At Parkland, we understand that wellness plays a significant role in helping our residents live their best lives. While living at a Parkland retirement community, you will have the opportunity to be engaged in customized seniors’ activities and programs designed to stimulate your mind, body, and soul. Our professional wellness coaches work with each resident’s interests, goals and preferences for wellness and social activities. Residents have the opportunity to add their own wellness activities such as reading groups, art classes, external group meetings or seminars to the events calendar.

The signature Harmony Wellness Program at Parkland focuses on supporting six dimensions of wellness: emotional, intellectual, physical, spiritual, social, and vocational. The vocational wellness dimension helps share your unique set of skills with those around you through classes such as arts and crafts and volunteer activities. It provides residents personal satisfaction and enrichment that is consistent with their values, goals, and lifestyle.

Bob from Parkland on the River has been a fixture in the art community since 1989, teaching hundreds of people ranging in age from young adults to students in their nineties. “Seeing them grow, never have painted in their live and then going on to have their own displays, I just love it” he says. “It was very fulfilling.” When Bob decided to downsize, he wasn’t sure how he’d settle into life at Parkland. Like any true artist, he approached a new canvas with an open mind. What he didn’t know was the team at Parkland was already thinking of ways to help Bob feel at home.

To ensure that everyone feels included, every new resident is invited to meet with a Wellness Coach, who creates a monthly calendar of on-and-off campus activities that reflect the community, season, special occasions, and resident interest. Bob sat down with the Wellness Coach when he arrived, and they learned about his wellness priorities and interests. Bob and the Wellness Coach conversation landed squarely on a shared love of art, which led to a collaborative program for residents of Parkland on the River.

Anyone who talks with Bob about his pieces or observes him standing at a white board to teach perspective drawing techniques can see a mentor in his element. But for Bob, he just wants his neighbours to get together as a group and have fun with it.

Residents at Parkland are able to explore different activities provided by the Harmony Wellness Program and be involved in things they couldn’t do before moving in.

Parkland Clayton Park resident Gary Chamberlain moved in April 2022 and began painting after a 25-year hiatus and spearheaded a small group of like-minded people to join him in a program called Art on Your Own. Gary is joined by another resident and her daughter each Thursday afternoon as they all work on their painting projects together. With the help of the Wellness Coaches, his paintings are on display in the Art & Hobby room.

Like art therapy, music therapy helps with memory, lower blood pressure, improve coping, reduce stress, improve self-esteem and more.

Parkland on the Glen created a Glee Club for residents who love to sing. Every Monday afternoon, residents, wellness coaches and music therapists get together to practice singing. In June 2023, the Glee Club was able to share their talents with the public at Seniors Got Talent. Music Therapy is an evidence-based treatment that helps with a variety of disorders including cardiac conditions, depression ad Alzheimer’s disease. The Glee Club is a great way for residents to get together and to showcase their talents and to join as one group. The Music Therapist is there to use music safely to address human needs with cognitive, communicative, emotional, musical, physical, social and spiritual domains.

If you or a loved one is considering moving into a Parkland community, contact us today! A Lifestyle Consultant will be more than happy to discuss your options and help you find the perfect community that suits your needs and desires. Embrace the opportunity and socialize with neighbours and friends, create lasting memories, and live your best life at Parkland.

Stay tuned for our next blog about Six Dimensions of Harmony Wellness.

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