February 19, 2013

• A Day In Our Retirement Community

  One of the questions frequently asked of us is what’s a typical day like in our retirement community?  Well, we’ll try and answer that for you.

  People wake up at all different hours.  They go through the same morning routines that they’ve practiced all their lives – not that much different from yourself, I would imagine.  They shower, shave, dress, fix their hair, take out the dogs, watch a little TV, dose their insulin plus their other meds and then, around 7:50, they head down the hall to the dining room for breakfast.

  

  A lot of the residents use walkers so these have to be positioned in the dining room so as not to interfere with the servers carts.  As I mentioned before, people are creatures of habit so they sit at they same table, with the same people, where they usually sit for breakfast.  I sit at Table 4 with J.  Table 54 is not set up for breakfast as not as many people show up for the morning meal.  At 8:00 on the dot, the dishwasher (usually A during the week or CJ on weekends) brings out her hot cereal cart.  From this you get a choice of oatmeal or cream-of-wheat, both served with hot milk, brown sugar and raisins if you like.  The two managers on duty walk around and serve coffee or tea.

  Then the servers enter, wheeling around their carts and provide you with your choice of cold cereal or fruit (mandarin oranges, fruit cup, peaches, pears or prunes) plus liquid refreshment (orange juice, prune juice, cranberry juice or milk).   They follow this up by coming to each table and taking the breakfast order.  Today, apple pancakes, small sausages, eggs to order and toast or an English muffin could be had.  By 9:00 the servers begin clearing the tables and setting up for lunch as the herd heads back to their apartments to relax and do whatever it is they desire.

  On schedule today was coffee & chat at 10:00 in the activity room.  Residents come and go as they please and partake in whatever discussion comes up.  Those who skipped breakfast stop in for the coffee.  Then at 11:00 the activity room turns into a craft room and anyone interested in crafting of any sort shows up and does their thing under the expert tutelage of A.

  

  At noon, the Indoor Walking Group meets in the third floor atrium for a brisk walk through the corridors ending up at the elevator which they board to take them to the dinning room for lunch.

  J usually comes down early for lunch and today he solved a mystery that has perplexed the members of Table 54 for quite some time. It seems that at lunch we have been missing the menu card on our table.  Someone has been absconding with them for some unknown reason.  Today, J saw lady M grab our card, put it in her pocket and walk toward the fruit and snack bar.  J intercepted her and demanded our menu back which she immediately gave to him.  After a stern warning by J not to repeat such behavior, M told J to mind his own business and shuffled off to her own table and probably forgot the whole incident.  You have to forgive M for such actions.  She’s a bit mentally unstable.

  Lunch brought the guys back to Table 54 for our daily session of solving the world’s problems.  When Manager J stopped by to coffee us, we suggested that the space in front of the fireplace was better served with the comfortable stuffed couches and chairs that used to be there for residents to use.  Manager J questioned if that were done, where would residents park their walkers?  Walkers must be parked along the walls, against the posts or anywhere else where they won’t interfere with serving meals.  J grumbled something about offering valet service for the walkers and J said he didn’t have it in his budget.

  
  Lunch consisted of roast beef, carrots, peas, small potatoes, roll, salad and lemon cheese cake for desert.  The entertainment today was A trying to stuff his dew rag cap on top of BBS’s head.  BBS retaliated by showing A more of his inane “artwork.”  He also showed it to Manager M, which led us to ponder whether or not BBS’s artwork might end up printed on place-mats at our table like management does with artwork from local grade school children.

  After lunch at 3:00 you could enjoy shooting pool in the billiards room and at 4:00 residents could play euchre (a card game) in the activity room.  That brings us once again back to the dinning room for supper at 5:30, which is scheduled to be senate bean soup, a Westchester roast beef sandwich and macaroni salad.  Ice cream and various cakes will be served on the dessert cart afterwards.

  
  At Table 54 we’re wondering if N (at the next table) is still concerned that a terrorist might one day break in and shoot the place up. She overheard our lunch discussion about students at UT carrying concealed weapons a couple of weeks ago and thought it a good idea that residents should also pack heat in case of attack.  This raised a few eyebrows at our table.

  Tonight at 6:45 you can enjoy a Movie (The Littlest Rebel) in the television room if you so desire or you can partake in card playing (rummikub, or other games of choice) in the activity room.  After that it’s back to your own apartment for a snack, watching TV or writing a blog on the computer.

  
  That about wraps it up for today.  Other events include bus trips to the local Casino or your doctors office or a local grocery store so you can pick up goodies.  Entertainment might include bingo, a visit by the local clogging club, afternoon trivia sessions, monthly story time, a visit by the wild animal guy, and many many more activities which are scheduled during the week to keep residents happy, healthy and wise.  

  Good night, all.  Hope you enjoyed your visit.

  -Y

   

  • 12:01 pm
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