By: Emily Genco
Madison was crowned best college football town in 2012. Residents in Wisconsin’s nursing homes carry on this great tradition: They know how to have a good time. Social events are especially important in elder care facilities. A study released in July by the Archives of Internal Medicine found loneliness was a predictor of declining health for seniors. While residents in elder care facilities from Wausau to Racine aren’t known for slinging back Bloody Marys and brats on game day, many don’t sit around and knit 24/7 either.
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1. Dance the night away
Nursing homes like Oakwood Village University Woods organize dances for their residents.
“Everything we do we try to make it fun,” says Events and Activities Coordinator Stephanie Burris.
At Oakwood, revelers can slide, shimmy and shake at the Fall Ball and Spring Fling or toast at the New Year’s celebration. Resident of seven years Lil Geisler has multiple sclerosis, but that doesn’t stop her.
“I can’t dance. Many men know that, and they come over and ask me,” Geisler says. “Which means, I stand, and they just hold me up.”
2. Jump around
Some nursing homes offer exercise classes. Oakwood has more than 30 including tai chi to help residents keep limber. Ten-year resident Dottie Modlish even invented her own class called “chair exercises.” The classes are structured around adaptability, Burris says. Each stretch has a low and high-impact version.
3. Time travel
Though they may be wise, elder care residents haven’t yet figured out how to travel to yester-year. Some nursing homes do host ‘Senior Prom’ so residents can indulge in nostalgia for experiences past or try something new. This year Mount View Care Center in Wausau hosted its fifth. Hillview Health Care Center in La Crosse has also hosted prom for residents. No DeLorean required, but a corsage doesn’t hurt.
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