Navigating the Future is the theme for this year's National Activities Professional Week. What a great time to talk about the vital role that Activity Directors and Life Engagement Directors play in improving the quality of life for residents, enhancing family and staff satisfaction, and boosting the bottom line.

'Tis the Season for connecting with family and friends, and for some will be the first in-person visit in a very long time. For others, it might be long-distance communications, and now thanks to technology, there are many ways in which we can be more engaged than ever. I want to talk about the importance of reminiscing, especially with persons living with dementia.

AGE-u-cate® appreciates learning about organizations out there improving the lives of elders.  I had the pleasure to meet Jared Bloomfield, the National Field Manager with Wish of a Lifetime at AARP.  We connected after attending the Pioneer Network Symposium "Envisioning the Future Finding Meaning and Purpose" held on September 22. 

Wish of Lifetime, a charitable affiliate of the American Association for Retired Persons (AARP), sponsored one of the sessions at the symposium called, " A New Look at Community Commitment: It’s All About Making Connections”.  I was captivated and inspired by the presenters in this session:  Mary Knapp, Annie Dunlap, and Kelly Klund who all shared the ways that their respective organizations are creating meaningful engagement opportunities for the elders they serve.  

Wish of a Lifetime's mission is to shift the way society views and values our oldest generations by fulfilling seniors’ dreams and sharing their stories to inspire those of all ages.  They are working hard to connect elders with amazing opportunities to fulfill a dream.  

When you explore why we humans like to read, you find statements such as,

What exactly is the meaning of Life Enrichment?