A Day In Our Retirement Community

One of the questions frequently asked is what's a typical day like in your 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.



Most 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 wheel around their carts and provide you with your choice of cold cereal or fruit (mandarin oranges, fruit cup, peaches, pears or prunes).   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.

At noon, the Indoor Walking Group meets in the third floor atrium for a brisk walk through the corridors and down the stairs ending up at 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 at lunch we have been missing our menu card.  Someone has been absconding with them for some unknown reason.  Today, J say lady M grab our card off the table, 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 not to repeat such behavior, M shuffled off to her own table and probably forgot the whole incident.

Lunch brought the guys back to Table 54.  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 turkey with bread stuffing, steamed veggies, 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 and thought it a good idea that residents should copy.  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 the apartment for a snack, TV or writing a blog on the computer.

That about wraps it up for today.  Other events including bus trips, a visit by the local clogging club, afternoon trivia sessions and many many more activities are scheduled during the week to keep residents happy, healthy and wise.  Hope you enjoyed your visit.

-Y