An Active Social Life is Essential to Life Enrichment at Kensington Park

Our Kensington Park event calendar is packed with an ever-changing schedule of life enrichment events. This full calendar gives each of our residents a variety of social activities, providing lots of opportunities to stay active and engaged.

An active social calendar, seven days a week, from morning to evening, makes every day interesting and gives all our residents the benefits of companionship.

Benefits of Senior Activities, Companionship, and Life Enrichment

There are so many advantages to an active lifestyle, particularly for seniors.

Research has proven that increased activity and social interaction improves long-term quality of life. Social activities and friendships have been shown to reduce stress, preserve wellness, keep the mind sharp, and increase feelings of worth, especially for seniors.

This is why Kensington Park is always seeking and programming new ways to stimulate the mind, strengthen the body, and nourish the spirit of each of our residents.

Life Enrichment Coordinators Dedicated to Great Experiences

At Kensington Park, full-time Life Enrichment coordinators work with our team to keep our schedule full of diverse and interesting activities. In addition to our dedicated coordinators, we also have full activities staff that assist and participate with our residents in all of the scheduled activities.

Our activities team is attentive to and draws from a wide range of resident interests in an effort to appeal to all. We celebrate the uniqueness of all the personalities in our Kensington Park resident community.

We appreciate that everyone here has something to contribute, whether it’s musical ability, a passion for cooking, or a penchant for golf. By providing a variety of activities and programs, we create ways to share ourselves with each other and create a family rich with dimension.

Kensington Park Partners and Collaborates to Add Opportunities

Kensington Park has pioneered a powerful collaboration and partnership program between our community and several exceptional outside organizations.

Our health and well-being philosophy for enriching the lives of all of our residents is to pursue the prevention of disease processes instead of merely reacting to decline. With our development of strong relationships with exceptional partners, we’ve brought innovative wellness programs, the latest industry research, and advanced support services to our residents.

Inter-Ages Program

Through the JCA Heyman Interages Center, Kensington Park and Silver Creek Middle School have blossomed a beautiful partnership with their powerful SHARE (Students Help and Reach Elders) program. Our residents and SCMS students gather weekly throughout the school year to participate in enriching experiences such as fine arts, music, educational endeavors, interactive games and good conversation. A particularly meaningful program is our Intergenerational Choir, led by our board-certified music therapist Melissa Pate, MT-BC, NMT.

Research in music-based intergenerational programming shows immense benefit for children and older adults alike. For both groups, they have been shown to improve cross-age attitudes. Older adults involved in a music-based IG program reported increased feelings of usefulness after sessions. Results also suggested that the kids involved came into a more positive view of aging when the group concluded. Music is universal. It’s the one thing that connects us across age, demographics, culture, etc. When our residents join the kids of SCMS, it doesn’t matter the age difference, because they share something very important: a love of music.

We take pride in building rich relationships with the community at large. Neighbors always make the best friends – especially when they’re from different generations. Go Huskies!

Caregiver Connect

Caregiver Connect offers support and opportunities for education and learning. Helping others often leads to more positive outcomes for oneself. Caregivers benefit from a chance to share their experiences and at the same time, they gain crucial support for themselves and their senior loved one.

Leslie Mason, LCSW-C, a Care Manager for Seabury Resources for the Aging, leads our Caregiver Connect program. Leslie brings over 18 years of experience advocating for older adults. She directs monthly gatherings of caregivers to brainstorm challenges, suggests therapeutic approaches, and provides support.

Parkinson Foundation of the National Capital Area

For more than 25 years, the Parkinson Foundation of the National Capital Area (PFNCA) has been working to improve the quality of life for people facing Parkinson’s Disease.

Since 2015, Kensington Park has had a great relationship with the Parkinson’s Foundation of the National Capital Area (PFNCA). With this partnership, Kensington Park offers various wellness programs: a Choir led by our board-certified neurological music therapist, a Communication Club with Susan I. Wranik, and Boxing Class at local gym SPIRIT Club. These classes are led by certified professionals in the areas of speech, physical, and music therapy who have undergone specific training as it relates to Parkinson’s. All of these programs are open to the public. RSVP and join us for our next class.

As part of our partnerships, each March we sponsor the Parkinson’s Symposium and each September the Parkinson’s Walk. Learn more about the Parkinson Foundation of the National Capital Area and how it benefits Kensington Park residents.