Winter events, activities abound for seniors

METRO DETROIT — For senior citizens interested in staying active and socially engaged during the winter months, metro Detroit businesses and organizations have a wide range of activities and events available.

Still, representatives responsible for senior programming in the cities of Southfield and Troy said older adults are generally more active during the warmer months, for a variety of reasons. It could be due to the fact that snow or ice storms can cause events and activities to be canceled, or the possibility that some elderly community members may spend their winters outside of Michigan. Others simply don’t want to venture out on slippery roads and sidewalks.

“It’s definitely busier in the warmer months . . . even if we are offering things, a lot of seniors do prefer to stay home or, you know, they’re traveling in Florida for the winter months, too,” Troy Recreation Supervisor Lyndsey Ramsay said.

“We had the occasional activity that gets canceled due to weather,” Southfield Senior Coordinator Angela Verges said. “We had a casino trip scheduled a couple weeks ago and . . . the weather was so bad, we canceled that one. But, yeah, probably spring and summer, but they come out pretty steady (then).”

With that in mind, representatives with Corewell Commons and Somerset Collection’s Skywalker Program have found that there is still some interest in staying active during the colder months.

“We don’t have very many snowbirds,” Corewell Commons representative Cheryl Snycerski said. “We have condominiums here and a lot of those residents go but in our apartments and assisted living, they just kind of stay put. Much more quiet and more activities in-house.”

“We are busy year-round…there is comfort knowing that our walkers are in a nice environment and should they need anything we know many by name and we are here for them,” VVK PR + Creative CEO Peter Van Dyke said in an email, about the Somerset Collection’s Skywalker Program.

Southfield’s senior programming includes different things to do for fitness, educational purposes, and general fun and socialization. Some of their many events and activities includes chair exercise drop-in fitness classes, walking groups during the mornings and afternoons, a speaker series that provides seniors with different personal and professional information, different shopping center trips as well as trips for various entertainment-based activities and events, chess club and lessons, luncheon events and many other things.

“Our lunches are very popular,” Verges said. “As far as activities like that, chair exercises is packed all the time. We have a drop-in program like Bid Whist card game. We can get about 60 people in here on Tuesdays, and (they’re) just playing cards and playing their music and having a good time.”

Corewell Commons provides assisted and independent living spaces as well as access to various medical needs at different metro Detroit locations. It has various support groups, book clubs, exercise programs, and coffee and chat events as well as other activities that residents and staff help put together.

“Well, I will tell you they love food,” Snycerski said. “So . . . like our potluck, we’re going to probably have 50, 60 people there and that so then that’s a big one and it’s kind of, you know, eating and sharing and just being together. So that social part is really nice and then our cardio drumming, we have a great group of ladies that come down for that. So they like that kind of moving.”

Troy’s senior programming includes afternoon and evening concerts, bingo, movie days and daily hot lunches through Meals on Wheels.

“Anyone is allowed to attend any of our concerts. We just require that people register in advance,” Ramsay said.

The Skywalker Program sees a wide variety of people walking, Monday to Saturday at 7 a.m. and Sunday at 8 a.m. That can include seniors, businesspeople and parents with strollers. Van Dyke noted that they have around 3,000 walkers with 200 to 300 people participating on any given day. The walkers come in groups or by themselves.

Many friendships are formed and now many walkers now travel together,” Van Dyke said. “One couple who both lost their spouses got married after meeting while walking Somerset.”

Van Dyke also noted that walkers can enjoy coffee and pastries from Starbucks as well as gifts and discounts from a different store associated with Somerset each month.

“It is a wonderful way to connect with friends, feel comfortable in a beautiful environment…and of course, the health benefits of walking are endless,” Van Dyke said in an email. “Our walkers are also our loyal supporters, showing up to and helping us market our events and new store openings to their friends. When we do offer an experience, they are the first to feel ‘proud’... they take ownership in Somerset Collection’s success and we are honored to host them daily.”

• For Skywalker Program information, visit thesomersetcollection.com/with-our-compliments/skywalker-program.

• For Southfield senior programming, visit cityofsouthfield.com/residents/seniors/services-seniors.

• For Troy senior programming, visit rec.troymi.gov/programs_events/senior_programs/index.php.

• For more about Corewell Commons, visit corewellhealthseniorliving.org.