For some it’s a new experience.
For others, it’s a variation on a lifelong theme.

Royal Oaks resident Barbara Wieman chisels away at a block of wood, gradually transforming it into a sculpture of former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Mickey Jackson weaves together the poetry of Robert Frost into a moving theatrical performance for her neighbors at Regents Point. A dozen residents of White Sands La Jolla—some having never touched a musical instrument before—come together as their community’s first-ever wind ensemble.

These are just a few examples of be.group community residents who are discovering the artists within themselves. Some are expressing themselves artistically for the first time; others are finding new ways to be creative. As writer and orator C.S. Lewis once said, “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” Numerous studies have shown that … Read More »

Worried about the risks of exercise? The benefits are greater, according to our fitness experts. They have a few tips to get you started.

We’re constantly hearing about the benefits of exercise and keeping a regular fitness regimen. For seniors, that can mean walking, gardening, strength training, taking Zumba or Tai Chi classes … some are even running marathons.

Despite the physical health and fitness challenges that often accompany growing older, the key is staying appropriately active. You may worry about the risk of injury that can accompany some forms of exercise, but the benefits far outweigh the risks.

“You have more to lose by not exercising or taking advantage of some activity,” says Susan Swazey Brandl, fitness director at Regents Point in Irvine. Regular exercise helps maintain strength, improve balance, manage and even prevent diseases like osteoporosis and diabetes, boost cognitive capacity … Read More »

Seeing the world’s a great way to spend
newfound leisure time.

A frequently mentioned benefit of moving to a senior living community is the freedom it offers for travel. No longer constrained by the demands of work and family, residents can explore the world while knowing their homes are safe under the watchful eyes of community management. All they have to do is turn off the lights, lock the front door and let staff know when they plan to return.

“The hardest part is dealing with the mail when you get back,” says Ken Heuler, who took off early last year for a nearly four-month-long trip around the world with his wife, Edith. The cruise was one of many trips dedicated to seeing the world’s most amazing sights. On the itinerary this time were a visit to a 160-foot bronze African Renaissance monument … Read More »

They met two years ago at the Lemon Drop.

Bob Graber was in charge of Redwood Terrace’s community gift shop. Laurel Yamer helped out with merchandising. They were just friends, coworkers, but much to their surprise something else was brewing between them.

“We were friends for a long time before we realized that it was becoming more than friendship,” says Laurel, who recalls how Bob held her hand after their second date at the movies.

Bob agrees that their affection for one another snuck up on him. “It was totally unexpected,” he says. But in April 2011, “I got down on bended knee and asked for her hand in marriage.” On Sept. 24 they officially became husband and wife.

As seniors live longer, healthier lives, the incidence of dating and marriage is on the rise. They’re finding one another in senior living communities, at … Read More »

Making a difference in the lives of others has been their mission throughout their lives. They see no reason to stop now.

When Andrew Gutierrez learned of Duarte’s soaring high school dropout rate and the community’s problems with gang violence, the former Presbyterian pastor decided to take action.

Working with the city’s mayor and council members, the Westminster Gardens resident helped launch a tutoring program in 2008 designed to serve both children and adults. He recruited 20 of his neighbors to tutor kids at Andres Duarte Elementary and Mount Olive and Duarte high schools. Some of those students are now in college, thanks in part to scholarships provided by residents of Westminster Gardens.

Gutierrez knew firsthand the poverty and despair that many of the students he helped were dealing with; he grew up in a small village in New Mexico during the Great … Read More »