When Betty was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease we were living in a downsized, one-level home. As time moved on and cognitive ability continued to fail, it became apparent that we would need to move. She was not willing so I finally told her that “I needed to move” and that she should come with me.

We began searching the area for retirement communities. My parameters were: close to family and, if possible, within our city of University Place. We visited a number of communities and all were nice but had drawbacks. When we found Narrows Glen we liked what we saw and began regular visits to experience the lifestyle and get Betty used to the surroundings. We attended social hours and different activates for 6 months total where Betty was also able to meet many very friendly residents. The residents and staff were really the deciding factor, however, the physical plant and the landscaped grounds certainly added to the mix. So, we moved into a two-bedroom unit. It had a patio and a garden area that appealed to me. It was also very close to the main parlor and the Rose Garden.

My passion has been gardening. After moving in, I got involved in the Garden Club and was quickly put in charge. I started to care for and nurture the Rose Garden and then the Dalia Gardens, Resident Gardens, etc. A plant/grow room was assigned to me, which I took to like a “duck to water.” The next thing I knew, I was elected President of the Residence Association. This has been an interesting experience and has put me in closer contact with management and residents. I am an advocate for the residents and work closely with the management for the betterment of all. There are so many activities available for residents that there is something for everyone, from trips to Wii Sports to various outings. All make living at Vintage a great experience.

As Betty’s disease progressed, it became necessary for me to move her to the Memory Care area, as I could no longer give her the care that she needed. Again we visited before the move to view the surroundings and get better acquainted with the surroundings and staff. Some of our family was not ready for the move and some were upset with me for “just doing it,” but they stepped up and one of them took Betty out for about two hours while the others prepared her new apartment. When she was brought to the new apartment many of her favorite pictures and belongings were in place. This was their way of trying to make her feel more at home. She has adjusted well and seems happy, has made many friends and is close so that I can visit frequently. The rest of the family is happier now and actively visiting as well.

The staff is just remarkable in what they do. The staff is familiar with all the idiosyncrasies of the residents and they know how to deal with them. For example, if I go to visit and it is time for me to leave, Betty doesn’t usually want to say goodbye. Immediately the staff will interject and get Betty actively helping them with another project so that she can be diverted – something that I can’t do on my own.

We have never looked back at the decision to move to Narrows Glen and it has made everything so easy. It was the right move for us and the timing was good.

This post was written by Don Bishop who is a resident at Narrows Glen, a Vintage Senior Living community located in Tacoma, Washington.

On Thursday, April 26, 2012 seniors from all over California gathered at Vintage Westwood Horizons in Los Angeles, CA to compete in the 2012 California Senior Championship of the NSL (National Senior League). This year, Vintage Senior Living had eleven teams participating in western regional tournaments in California and Washington including Vintage Cerritos, who captured the National Senior League’s 2012 Wii Bowling State Championship.

Vintage Cerritos, better known as the “Cerritos Falcons” were lead by 95-year-old Bill Burd who aided the team in successfully bringing home not only the California Championship title but a title of Western Regional Finalists.

            “This significant win marks the end of a long journey that included an entire year of practice,” said Burd. “Bringing home the first place trophy was important for us old-timers who still believe one is never too old to compete and have fun.”

The Cerritos Falcons battled the South Bay Blasters from Front Porch Community in San Diego at Vintage Westwood Horizons in Los Angeles. Surrounded by cheering fans, the eight-member teams played two games resulting in the following scores: Game one: Falcons- 879, Blasters- 653 and game two: Falcons- 830, Blasters- 583.

“The team has mastered the electronic game to a degree that they see it as real bowling with all the rules and playing techniques,” said Tracy Cofield, Activities Director of Vintage Cerritos. “What they enjoy most from Wii Bowling is being together and experiencing camaraderie and competition regardless of their age.”

In today’s electronic gaming world, even seniors are having a blast in front of the big screen—reliving the glory days of the neighborhood bowling alley.  Wii Bowling is giving Vintage Senior Living residents many thrills, especially after bowling a strike.  From a health standpoint, Wii Bowling offers a new form of exercise, and more importantly, encourages seniors to step out of their comfort zone and try something new. The game has even inspired the forming of teams from retirement communities across the country.

The communities’ common areas have been transformed into an electronic-driven playground where players and spectators enthusiastically exchange tips and comments. The opportunity to be on a team and participate in a league creates camaraderie among residents who might otherwise have trouble socializing.  Wii Bowling has even spanned across generations by encouraging young volunteers and grandchildren, who are no strangers to electronic games, to participate.

Bring your pictures and love letters for scanning January 11^th through the 25^th. All welcome. Events are free. Visit www.vintagesenior.com to find your closest Vintage community. Their event calendar includes their scanning party event details.

Miriam Brucker playing ping pong.

Miriam Brucker, one of Vintage Westwood Horizon’s lovely residents and champion ping pong players, turned 104 this year! She was born in 1907 in Russia and came to America at the young age of six. Miriam began working after eighth grade to help support her family and then spent part of her life working for a CPA firm. While there, a fellow employee introduced her to what was the start of her life passion – the stock market. The employee gifted Mariam with her first stock of half a share of IBM. Back in the day it was very uncommon for a woman to run her own finances but Mariam learned to be independent from the example of her mother, who tackled anything that came her way. Over the years Mariam invested more and more in the stock market and was very successful. Mariam’s independence and positive attitude can be attributed to her longevity.

