“We shocked the Mystery Shopper.”
Make your home where “retirement” means “vitality.”
Not long ago, a “Mystery Shopper” from the Department of Public Health came to Middlewoods of Newington, doing an incognito inspection of senior living communities. What she saw surprised her, to put it mildly—and it drives home the difference between other retirement communities and Middlewoods.
“She was expecting to see a frail population,” says Executive Director Kathy Braga. “What she found was a vibrant, healthy community. We had the best- looking Residents she’d seen on her travels. Bear in mind, 26 of them are over the age of 90. The oldest is 97, and she could watch my kids and do my taxes.”
What puts the glow of health on our Residents’ faces? It’s the strong emphasis on wellness, from exercise classes to Wii bowling. It’s the commitment to preventive health, personified in Nurse Ginny Allen, RN, who mixes humor with education. It’s the twice-weekly wellness clinics, with blood pressure and weight monitoring, and seminars on a host of health topics. It’s the Planetree Philosophy of holistic therapies, from massage and yoga to Qigong, complementing Western medicine. Above all, it’s being involved in daily community life.
Is wellness fun here? Check this out: When our Executive Director, Kathy, ran the Boston Marathon, our Residents decided to pace her. They calculated that one mile equaled eight laps around the building. As the starting gun fired in Boston, the Resident relay took off. Even folks in their 90’s took part, logging 209 laps. Kathy beat the Residents by just six minutes. Now, that’s fitness!
