Seniors & Loneliness
Whenever I had a conversation with my father years ago about what to do if he needed to move into a nursing home, I will always remember my father responding, "If that ever happens to me just shoot me!"For many seniors living alone is preferable, but living alone can have its drawbacks and challenges as well. Loneliness is one of the biggest drawbacks, particularly when it comes to lack of shared mealtime experiences. Who likes to eat alone? The answer is Nobody! Meals are not just a method of sustenance but also a social outlet for most. As we grow, it is how we come together as families and friends. When a person is isolated from that opportunity it can lead to poor nutritional health & emotional well-being. Often times, families & friends just don't have the time to share meals with seniors.
It's a wonderful concept & we've all heard someone proudly say "My mother is 88 and still living on her own". But the reality is that this concept has created a growing population of lonely, isolated seniors. We prize independence but at what price? Studies have shown that lack of social relationships can be as harmful to your health as smoking.
My father's generation held the opinion of life that first, people lived in their own home & then - as they aged – they moved to "The Home". The Home (a nursing home) was where the "crazy people" lived. Times have changed considerably since my father has passed. Nowadays, there are many choices that did not exist in his lifetime. One of those choices is the popular BeeHive Cottages Independent Living, the newest innovation in Senior Retirement Living.
I believe that the very essence of the BeeHive Cottages offers our seniors the chance to maintain the independence that they desire so deeply; while at the same time providing access to new relationships and social involvement resulting in a better quality of life. As we all age, we can still have the opportunity to make new friends, develop new interests, and discover a new, rewarding chapter in our life.
I invite you to join us for lunch soon and experience Senior Independent Living at its best! Call (435)634-9299 for reservations.
Celebrating the Holiday Season at the BeeHive Cottages
Twinkling lights, festive carolers, family & friends gathered together, good food & good music – all of these things combine to make the holidays a special time for many of us!At the BeeHive Cottages, our grand festivities kept all our residents' spirits bright this Holiday season. We started by decking the halls of our Community Center with an abundance of bright Holiday decorations – including our beautiful Christmas Tree which was previously on display at the 2010 St. George "Jubilee of Trees".
Our Executive Chef, Dan Harward, enhanced each of our celebrations by preparing traditional family recipes contributed by the relatives of our residents. On Christmas Eve, all of our families were invited to join us for eggnog & Christmas desserts, along with a special visit from Santa. On Christmas Day, dinner was simply a culinary delight that drew rave reviews from all the jolly residents.
Hark the Angels did Sing throughout the month of December at the Cottages!! Our residents enjoyed a multitude of entertainers from the Barbershop Quartets – Tonal Eclipse & Breathless – to the Key Note Singers & the Children from the Learning Center. We cherished the performances by the Tonaquint Intermediate Choir, the Tonaquint Intermediate Orchestra, and the Lava Ridge School Choir – each of these groups nearly blew the roof off our Community Center! We enjoyed the festive carolers from the Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church & the Fuego Dance Studio, along with the Green Valley 3rd Ward Singers. We all marveled at the talents of local pianists, Elaine Mathews and Margo Cravey; and we were brought to tears by the sheer talent of the Dalley Family and Nate & Sammy Myers. In addition, our own BeeHive Singers wowed the other residents with their special renditions of Holiday favorites!
Our residents also adored the concerts they attended at the Tabernacle – especially the distinguished Southern Utah Heritage Choir & the revered Brodie Perry! They had a blast traveling back in time at the Dickens Festival & enjoyed a humorous perspective on Christmas at the Tuacahn High School's production of "Tuna Christmas". Our residents also created a new BeeHive tradition by taking not one, but two evening tours of the outdoor Holiday lights throughout St. George! A most joyous Christmas season was had by all!
And as the year draws to a close, we are all grateful for the blessings in our lives! Our entire BeeHive Family wishes you and your family a very Happy New Year!!
Holiday Cheer
With Christmas just around the corner, the people in the city are all hustling about. They are busy with shopping lists and menus frantically hurrying from one place to another trying to get it all done...but this is the time of year when we should slow down a little and take time to really think about the holiday and why we celebrate it, what is important to us, our families and those we care about. I found this lovely poem a few years ago and I always try to keep this in mind:
On Christmas Day
by Ellen Bailey
Jesus was born on Christmas Day, in a manger on a bed of hay
His arrival was heralded by a shining star, that could be seen both near and far
He came in peace and brought us his love, he was a gift from Heaven above
Let us celebrate His arrival on this day, for He came to show us the way
To eternal bliss and everlasting joy, for every man and woman, girl and boy
Let us ring bells and sing together as a choir, let us make joyful noise everywhere
Let us spread good tidings at home and away, let us glorify Him on this Christmas Day.
