Healthy Aging Month marked with memories
Centenarians at Brookdale Senior Living share stories of lives well lived
The population of the United States in 2024 was approximately 340 million people. Centenarians, those fortunate enough to live 100 years, make up 0.03 percent of the population, or 101,000, with women making up 78 percent of that total. It is a goal many want to achieve but few experience.
Those born in the 1920s have seen the world change perhaps more than in any other 100-year period in human existence. They have seen the invention of the television, frozen foods, penicillin, the airplane, the evolution of the automobile from the Model T to self-driving cars today and, in more recent times, the personal computer, the internet, GPS, and advances in medical technology such as MRI and stem cell research. And of course the nuclear bomb.
They have lived through the Great Depression, Charles Lindbergh’s solo flight across the Atlantic, World War II, the Korean and Vietnam wars, the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and subsequent war on terror, seen women win the right to vote, passage of the Civil Rights Act aimed at eliminating discrimination and man landing on the moon.
Ethel Greene, 104, and Ruth Small, 102, are members of that exclusive group who have lived beyond 100 years. They both reside at Brookdale Senior Living facility in Cape Coral, which celebrated Healthy Aging Month by sharing the stories of some of its residents.
Greene and Small realize they have lived at a time of great change but each stressed it was just focusing on their lives with family and activity that kept them vibrant.
“My husband was a great golfer,” said Greene. “I soon realized I had to learn to play to spend time with him. It sure was a lot of walking!”
Small jokingly said she didn’t do much despite living a long, healthy life. Like Greene, she focused on her family and studies growing up in North Carolina. To the other residents at Brookdale she is known as an active walker and great friend.
Living during a century of great change is something they are both aware of but it didn’t dawn on them at the time that times were changing so drastically, except for one period Small recalled.
“At my dating age the war broke out,” she said. “Men and boys were sent to fight. That was a time to reflect on.”
Studies show a commonality of traits that centenarians possess such as a curious nature, a desire to help others, maintaining a physical activity schedule, close family and friends and passion about something you love. Greene, for example, keeps her mind sharp by doing daily crossword puzzles.
While they both exemplify many of these traits, they also stressed the importance of a healthy diet. That was such an important aspect to Greene that she preached the importance of eating healthy foods to the school children she served while working as a cook in a school cafeteria. Eating well and focus on family is what she attributes her good health and longevity to.
“It was important to eat vegetables and fruits and walk and play golf that helped,” said Greene. “We just lived our life with our children, we took vacations with our three daughters. We just enjoyed life.”
Brookdale Senior Living is a Memory Care facility. Executive Director Stephanie Viegas, a former nurse by training, said an emphasis on knowing their residents is important to maintaining a healthy living environment.
“The thing that is important to me is knowing my residents well, what they like, what they don’t like, what do they really enjoy doing and, knowing more about their past, gives us an opportunity to really impact their lives,” she said. “This gives them purpose and connections, and a sense of direction.”
Viegas stressed the importance of catering to their individual needs as a differentiator. She said the activities at Brookdale are designed to keep residents aware. Much of the focus is to ensure a main issue for senior citizens everywhere, loneliness, is not part of their life experience.
“Focusing on individual needs helps keep them brain active, engaged and keeps them from progressing further along in a cognitive disease process,” she said. “It makes a difference in how fast or slow that disease could move along. We want them to have a fulfilled life.”
Sara Beatrice is the activity director at Brookdale. A woman of great passion about her job, Beatrice said everyone at Brookdale values and celebrates its residents.
“Each one of them is very special to me,” she said. “They all have a unique story. We can reminisce about music, or TV shows. They rely on each other, there’s groups, there’s friends. I try to do the best I can with the activities while also paying attention to sensory games. For instance telling them to touch their hair, touch their nose, pick up the cup. And you can see how sharp they are.”
Beatrice makes sure there is a full activity calendar that includes karaoke, a resident favorite.
“They love karaoke, we put on music from different eras and you see their faces light up,” said Beatrice. “They sing along, they dance, they love it.”
Brookdale focused on Healthy Aging Month, which just concluded.
Michele Jajowka is the Business Office coordinator. She said that means a focus on nutrition and staying active.
“We post an activity calendar every month with activities for each day focused on all levels of memory care,” she said. “In addition to karaoke we do bingo, Bible studies, we have Fit USA once a week for exercise class. With memory care they remember their past. You play the oldies at karaoke and they all sing along, dance! And of course with the holidays approaching we have families come in. Again focused on memory care.”
Jajowka said Halloween is a special time for their residents. She said that is the next big thing. It will include trick-or-treating with staff families and children. The Cape Coral community is invited to bring their children for the residents to hand out candy dressed in their favorite Halloween costume.
Viegas said they encourage residents to do the things and activities they did all their lives. Those interests are varied and very interesting. Among the residents is a woman who worked on rocket development for the Apollo missions at NASA, a physicist for Pfizer, a doctor and a psychiatrist.
“Every one of our residents has an incredible life story of what they’ve accomplished,” said Viegas, “They are so unique, and all bring their different interests and life experience, and they connect with each other.”
Brookdale Senior Living facility is at 911 Santa Barbara Blvd.
To reach ED ZUMAR, please email news@breezenewspapers.com