Finding Your Purpose and Sharing the Love in an Active Adult Community

Deciding to move to retirement living can be overwhelming and cause a shift in a resident’s identity. Maybe the individual had to sell his/her long-time family home or make difficult decisions to ensure health and safety. This is a defining moment in time for seniors and an opportunity to write the rest of their story. When they think their life is no longer shaped by what they previously deemed as successes, such as career or community contributions, older adults could feel lost or disconnected from what made them fulfilled or mattered to them. But that doesn’t have to be the case — especially surrounded by others in an active adult community.

According to the Center for Retirement Research, older people are generally happier than their younger counterparts. Why? Because they can spend time doing what they want to do and what brings them joy, such as volunteering, seeing loved ones and appreciating their lives.

In an active adult community, co-workers and caregivers encourage residents to use their gifts, talents and lived-experiences to continue contributing to their community. These aspects of purposeful living positively impact physical, emotional and cognitive health and wellbeing. Purposeful living has also been linked to longer life, lower risk of disease, better sleep and healthier behaviors, according to a study published by JAMA Psychiatry. Additionally, people with higher purpose are more proactive in taking care of their health, have better impulse control and engage in healthier activities, explained a Time Magazine article on the topic.

Consider trying these purposeful activities that are part of our residents’ experience in our active adult community:

• Physical activities – Incorporate walking, gardening or light exercise into a daily routine. Encouraging friends or family to join in these activities also creates a sense of accountability.
• Mental fitness — Puzzles are a fan-favorite at Ecumenical Retirement Community and can often be found throughout our buildings for all residents to contribute to. Whether they are picture puzzles or word games, keeping the brain active helps keep the mind sharp and improve memory.
• Emotional wellness — Whether that is self-expression through art, dance or journaling, when residents find something they enjoy, embrace it! Doing meaningful activities leads to feelings of accomplishment which boosts self-esteem.
• Community contributions — Volunteering is a very big part of life at Ecumenical. Social interactions with groups outside of our community reinforces the sense of belonging and connection to a project that is bigger than themselves.

Our Active Adult Communities in Action

At Ecumenical Retirement Community, we describe ourselves as “the community’s community” because it was founded by Governor George M. Leader as a place for seniors to remain local and connected to their hometown. Embracing that spirit, our residents identify needs in the neighborhood that could use resident support. For example, Ecumenical partners with schools, hospitals, churches and other charitable organizations on programs, as well as organizes donation drives to many worthy community-focused causes.

“Do what you love, love what you do!” in Harrisburg, Pa.

With the leadership and guidance of our Dynamic Living staff, our active adult community is always buzzing with activity. Our residents’ days can be packed full of opportunities to reconnect with what they love to do, explore new activities that could turn into passions and share their gifts and talents with each other. We invite you to see what a full, vibrant and purposeful life is like at Ecumenical by scheduling a personalized tour or joining us for an upcoming event.