There are many benefits that come with living in a senior community.  Besides the obvious of having professional staff and caregivers on hand, there are the opportunities to participate in many different social activities.  Whether the residents are enjoying popcorn and a movie in the media room or playing Wii with family and friends, there is always something to do. Many times, these and other events take place with the help of volunteers. 
 
     Most of the volunteers are actual residents who are offering their services to help out or have found a hobby they can share with the rest of the community.  Catherine Walker, a resident who will be 100 in August, volunteers in our memory support unit, New Day. Another resident, Hank Zelkovich loves to help out with the weekly Trivia Night.  With his deep toned voice and dramatic flair, he makes the attendees feel like they are on a tv game show.  Some of the residents have taken their skills and used them to teach others.  A deaf resident, Marjorie Konicki, teaches sign language classes to fellow residents.  Though she has never taught sign language before, she felt that others would be interested in learning some basic signing.  This is a wonderful way for her and the people she teaches to "exercise" their brains.  The interaction, the physical movements, the act of learning and remembering are all essential activities to keeping the brain alert and ward off cognitive deterioration. Others, Jennie "Babe" Eriks and Georgia Batchos, help attend to the gardens and landscaping.  Again, neither of them have any formal training, but both enjoyed gardening in the past as a hobby.  There are so many benefits to this. They are staying active and being creative.  They also are able to take pride and a sense of ownership of their community.  This is, afterall, their home.
 
     These are just a few of the volunteers that help to make life at The Pointe at Kilpatrick, exciting and enjoyable. They are also promoting brain healthy lifestyles. Regardless of role, be it volunteer or participant, the residents are living active, social lives.  It has been proven that they are both very important to maintaining a healthy brain which in turn can help fight off the causes of Alzheimer's and dementia.