May this holiday season be filled with love and happiness as we remember the true meaning of Christmas. May we surround ourselves with those friends and family whom we love and hold dear and appreciate all the joy they bring in and out of our lives...
BeeHive Cottages October Activities
Experience your second youth........
When our residents move into the BeeHive Cottages, they step out of the isolation of living alone in their home into a vibrant, fun loving community of peers. BeeHive generates a senior living experience unlike any other in St. George. Regardless of your stage in life, it is important to have friends. Spending time with others enjoying activities will help you to feel better about life. Our Activities Program recognizes and offers extensive social opportunities while allowing our residents the freedom to choose which activities suit their fancy. Each month, residents choose from a variety of exciting cultural, educational and entertaining programs designed to challenge & enrich the mind, body & soul, while also adding a splash of merriment wherever possible.
During October, our activities were "wickedly good" throughout the entire month. We started out with our funtastic Oktober Fest filled with festive German food, refreshments & entertainment. Next, everyone gathered at our Halloween Social to enjoy sinister pumpkin cookies & eerie witches brew while sharing "Spooky Stories". We also had a ghostly good time getting together to color boo-tiful pumpkins for our Rocktober Craft and preparing devishly good caramel apples. On Halloween day, our Community Center was hauntingly decorated and our rocking costume party brought out the scariest witches and creepiest monsters, who nibbled on "Mummy Dogs" and "Blood Curdling Spuds". The highlight of our day was definitely the visit by the Learning Center's children who dropped by to go trick or treating. Fun was had by all – as evidenced by the smiles on every goblin in the house!
At BeeHive Cottages our broad range of Activities in October also included many sightseeing excursions like our trips to Pine Valley Mountain, Zion National Park, and Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab. Our residents also loved the local Musical Theater selections, along with the spectacular concerts at the Tabernacle. They had a blast visiting the Swiss Days in Santa Clara & St. George's "Taste of Dixie". In addition, our wealth of local artists that came to the Cottages to entertain our residents included Arthur Kaufman, Jerry Thorpe, the Nisson Brothers, Latressa Smith, and John Sato.
It is the continual growth of our activities program that fosters friendships and community support which serves as the basis for enriching our residents' lives. We invite you to stop by to participate in any of our activities & experience Senior Living at its best!
The BeeHive Cottages Dining Experience
There are many wonderful reasons to choose to live at St. George's premier Senior Independent Living Community -- including our unparalleled dining experience. Our professional chefs make BeeHive Cottages one of the best places to eat in St. George. Our commitment to our residents dining experience is evident in all that we do from our beautifully decorated dining room with fireplace to our crisp linen tablecloths & courteous, friendly wait staff. All of our meals are home-cooked with special attention to our resident's food preferences & dietary needs. Our Executive Chef, Dan Harward brings a lifetime of experience to developing traditional menus for our residents, plus he also provides them the opportunity to try new specialties on a regular basis. He encourages our residents to participate in creating the menus by suggesting new ideas & providing feedback on existing choices. Dan is ServSafe Certified and the previous owner of the Boulevard Bistro and The Bentley House. Our culinary team of Chefs also includes Bobbie Roberts, our Sous Chef and Gina Blake, our Pastry Chef. Gina joined us recently after many years working as the Head Chef for Grandma Tobler's Bakery.The BeeHive Cottages dining experience enables you to enjoy the service & selections you would expect in your favorite restaurant. From breakfast to dinner & desserts, our multiple menu selections will please your palate. You are always welcome to order seconds at any meal and you never have to worry about the hassle of preparing food or cleaning up any dishes.
Many of our residents are Utah Jazz fans & when the Jazz are playing they can take advantage of having meals delivered to their home or they can stop by for take-out service. While other facilities have limited meal times and menu choices, our kitchen is open 12 hours a day & we remain as flexible as possible to our resident's requests. In addition, our resident's family members and friends have an open invitation to join us for any meals.
I encourage you to visit us during our dining hours so you can see for yourself how, at BeeHive Cottages we have turned eating into a dining experience!