Since 1997 Mariam has been proud to call Vintage Westwood Horizons her home. She has contributed much warmth to the community and is most known for her mean game of ping pong, as well as her wonderful singing voice. Happy Birthday Miriam!

Henry David Thoreau once said, “The language of friendship is not words but meanings.” Thoreau’s quote helps sum up Friendship Day. Recently, Vintage Senior Living held a “Friendship Day” at The Regency in Laguna Woods. The day was dedicated to celebrating old friends, cherishing the new and simply noting what makes a best friend.

Throughout the day seven groups of people were interviewed. They were asked to speak on friendship and tell about a friendship they treasure and what they think makes a best friend. After about the first three interviews I couldn’t help but smile – and neither could they! Simply talking about a best friend made the faces of the residents glow.

One thing in particular that I noticed during interviews is that hard times bring friends together. A good number of friendships formed after the death of a loved one or in times of need. Almost every person interviewed noted that making a friend pulled them out of a rough situation.

The benefit of moving into a Vintage Senior Living community is meeting senior peers having the same experiences. If one of the residents is going through a difficult time, chances are there is someone near who understands. There is almost always someone who is in a similar situation. It is those moments when friends find each other and pull each other up. Besides being supportive, friends also help makes the good times even better because everything is always more enjoyable when there is somebody to enjoy it with. All of our residents can choose a social lifestyle and many are busier than they’ve ever been! They wish they had moved in earlier!

A common theme among the interviews was a friend that one can be with, but not say anything to. Sometimes there is nothing to say. Sometimes we just need somebody to be lonely with. There are all types of friends and friendships at Vintage communities. There are friends to play games with and friends to read with. There are friends to exercise with and friends to go on outings with. There are friends that have a shoulder to cry on and there are also friends that can cheer you up when you thought that no one could. A friendship will blossom into whatever you let it be according to the residents of The Regency. They were very clear that if one comes into a community with an open mind and a want to make friends that they will have no trouble doing so. When one is ready, they will find somebody to call their best friend. Vintage Senior Living communities are full of all different types of people and friendships. Come find your friends.

All of the interviews from Friendship Day were filmed. Hear the stories!

Click here to view all of the videos on Vintage Senior Living’s YouTube Channel! 

Elsie receiving her delicious birthday cake from everyone at Vintage Brush Creek!

If the following facts about a woman are given to you, how old would you guess she is? This woman can do the splits, she teaches an exercise class, she is never in pain and she loves a scoop of chocolate ice cream and a Weiner Schnitzel hot dog. So, what’s your guess? If you guessed anything under 30, I can’t blame you. Well, the facts may be a bit of a stretch. She was doing the splits and teaching exercise classes only until her mid 90′s. Either way, my jaw dropped when I heard she was about to turn 110.

Despite being one of the few and proud members of the “super-centenarian” club, Elsie is very typical of all our residents. Every resident has an amazing life full of stories. They all keep a warm spirit and infectious smiles spreading around our communities. Vintage Senior Living couldn’t be happier to be part of Elsie’s life. We are grateful for the opportunity to nurture her gracious, kind, wise and inquisitive soul.

The life of Elsie Rich has been full of adventures. Born in Vienna on August 6th, 1901, Elsie worked from a young age and quickly became a supporter of an early form of feminism. In her 30’s Elsie married her husband, Henry, and they moved from Austria to New York City. For a short five years Elsie and Henry resided in New York only to be surrounded by the Nazi movement. They soon picked up and moved to the beautiful Santa Rosa, California, where Elsie still calls home today at Vintage Brush Creek.

Henry passed away in 1976, which inspired Elsie to exercise more, including yoga. Most people think her health can be attributed to rigorous exercise but Elsie will tell you that never having smoked might have more to do with it. For two decades Elsie lived alone in a second story apartment. Elsie’s friends swear that she could charge the stairs of her apartment with lightening speed, going up and down them like a pro. Until moving into Vintage Brush Creek in 2008, Elsie did her own laundry, her own grocery shopping and she even cooked for herself. For fun Elsie enjoys reading books and writing poetry. She’s also no stranger to the casinos. Every Monday you would find Elsie propped up by the slot machines – the nickel slots were her favorite. For her 106th birthday one casino provided Elsie and her friends a limo to the casino along with gambling money, birthday cake and champagne. One friend that attended was Evie Abramowitz, who is by Elsie’s side almost constantly.

Evie has known Elsie for many, many years and has no shortage of amazing stories to tell about Elsie. Evie’s not the only one; a great deal of the Santa Rosa community agrees that Elsie is a wonderful person. Elsie actively participates in the community surrounding her, especially within the Jewish community. The number of lives that she has touched only continues to grow as Elsie gets older. Her upbeat take on life and positive attitude is noticed by everyone that she talks to and her smile can be seen miles away. Finally, at age 110 Elsie is beginning to slow down, although, she has not lost her passion and love of life. These days you can find her outdoors, taking a snooze in the sun after breakfast and lunch on the Vintage Brush Creek patio that was named and dedicated to her. Happy 110th birthday, Elsie!