Mulberry PARC - 2015 Fall Newsletter

Newsletter | Fall 2015

Discover Independent Living+, the best retirement living in Burnaby

Get your moves on during Active Aging Week Move it, shake it, use it… whatever you do: make the most of aging actively, September 28 th – October 3 rd . The ICAA’s * 2015 Annual Active Aging Week encourages adults 50 + to ‘Live Your Adventure’ which means to really challenge yourself to break routine and try something new. Join one of Mulberry PARC’s activities that challenges your body, mind, spirit or abilities.

Marie, nimble knitter Mulberry PARC

The week’s special highlight event will feature Dean Smith, renowned physiotherapist, as he presents ‘Top Tips for Active Aging with Arthritis’ on Tuesday, September 29 th at 2:30 PM. Plus, call Mulberry PARC to hear about other exciting activities to support Active Aging week like: Zumba, drum-circle, belly dancing and more! The actual event on September 29 th starts at 2:00 PM. For more information or to RSVP call 604.526.2248 before Saturday, Sept. 26 th.

*International Council on Active Aging

Living life one ‘purl’ at a time

1st Annual ART in the PARC Residents as well as a number of guests attended a fantastic event on July 8th at Mulberry PARC. It was a full afternoon of art, music, and delicious food and wine, showcasing their very own works of art! We thank our guest and resident artists for sharing their passion of the art or craft they cherish, which helped to create this rich and colourful event at Mulberry PARC. It was truly a feast for the senses, and a pleasure for all.

We look forward to viewing all the pieces that will be created for next year’s 2 nd annual event!

7230 Acorn Avenue Burnaby, BC V5E 4N9 parcliving.ca/mulberry 604.526.2248

As a mother of five, Marie has had a lifetime of experience coordinating people and being the “go-to” person. It’s no wonder her love of sewing and knitting resulted in her spearheading a knitting group at Mulberry PARC. “It’s a wonderful social time, and this is a great group of ladies,” exclaims Marie about Knitting-For-A-Cause. “If someone drops a stitch, one of us is always there to pick it up,” says Marie who started the group five years ago, after residents observed her knitting in the bistro. “They would say to me they hadn’t knit in years and didn’t think they could anymore. I decided to change that.”

Now, up to 30 ladies come together once a week to enjoy the camaraderie as much as the craft. They have ventured into more challenging items like afghans and baby wear. Marie has watched some of the quieter residents blossom as a result. “It brings them out of their suites and out of their shells. Their disposition improves.”

PARC Retirement Living facebook.com/parcretirementliving @ParcLiving

Fitness programs gaining strength at Mulberry PARC

Keep your brain young through meditation If you can find a small chunk of time to meditate daily, you may be keeping your brain young. UCLA researchers have recently found that meditation appears to help preserve the brain’s gray matter (the tissue that contains neurons). The study compared 50 people who had meditated for years and 50 who didn’t. Both groups showed a loss of gray matter as they aged, but among those who meditated, the researchers observed that the volume of gray matter did not decline as much as in those who didn’t. And the difference was quite significant. Of course, there are other factors that come into play like lifestyle choices, personality traits and genetic differences, but the results are promising.

The gym at Mulberry PARC is a popular place to be these days for residents. So much so, that it has undergone a sizeable renovation and upgrade to keep pace with the rapid growth of our popular PARC FIT program. The program is one-of-a-kind, and works to build muscular strength & power, endurance, cardiovascular health, flexibility and balance. There are also a variety of classes that run six days a week, including chair yoga, Tai Chi, pole walking and more. It’s all about providing residents with choice, so they can happily engage in the fitness activities they enjoy.

With a 65 per cent increase in square footage, new carpets and paint, improved air conditioning, more natural light and new equipment, the space is bright and inspiring. Not only for the 70 participants currently taking part in the program, but for attracting new attendees.

Fitness Program Coordinator, Hiroe Mertens, said there is excitement about the new space and she has heard residents joke about how “one can get lost in here” due to its spacious floor plan.

The new equipment will include weight machines operating with hydraulics to assist with resistance, including a Leg Press, Chest Press/Back Row and Shoulder Press/Lat Pull machine. Also, an additional circuit training class will be added once a week. New smaller equipment pieces include rehab pulleys for balance and agility, new sets of free weights in all sizes, stability balls, medicine balls and foam rollers.

Now, with more room to move, residents at Mulberry PARC are making the most of their fitness level and increasing their ability to live and thrive independently.

2nd Annual White Tea by the Sea They came. They wore white. They sipped tea. They even danced.

For the second year in a row, Mulberry PARC residents, along with residents from the other PARC communities, enjoyed a delectable afternoon by the seaside during PARC’s exclusive White Tea Party, held on August 6th during the Harmony Arts Festival. 100 PARC residents sat at tables decked in white linens, sampling smoked salmon sandwiches, fancy desserts and teas by DAVIDsTEA, all to the accompaniment of swing jazz performed on stage by a sixpiece ensemble called ‘Slipped Disc.’ Attendees were up dancing and grooving under the near-perfect temperatures, and afterwards raving about how they “loved the food and service...”, “it was an outstanding location” and they felt “extraordinarily special and grateful to attend.”

UPCOMING EVENTS & TOURS SEPTEMBER

Dinner at Vancouver Alpen Club

Oktoberfest Pub Night with Accordionist

OCTOBER

Marilyn Monroe Lounge Act

Monster Mash Halloween Pub Night

NOVEMBER

Monte Carlo Casino Black & White Night Mulberry Christmas Market

Come one, come all to Active Aging Week Join us September 29 th at 2:30 PM to hear a presentation by physiotherapy expert, Dean Smith. Enjoy healthy appetizers and fresh beverages, plus ‘move those hips’ during ‘Belly Dancing for Seniors!’ The actual event begins at 2:00 PM. Please RSVP by Saturday, September 26 th by calling 604.526.2248

Did you know?

92% of residents rate PARC “above average”*

7230 Acorn Avenue, Burnaby, BC V5E 4N9 parcliving.ca/mulberry 604.526.2248 *http://parcliving.ca/survey/