Retirees Redefine The Golden Years

December 29, 2009

 
Skydiving may not be the first thing you think of when you consider life in a retirement community, but for a growing number of seniors, it’s an example of the type of activity that helps keep them feeling young, purposeful, and living an Optimum Life.

"This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life so far," said 84-year-old Jean Pettit after jumping out of a plane and being greeted by a host of applauding friends and family on the ground. "The only thing to top the skydive would be to take a trip to the moon."

Pettit is part of a growing number of seniors who live in retirement communities focused on "whole-person wellness" obtained through what geriatrician Dr. Kevin O’Neil describes as fulfillment in physical, emotional, purposeful, social, spiritual and intellectual dimensions.

"We know that fulfillment in these aspects of life is a more potent predictor of longevity than one’s age or medical condition," he explains.

In Pettit’s case, that focus on wellness meant fulfilling a long-time dream to leap from an airplane. For other seniors, such as Alfred Bouey, it meant experiencing American history as it unfolded.

"I felt born again," says Bouey, the grandson of slaves, upon attending the inauguration of President Obama in Washington, D.C. "I never dreamt I would be having one of the most exciting experiences of my life at 84 years old."

Both Bouey and Pettit participated in the "Experiences of a Lifetime" program, offered to residents at selected Brookdale Senior Living communities nationwide. Dr. O’Neil says the program is a key part of the community’s Optimum Life philosophy, and a driving force behind many seniors leaving the home environment for community living.

"Today’s senior communities offer opportunities for physical activity, social engagement and emotional support that may be more easily accessible than in a home environment," he explains. "They are much more active and fulfilling than what many initially expect."

Other participants in the program have journeyed to the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., taken a hot-air balloon ride, and cruised the roadways in a yellow Corvette. Dr. O’Neil explains that while the specific activities may differ, they share a common theme: fulfillment.

"This is further proof that an older person can still dream and do many things," says the skydiving Pettit.

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