The first week of October was busy here at Ardenwoods as we celebrated Active Aging Week! Initiated in 2003 by the International Council on Active Aging, the weeklong campaign calls attention to and wholeheartedly celebrates the positivity of aging today. It showcases the capabilities of older adults as fully participating members of society and spotlights the role models that lead the way.
The mission of Active Aging Week pairs well with the mission of Ardenwoods, which is to enrich the lives of those who live and work here. Active Aging Week is a nationwide campaign that brings to attention what is the usual way of life at Ardenwoods. We always strive to offer opportunities to grow our community through outings, open houses, and other culture events.
October 1: Tour and Tasting at Hillman Beer – Hillman Beer brings the pub-style back to the brewery experience with an emphasis on quality beer and comfort. We enjoyed sampling from their 18 in-house brewed beers and even tried some great food from the attached Rise Above Deli.
October 2: Open House: Cookies, Crafts, & Fairies – One of our residents is a gifted baker, gardener, and seamstress. She opened her home to residents to showcase her many projects, including a demonstration on her embroidery machine and a cookie tasting contest featuring three different types of ginger cookies. Residents entered a raffle to win a birthday cake baked by the host herself.
October 3: Dinner Outing at Sovereign Remedies – We have a very personal connection with Sovereign Remedies – the chef’s mother lives at Ardenwoods! They prepared a special “farm to table” dinner party for a handful of residents in the North Room of the restaurant and cocktail bar in downtown Asheville. With their specially crafted cocktails and unique atmosphere, we can’t wait to go again!
October 4: Play Reading: ‘The Subject Tonight is Love’ – Written and directed by an AW resident, this play highlights her personal experience caring for her mother as her mother journeyed through Alzheimer’s. The play was powerfully performed with a cast of residents and staff the audience was moved, emotionally. Our routine Friday afternoon Wine and Cheese became the celebratory “after party” for the entire group.
October 5: An Afternoon in Biltmore Park – Being just a 10-minute drive from Ardenwoods, residents often take advantage of the offerings at Biltmore Park. The big draw for this outing was a chance to see the new ‘Downton Abbey’ film. There was much buzz surrounding the film amongst the residents and we were happy to send them to see it!
October 6: Volunteer Opportunity – We collect food to benefit the Avery’s Creek United Methodist Church’s food pantry on a regular basis. But for this special week, we decided to beef up our donation with a friendly competition between our Magnolia and Evergreen resident buildings to see who could collect the most food. Although Evergreen was the winner, we are happy with the collaboration toward a greater good! Two overflowing boxes of food were collected for the pantry.
October 7: Live Music – To cap off a very active week, our resident saxophone pro put on a special performance before dinner. He loves to perform and always finds an opportunity to share his music with his neighbors. For this performance, he paired up with a pianist and they played a few jazz pieces! It was a treat and we are so lucky to have this talent among us!
What a fantastic week with a lot of new experiences! At Ardenwoods, we optimize opportunities for health, participation, and security in order to enhance quality of life. We are always actively aging and proud of it! Enjoy it and embrace the moments.