The Admiral at the Lake Blog

Here at The Admiral at the Lake, we’re looking forward to a full and lively holiday season. Every year, the halls fill with families and friends coming to join our celebrations, and this year is sure to be no different.

“I don’t want to sit through a sales spiel.”

“I don’t want to be asked a bunch of questions.”  

“I really don’t have the time.”

“I don’t know if I can afford it.”   

For many of us, the term, “lifelong learning”, is unfamiliar, but the concept first gained popularity in the 1970s, when France developed University of the Third Age courses for seniors. The term, “lifelong learners”, was first used in 1993.

Senior retirement communities have discovered something that many programs for younger people have forgotten: Life enrichment is important.

A truly effective life enrichment program focuses on all aspects of wellness—physical, mental, social, spiritual, and occupational. Many programs include several aspects of life enrichment. For example, a lecture series may be educational (mental) and social.

One of the most frequent questions we receive here at The Admiral at the Lake is: What is a life plan community?

Simply put, a life plan community, also called a  continuing care retirement community (CCRC), offers a continuum of care through independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing services.

Another term you'll hear is "Lifecare community." That's a type of life plan community or CCRC that offers "a full continuum of care and involves a life care agreement that guarantees a fixed/predictable monthly service fee,” according to Troy Cannaday, who has more than 2 decades of experience in the senior living industry.

We often hear that “staying active” is the best way to preserve good health, but to what extent is that true? How does nature versus nurture factor in? While regular exercise may help us build muscle and improve strength and balance, what will it do to keep our minds intact? Experts warn there is little, if any, empirical evidence that brain exercises and other extraneous efforts do more than improve short-term memory. Let’s take a closer look at how the brain changes as we age, and how learning can help preserve mental acuity.

For much of our lives, we have been juggling multiple priorities, career and family, and we may have felt that there was not much time left for anything else. A lifestyle that moves at a breakneck speed can become very stressful. During moments of quiet reflection, we may have struggled to find ways to slow it down and use our skills and knowledge to make a difference in the world, to feel a sense of accomplishment from what we choose to do with our time. Now, in retirement, we can take on a new sense of purpose.

It was just a few years ago that Toni Smith became a resident at The Admiral at the Lake. She was drawn to this community because of its focus on the ongoing pursuit of knowledge. Toni’s passion for learning led her to the Lifelong Learning Committee, of which she is now chair.

If you have reached retirement age or are quickly approaching it, you may think that exercise is not for you. When you think about going to a gym to workout, all you can see is young, hard bodies there – no place for you. And besides, you tell yourself, your body just can’t handle it.

While you prepare to travel the globe, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the prices of airline tickets. The residents of The Admiral at the Lake have revealed these tips for getting the best prices on airfare.