New Orleans Jazz Night

Mardi Gras is a certain time of the year each year, so if you have smart residents, which I'm sure that you do, if you hold a Mardi Gras theme party on any other date, you would be wrong. So, with that in mind, I decided to have a New Orleans Jazz Night instead.

For decorations, I used some of the items from my Mardi Gras collection, but nothing that said Mardi Gras on it. I had a cool back drop that showed a scene of New Orleans buildings in the evenings with lamps on. I used this along one of the main walls in my lobby. I really wanted to focus on the Jazz side of this theme event, so I found a few nice pieces at Home Goods, such as a brass horn that I used as part of a center piece. I also used black balloons with musical notes on it around the lobby. And of course, you must have Jazz music playing throughout the evening. For me, I used CDs and played them during the "happy hour" reception that took place prior to the residents special dinner in the Dining Room. We have found that our residents prefer not to have music playing while they eat because it is hard for them to have their normal conversations.

The dinner menu for our New Orleans Jazz Night included crawfish and corn soup, bayou salad, Cajun Red Snapper, Crab stuffed Chicken Breast, Cajun Garlic Pork Roast, Hush Puppies, Hoppin' John, and Okra & Tomatoes. The servers were given Mardi Gras beads to wear and were allowed to wear jeans and a solid color shirt. You might get some more food ideas by looking on the internet or in specialty cookbooks. I know that my culinary director does use the internet a lot for special events.

The after dinner show in the auditorium was a local group who performed jazz music, but also added a video element to the show, which was great! The residents were treated to an overview of jazz, from it's roots to current day with this entertaining and educational program. I decorated the stage with carnival masks and shiny metallic curtains out of my Mardi Gras collection.


I will say that when I advertised a New Orleans Jazz Night, that residents were a bit confused and did not really know how to dress for the event. I learned that when I create a new title to give a theme a twist, that I really need to drop a few more clues as to what might be appropriate for the party. I have a wonderful chairperson for my activities committee who is so creative, that she and her husband dress for all my events, (and even some that she celebrates in her own home). She would be a good resource for me and I will be using her to help me help the rest of the community with getting involved more.

P.S. Check out my store link for lots more resources

Heaven on Earth Volunteer Party

What do you get for volunteers who are seniors that you want to thank for working in your retirement community each year? How do you thank them?

This year, I selected a gift that was small, but meaningful and I built my theme around it.  I bought an angel pin that says volunteer on it. They each came in their own individual box, and I wrapped them with white paper, with a silver ribbon on them. The gifts were laid on a bed of clouds on the gift table. I created the table by using Christmas lights and the same cotton that I use at Christmas for my snow scenes. It looked a bit "flat" so I added large glass vases with white candy in them to give the table a bit of height and clout.  In the dining room where we served the lunch and had the program, I used white balloons in clusters of three, throughout the room to make it feel like clouds.  On the tables, I bought white artificial flowers and created a bud vase with a silver halo coming out of each one. The music was..... harp music, of course. The look of having the harp in the room with us and the sound if it while the residents came in and ate was perfect. 

I asked the culinary department to make the menu to go along with the theme. They came up with chicken on rainbow pasta with mixed vegetables served chilled with a croissant. For dessert was angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream. It was alright.... not really very exciting and I know that it could have been better.

I found a few quotes that I used in my thank you speech on Quote Garden and I used this poem at the end of the speech that I also found on the internet: 

Volunteers 
--Author Unknown

Many will be shocked to find,

When the day of judgment nears,
That there's a special place in Heaven,
Set aside for volunteers.
Satin couches and footstools,
Where there are no committee chairmen,
No yard sales or rest area coffee to serve,
No library duty or bulletin assembly,
There will be nothing to print or staple,
Not one thing to fold or mail,
Telephone lists will be outlawed.
But a finger snap will bring
Cool drinks and gourmet dinners
And rare treats fit for a king.
And work for all they're worth?"
Why, all those who reaped the benefits,
And not once volunteered on Earth.

Furnished with big recliners,

You ask, "Who'll serve these privileged

The residents really liked the poem and the afternoon.
ps. Take a minute to read another article re: volunteers

Concert Series

Organization is the key to your success when it comes to the job of being an activities director in a retirement community. One of the first things that I did when I came to my job was to set myself up with a system that works best for me. Today I will share one part of it... which is processing the residents request for season tickets to community concert series.

