Keys to a Sharp Mind: Providing Choice and Quality Programming in a Retirement Community

Abstract

Keys to a Sharp Mind (K2SM) was a pilot project designed to change the way intellectual programming was produced for residents of the independent living ­section of a continuing care retirement community (CCRC). The intention was to apply current research in cognitive science that suggests age-related mental decline may be delayed or at least slowed by engaging in cognitively stimulating activities within a social context. The program was built on the idea that independent living residents will have greater motivation to participate in lifelong learning if they are given the opportunity to create and choose course offerings. In this chapter we delineate defining principles and program evaluation methodology along with ­lessons learned and the impact the project had on participants and subsequent ­programming at the facility. A list of the programs and suggestions for future implementations in similar retirement communities are provided.

Appendix: Classes and Courses Offered

One Session Classes and Multi-Part Courses

American politics and American history (25 sessions):

• 1. Rating and debating the presidents

• 2. The supreme court

• 3. Parties, presidential campaigns, platforms, propaganda, and polls

• 4. Presidential courage: past and present

• 5. The history of Walt Disney, American entrepreneur

Enhancing memory and healthy aging (18 sessions):

• 1. Maximum memory fitness

• 2. Alzheimer disease current theories and treatment

• 3. A group discussion of presentation on dementia

• 4. Relaxation and mindful meditation

• 5. Exercise strategies for the over 50 crowd

• 6. Boost your memory skills

• 7. Memory impairment in late life: what’s normal, what’s not

• 8. Enhancing quality of life for memory impaired adults

• 9. Enhancing quality of life for memory impaired adults: an up close and personal perspective

• 10. Meditation for memory enhancement

Art history and appreciation

• 1. Art of the statue of liberty

• 2. Art of the nativity

• 3. Intro to architecture

• 4. Prehistoric art

• 5. Egyptian art

• 6. Sistine frescoes of Michelangelo

• 7. Love in art

• 8. Jesus in the film media

• 9. The Parthenon

• 10. Classical Christmas art

• 11. Kimono as art

• 12. Art of Leonardo Da Vinci

• 13. Celebrating watercolor

• 14. Celebrating ceramics

• 15. Clyde singer’s America

• 16. Photo journalism: The Growing Season, a story of migrant workers in Ohio

Note:  1.A week after the class on Kimonos (number 11), residents went to a local museum to view a traveling exhibition of Japanese kimonos.

 2.As an offshoot of the class on DaVinci’s Art (number 12), the CCRC’s foundation provided funding for a one act play, The Incredible Life of Leonardo DaVinci, staged and performed on-site by a local acting company at the retirement community.

Computer skills training (48 small group sessions)

• 1. Intro session, internet, email

• 2. Creating documents

• 3. Managing directories of documents each of the 16 sessions was offered 3 times on the same day in groups of 8–12

Note: Money from the grant was used to purchase four additional computers that remain available to the residents.

Best-seller discussion groups and literary classics (21 sessions)

• 1. Literature of Christmas

• 2. Best-seller discussion group

• 3. Best-seller discussion group

Music history and appreciation (12 sessions)

• 1. The music of Christmas

• 2. Roaring twenties

• 3. Classical curios, musical oddities

• 4. Opera: exploring opera (23 sessions: 19 for writing, 4 for poetry reading) Berlioz, Puccini, Tchaikovsky, Madame Butterfly (5 sessions)

• 5. Broadway musicals

Creative writing/recitation/readings (23 sessions: 19 writing & 4 poetry reading)

• 1. Introductory creative writing workshop series

• 2. Writing for health and healing

• 3. Advanced creative writing/poetry

• 4. Guided reminiscence series

• 5. Poetry reading by class participants to the retirement community residents

• 6. Intergenerational readings by residents and college students

• 7. Creative voices, performed by class participants for the community of Kent

• 8. Frost, Sandburg, and Keats poetry recitation by local older adult poet

Religions of the World (6 sessions)

• Two sessions about each of the following religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam.

Science (6 sessions)

• 1. Environmental issues: Can the U.S. build a green city? Must the U.S. make the world green?

• 2. Energy series

• 3. Physics made simple: our place in the universe

• 4. Physics made simple: the universe within

World affairs (5 sessions)

• 1. Politics of the Middle East

• 2. Afghanistan and Pakistan

• 3. Colombia: a culture of violence

• 4. Politics of Russia

• 5. Politics of China

The American education system (3 sessions)

• 1. The history and future of American education: an intergenerational program.

• 2. The Intergenerational School: example of an award winning charter school in Cleveland.