Independent living communities prioritize the satisfaction and well-being of their residents, offering a low-maintenance lifestyle, a supportive community, and plenty of opportunities to participate in enriching and social activities. With the right independent senior living community, residents have easy access to fulfilling social events, enabling them to learn new skills, find new hobbies, and pursue their interests. What kinds of events can be found in these communities? Keep reading to find out.
Events Offered in Independent Living Communities
Many independent living communities tailor the events and activities they offer to resident interests, so you’ll find a variety of options that support your existing interests or allow you to try something new.
Here’s a sample of some of the activities you’ll find to fill your calendar with:
Clubs
Joining a club is an excellent way to meet folks with similar interests and maybe even pick up a new hobby. You may find a men’s poker club for some camaraderie and light competition, an international food club where residents get to try new foods, or a book club where you can discuss the latest best sellers with other readers. At Bethesda, some of our communities also have periodic visits from a bookmobile where book clubs can pick up their next book.
Discussion Groups
Just because you’re not in school doesn’t mean you have to stop learning. There are several benefits of continued learning, such as boosted self-esteem, reduced stress, and improved memory. It also enriches one’s life and inspires professional growth.
Independent living communities may offer lectures, discussion groups, and guest speakers, such as historians, professors, musicians, and more. For example, at Bethesda Barclay House, residents have previously enjoyed presentations titled “Cooking in the Great Depression” and the “Art of Storytelling.”
Social Events
A fulfilling social life can help residents with feelings of isolation, loneliness, or boredom. Frequent socialization offers many benefits, so communities provide several social events for residents to mingle and meet new people.
Happy hours are common in many communities — as are movie nights, trips, and outings to places such as restaurants for lunch, shopping centers, the library, and museums. At The Oaks at Bethesda, residents have also enjoyed theater productions such as A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical.
Wellness Opportunities
There are many opportunities available for residents to focus on their wellness, with different types of exercise to meet various interests and activity levels. For example, residents can incorporate gentle stretching and breathwork into their daily activities with yoga, improve balance and stability with balance barre sessions, or add strength training and exercise basics into their day with fitness fundamentals or a HASfit class.
Creative Pursuits
Participating in creative endeavors, such as drawing, painting, and writing, enables people to express themselves, discover interests that make them feel fulfilled and happy, and cultivate feelings of accomplishment. To help residents unlock their creative side, independent living communities offer projects, art classes, paint-and-sip events, workshops, and more.
Games
Mental stimulation helps keep the brain healthy, and games are an excellent way to exercise the brain. They also encourage socialization, so you’ll often find several opportunities to participate in a game in an independent living community. For example, Rummikub, Wii Bowling, bingo, mahjong, Scrabble, and card games such as bridge are popular in independent living communities, but you may also find the chance to test your knowledge and memory in a game of trivia!
Benefits of Independent Living Events and Activities
Independent living communities know how important socialization is to well-being and happiness, so they often encourage residents to meet new friends and learn new skills. Additionally, all of this is done in a peaceful environment without typical household chores, which gives residents more time to pursue their interests and passions.
People from all backgrounds can live a fulfilling and engaging life and discover new hobbies and interests in independent living. And it all starts with a warm welcome, such as that offered in Bethesda communities by our resident ambassadors. Our resident ambassadors welcome new residents, make it a point to introduce them to others, and invite them to meals so they start their senior living journey off right.
Explore the fulfilling and vibrant lifestyle that awaits you by scheduling a tour of a Bethesda community near you today.
