When you think about senior living, what do you imagine? Quiet halls? Residents in armchairs with slippered feet?
Think again.
“It’s a lot more like a college campus than it is a nursing home of the past,” says Jan Bond, activities coordinator at Brookdale. “When you walk in the door at Brookdale, you’ll see people enjoying themselves, playing games, reading and chatting.”
Although she probably won’t take the credit, it’s partly thanks to Jan that the common rooms at Brookdale Meridian Westland are buzzing. She’s been an activities coordinator for more than six years, planning fun events like cocktail parties, talent shows, tours of historic sites and more.
“We use the biggest 12-line calendar there is, and there are still days when I can’t fit all our activities on the calendar!”
Jan describes a cinema-inspired event she planned last year — a calendar photoshoot where residents reenacted old movies for each month of the year.
Talking to Jan, it’s clear she was made for this job. After working for several years as a secretary at her children’s school, Jan applied for a receptionist position at Brookdale. Eventually, she made her way to the activities coordinator position and has never looked back.“
I never saw myself in this career,” says Jan, “but when I got here, I realized older adults are the love of my life. I love the stories they have, the lives they’ve lived, getting to know them and their families.”