One of the more popular activities at The Saybrook at Haddam is our “Books with Joan” gatherings. Residents meet up in the second floor Great Room to get comfortable and listen to Joan Szewczyk, longtime member of the activities team at The Saybrook at Haddam, read from books of their choosing. The group often takes on a theme such as American presidents, composers or travels, and Joan researches the book to read. Regardless of the topic, residents treasure this time to share a good book together and to discuss it afterwards. This makes sense as residents are lifelong readers and wonderful conversationalists.
Joan has been reading aloud to residents for several years. She started “Books with Joan” because of her own love of reading and because she had received input from residents that this would be a welcome activity. In truth, she was a little doubtful that the group would take off and was pleasantly surprised when it became a fast favorite. She also loves the fact that the group is well attended, the discussions are interesting, and everyone gets involved in picking the next book or series.
“Many seniors are able to enjoy reading in their own apartments, but they love the social aspect of participating in our reading club,” Joan said. “For residents who are struggling with independent reading, our group allows them to hear some new and interesting books. The best part is that everyone loves to discuss the books after each meeting and after we complete a book or series. It really is a lot of fun!”
Joan says she was happy that residents stayed on the topic of American presidents for so long, although she worried the biography genre would become a little tiresome. But the group kept moving from one president to the next and soon they had tackled nearly all of them. Currently the group is learning about different composers – including contemporary ones such as John Lennon and Paul McCartney from The Beatles.
“When we finished learning about John Lennon, we had a special treat,” Joan said. “Our maintenance director, Barry, stopped by with his guitar and gave us a private Beatles concert! The residents had a blast, sharing stories of when their children first brought The Beatles into their homes. Some like the older Beatles songs best, but everyone appreciated the impact their music had on the culture.”
Reading is well documented as one of the most important ways we learn and live – and regardless of our age, we enjoy many benefits from reading (or being read to). In the article “Read Me A Story: Importance of Reading Aloud to Elderly People,” author Oksana Dlaboha encourages anyone to read out loud to anyone who no longer can because of age, vision problems, or other issue.
“Listening to reading aloud is a lively intellectual and emotional process,” she said. “And thinking during reading aloud rebuilds body-mind-spirit needs and offers other benefits as well.” Those include how good readers feel after reading aloud – as he or she has just given a gift to someone – and how great those listening to the story feel. Dlaboha says both the reader and the listener will surely remember this gift long after the book has been closed.
All residents and guests are welcome to join in “Books with Joan.” Please visit the front desk for a schedule of meeting times.
For a personalized tour of The Saybrook at Haddam and its Safe Harbor memory care neighborhood, please fill out the form below or call David Downey at 860-345-8779.
Many independent residents continue to be active members in their churches, synagogues, local libraries, museums, and other volunteer organizations. Sometimes they organize collections for non-profit groups at The Saybrook at Haddam to help meet needs within the larger community. These volunteer hours are invaluable and have an estimated
Oftentimes a resident will share something from their home with the community for all to enjoy – another form of contributing to the greater good. One resident displays her oversized creche in the front lobby at Christmastime. Another donated her upright piano to the Safe Harbor neighborhood. Another placed a hand-made and fully furnished doll house in the hallway for all to enjoy. These efforts help make The Saybrook at Haddam feel like home – and make ours a special place to be.
Each of these types of participation (“volunteerism”) is encouraged every day at The Saybrook at Haddam – and for good reason. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, seniors benefit from using their lifetime of skills and experience to meet community needs, and “giving back” helps them stay active and healthy. We believe this to be true and we support this in every way we possibly can. Come see how powerful that is!
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These past few weeks were extremely busy with educational-oriented events. We attended several programs at local libraries: one lecture on how our beloved Connecticut River Valley region was formed geologically, and another that took a close look at the life of a “good” colonial wife. We also continued popular on-site programs featuring visiting professors and other local experts, Great Courses video programs, book discussions, Bible studies, and art classes. We host these learning events in our movie room, Country Kitchen, library, front parlor or second-floor great room– helping ensure residents use and enjoy all the many wonderful areas of our community!
The Saybrook at Haddam knows that overall wellness and quality of life absolutely includes a strong element of learning and engagement. We are always encouraged by the diverse suggestions for educational activities residents (and families) send our way because it shows their high level of curiosity and wonder at the world around us. Our activities team takes these suggestions to heart and relies on this input to build meaningful experiences each week.