The residents at Holbrook Active Living are never bored. Instead, they spend their days indulging their adventurous spirits, living moments they have always dreamed of and sharing stories with their friends. In fact, the entire community has a reputation for being what Activity Director Lisa Cook refers to as “active passionate” – and dispelling any frustrating myths about aging. “Life does not end when you turn 75, 80 or 90,” she insists.
To enrich the community’s pledge to help seniors thrive well into the golden years, the staff started a program known as the Bucket List. Initiated at the end of the pandemic when Lisa was the new activity director, the program inspires residents to be more engaged and active — and not to think the best days have passed them by. “We brainstormed, and this is what we came up with,” Lisa says. “Then, we asked every resident to fill out a piece of paper with their top 10 bucket list selections.”
The excitement over sharing cherished ideas and dreams boosted the mood of the community, just as Lisa hoped. She got busy creating a calendar with all the different ideas, and, with that, the adventures began.
Bucket List activities run the gamut, but of course, many of them are testing the limits of these seniors with daredevil (but safe and supervised) opportunities. “We’ve done zip lining; we’ve done white water rafting; we’ve done horseback riding,” Lisa says. “One resident swam with the whale sharks at the aquarium. We’ve done private plane rides, skydiving . . . three 82-year-old women went skydiving, plus two or three gentlemen in their 70s, plus members of the staff!”
Even the participants have been pleasantly surprised at their own willingness to try new things; according to one 70-year-old resident, Talula, “Ziplining was scary at first . . . but then it was awesome.”
“I love the Bucket List experiences at Holbrook,” adds Melanie, an enthusiastic 83-year-old resident who has tried skydiving, ziplining and biplane riding. “I’ve done every one I wanted to, and I look forward to the next one. It’s an important part of Holbrook and what they offer us.”
If you’re reading this and thinking to yourself, there’s no way I would ever jump out of a plane or swim with whale sharks, that’s OK – not everything on the calendar is high-risk, assures Lisa.
“We have one resident who wants to walk the Masters course in Augusta, so we’re looking for someone to help with that,” she points out. “One resident wanted to get married — and he did find love! We’ve been to performances, such as at the Fox Theatre, as well.”
While international travel is currently not part of what Lisa offers, she did take eight residents on a fun road trip to Savannah recently, which two of them had listed as a bucket list destination. Other travel opportunities are offered separately, through Holbrook Expeditions.
Of course, at Holbrook, every day feels a little bit like a vacation; the residents enjoy a bevy of amenities and perks right there on site. Lisa describes the Holbrook community as being both “beautiful and home-like,” and points out the number of wonderful opportunities available to every resident on a daily basis.
“We have restaurants, an art studio, fitness centers with instructors, personal training, yoga, tai chi, aquatics, a full-service spa with massages, facials, manicures and pedicures, a hair salon and happy hours,” she beams. “We also have beautiful outdoor spaces and gardens, lecturers, music, and regular entertainment. We frequently go to Lake Acworth and spend the day swimming, boating and picnicking. People are very happy here.”
To learn more, visit /holbrooklife.com/communities/holbrook-acworth/.
