Nothing says “the holidays” like the legendary tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, especially when it’s told by Dickens’ great-great-grandson.
Residents of Immanuel Courtyard and Trinity campuses were honored to host Gerald Dickens this season, the great-great-grandson of the renowned author. He delighted residents, friends and employees with his one-man rendition of A Christmas Carol.
We have hosted Gerald Dickens for a few holiday seasons at various community campuses. The event has been a beloved tradition and just one way our staff is incorporating unforgettable experiences into retirement living programming.
Unforgettable experiences is far from the only way we’ve been reinventing retirement for residents. We recently launched a new Thrive by Immanuel life enrichment program at many Immanuel Communities locations. The program celebrates healthy aging through nine guiding principles: music, wellness, connection, faith, recreation, community, creativity, service and lifelong learning.
From personalized fitness training to onsite pastoral staff, volunteer opportunities, cross-country travel events, and yes, extra special holiday performances, residents have been taking full advantage of all that Thrive by Immanuel has to offer.
One of the great benefits of retirement living communities are programs like Thrive, and how they inspire residents to get involved and stay social.
Seniors today are facing a “loneliness epidemic,” with 43% of seniors saying they feel lonely on a regular basis. Social isolation is proven to substantially increase risk factors for physical and mental illness in aging populations, including heart disease and dementia.
Social events, like Gerald Dickens’ one-man A Christmas Carol, combat senior loneliness and are mutually beneficial for everyone involved. Mr. Dickens recounted the event on his own blog where he told readers that at the Immanuel performance, he received the greatest compliment of his career when one resident said with gratitude, “Thank you for letting that be part of my life.”
Unforgettable experiences bring us all closer together and impact our lives in ways we could only imagine. That’s why we believe experience and retirement go hand in hand.
Learn more about Thrive by Immanuel.
Learn more about Gerald Dickens.
Worried about senior loneliness? You’re not alone. Take our loneliness assessment - just click HERE.
Resources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4383762/ | https://www.hrsa.gov/enews/past-issues/2019/january-17/loneliness-epidemic | https://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/dec/10/loneliness-dementia-link | https://www.webmd.com/heart-diseasenews/20160419/lonely-isolated-people-may-be-prone-to-heart-disease-stroke#1