What’s happening at Regency Retirement Village Birmingham? A LOT! Jennifer Corts, Activity Director at Regency Retirement Village of Birmingham, offered a snapshot of what life is like for residents of the retirement community.
“We begin each weekday with exercise for our minds and bodies,” she said. “We begin with a devotion, and inspirational thought, and trivia games highlighting decades from the past. We play ‘name that tune,’ ‘word power’, and ‘The Price is Right’, among others.”
Participatory games are an important part of social interaction at Regency. “Our board game favorites are Scrabble, Chicken Foot Dominoes, Kings in the Corner, Poker, Left Right Center dice game, and do I even need to say, BINGO!!! Our Friday afternoon fave is the Word Game, where residents take one long word, and see how many smaller words they make from that word. The two buildings compete to see who can find the most words in 45 minutes,” Corts said.
Faith is also an important part of life at Regency, and once a week, residents have Bible Blessings with volunteers who come and provide spiritual encouragement. Several residents volunteer their time to lead our groups, as well. They sing, read scripture reading, pray and have devotional study.
“Music is an important part of our time together,” Corts said. “We have been entertained by musicians playing a variety of instruments including the piano, harp, saxophone, and guitar. A favorite has been a family of 5 brothers and a sister, sharing their classical violin and piano skills. A recent entertainer was Rob Langford, Elvis Impersonator, who looked and sounded, just like Elvis.There were many photo ops. Memories were stirred, for those who had seen the real deal in concert!”
Corts said residents also use their time to give back to the community. “Each month, we volunteer. In July, we assembled over 400 dental bags for area school children, as we partnered with a local nonprofit that provides healthcare to the uninsured in our city. In August, we made small gifts for area hospice patients and their caregivers. We have been on the receiving end of so much generosity and kindness, and we want to share the love.”
As much fun as it is to play games, be entertained and volunteer for good causes at Regency, the residents love road trips. “We venture to Wal-Mart once a week, a constant, on every month’s activity calendar. We also shop at the local shopping malls, Dollar General, Kmart, Target, and area drug stores. Lunch Bunch happens every Friday. We enjoy a variety of restaurants – from Kentucky Fried Chicken and Johnny Rockets, to Red Lobster, Applebees, and local favorites, Tip Top Grill, and meat and three’s like Sweet Tea and Lloyd’s.”
Every other month, male Regency residents enjoy bonding time with Administrator Chris Blackerby. “IHOP and an occasional trip to Hardees for a biscuit are among their favorite stops,” Corts said.
Regency residents recently ventured to Regions Field for a family night on the Homerun Porch. “We enjoyed dinner and the game as the Birmingham Barons Baseball team took on the Tennessee Smokies. Residents and staff brought family and friends to enjoy this favorite summer past time together,” Corts said.
Things got really “wild” earlier this summer when Ed’s Pet World brought exotic animals. “They thrilled us and our family members with the chance to befriend a python, a boa constrictor, an iguana, and a parakeet. And oh yeah, I forgot, a baby gator,” she said.
As she went back to her calendar for the month of August, Corts arranged a trip to the theater to watch the new James Brown movie, a tour of the Birmingham Civil Rights Museum and a visit to an inner city garden and produce stand. Whether at Regency or on the road, residents are given plenty of opportunities to stay active, have fun and socialize.