and go hiking. be connectors,” said Martin. August. They will be celebratattend a robust schedule of daily activities, presentations forward to it. It gets them out “It’s a time where we move “The more we make resourc- ed at an event in September. and events, while also dining of their apartments.” away from that compulsion es available for our residents “We’re honoring people who of just doing, and we start to try new things, and engage are showing us age is just a together in the evening. But with all of that going on, some Entering their Third Age thinking about, how do we with different people, the number,” said Martin. still feel much of life is out of The average age of residents want to contribute? It’s a way better their experience here Age of Excellence cast a bounds. at Glenmeadow is in the mid for seniors to reframe their will be.” broad net and is identifying role in the world and take on people who are selfless, and “There can be an insular 80s. Some are in their 70’s self-fulfilling. The nomicomponent to living in a com- while others are centenarians. something new,” said Martin. Numbers don’t matter munity and it’s important for No matter the number, they It’s been said, ‘Age is just a “There’s a sense of ownership nees are people who have and self-determination in the number,’ and that mantra is immersed themselves in us to create opportunities for are all entering another, creour residents to interact with ative and meaningful phase of Third Age.” being shouted from the hillcommunity service, workage groups they don’t see on a their lives—the Third Age. Any new venture, or adven- tops by the community’s new ing to raise money for local daily basis,” said Martin. “InCEO. Martin joined Glen“We are creating an oppor- ture, begins with desire but non-profit organizations and helping others who are tergenerational programming tunity for seniors to start what quickly pivots to fueling the meadow a year ago, and one fire. Glenmeadow is helping of her key accomplishments “managing difficult life ciris about fun and joy more than is being called their ‘Third Special To The Republican
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for our residents to spend time with children and young adults, which brings to mind their grandchildren or great grandchildren, not all of whom are nearby and can visit.”
cumstances.” Other notables are moving into new careers or are highly accomplished professionally. “People are doing great things, and we want to highlight the accomplishments and inspiration of those who are over 60 and who are legends in their own right,” said Martin. “We want to create the opportunity to highlight a group that sometimes exists in the shadows, and we have so many great people in our area.”
Life in the roarin’ 60s While residents are mostly older than 70, the community is attracting a younger crowd as well by offering them a platform to clear their minds and schedules. They are people not ready to retire and who have strong, ongoing ambitions. Martin wants to help people focus on what drives them, and not to be driven by what hounds them. “We are interested in welcoming those on the younger end of the continuum to our community. The assumption is, you must have a certain level of sickness or infirmity to move into Glenmeadow— we do sensitively embrace and care for those people. But there are great advantages to being here as a young, healthy senior—the opportunity to shed life’s overhead so you don’t have to worry about who’s cooking dinner, home maintenance or shoveling the driveway when it snows,” said Martin. “It creates space to focus on what’s really important to them,” she continued. “It’s less about forcing yourself into a decision down the road, and more about being proactive—making decisions now that will make the next part of your journey much easier, because you are already part of a community that can support you.”