At my community we go to approximately 6 different shows. These include the ballet, philharmonic, a few different drama series, a pops concert series and a musical series. Since our company has had accounts with these organizations for 20+ years, we have managed to get some prime seats within our group's allotment. This is a nice perk for the residents.

The way I work this element of my job is to first set myself up with a plastic folder with pockets on the inside for each series. I specifically said a plastic folder so that it will last you a long time. Mine are black, but you can get them in any color(s) you want. I turn the folder so that the opening of the folder is at the top, and there, I put a stick-on name tag with the series' name on it on the top right corner - BALLET. This way, when I am looking into my file cabinet, it will be easy to identify.

Next, I label both pockets of the folder.(I do not buy the folders with any clips in the middle because I don't use them for this project.) On the right side, I put a name tag that says "last year" on it. I like to keep last year's information so that I can refer back to it. I throw away all the work that leads up to the end result, but keep the seating assignments, price per seat, and maybe a copy of what I did to sell the program. On the left side I put a label  or a post it note, on the pocket that has all the information that I need to find quickly. This usually is, how many are attending, the cost for transportation per show because it varies in my community (if a resident calls and wants to bring a friend along for one show and they have purchased their own ticket) and the contact information of the box office.

On the left side, where the current season's information goes, I've come up with a small quarter-sheet of paper that has a check-list on it. I print this on a bright piece of paper so that I can find it quickly and keep it at the front of all the paperwork. On this check-list, I put the date when I started to sell the program to the residents, when I sent my seating request to the box-office, when the deposit was made, final payment was made, bus request made and approved, when I gave the charges to the billing department, when I put the dates onto my calendar and when residents were billed for the series. As you know (or can see) there are many details, and I do not want to miss one of them because it will wreck havoc and could result in residents loosing their specific seats.

I send each existing subscriber a renewal letter that gives them the dates of the new shows, what the shows are, and the current cost for their existing seat. I give them three options: renewing their current seat, change their seat (and ask for their new requirements in writing), or to cancel their subscription. I do not do anything without it being in writing! If the resident calls me to make a change, I ask them to come to my office to make the change on their renewal letter. I take the blame for this and tell them that this is my need as I am handling multiple series with multiple resident requests.

Renewing residents have first priority over the new new requests for season tickets. I try to match the needs of new subscribers with the seats that I have in my inventory. This means that I must have a good understanding of what they are requesting and a good understanding of the theater. You can usually find a seating chart on-line these days and you really must have that in your folder for each venue.

As I mentioned  in my office organization article, keeping your files organized on the computer is critical for your success. I have a file called Concerts. Under it are each of the series we attend. Inside those specific folders I have the seating requests sent to the box office, a copy of the signature sheet that I use when a resident accepts their tickets, the renewal letter that I send to residents and the bus request information. Most of the time, I have these items in a hard copy in the folder also.

Being able to offer your residents the best possible seats to see a concert means that you must be organized. If you are struggling with this today, take time to think these suggestions through and see if you can implement any of the ideas. If it works for you, great, if it doesn't, I bet you will still be better off than you are now! Also, if you have suggestions that work for you, I would be interested in hearing from you. There is always room for improvement.

Havana Night's Theme Party

Enlarge a picture like this and frame it nicely!

I'm getting excited about my up coming Havana Nights theme party that I have planned for my retirement community. We are luck to be in South Florida, but I think that no matter where you live, you can enjoy this theme in your retirement community.

Some of my inspirations for decorations are:

Navy Beans, feathers, flowers

• Carmen Miranda 

• Cuban music  -  Maracas

• Fedoras or Panama Hat

• Palm Trees

• Cuban Flag

• Cigar boxes used to hold snacks, flowers, utensils or as a center piece

• Burlap Bags of coffee beans

• Tropical flowers - bird of paradise, etc

• Large cigar made by rolling brown paper and putting a gold seal on it in the center

• Bright tropical colors
• Cigar rolling demonstration.

Please click on the link for my store where you can find other items similar to those listed above.

Ladies enjoy the demonstration

In my community, we like to have a reception before dinner that fits with the theme. It is a time where residents eat appetizers that are appropriate to the event and have a chance to see each other dressed for the special event. A lot of pictures are taken at this time. I have hired a cigar roller to demonstrate this traditional art form and will be offering chocolate cigars, in cigar boxes, in the Dining Room as an "after-dinner cigar" to follow up the concept.

Some of the plans for the appetizers are:

Empanadas, which are a biscuit dough or pastry shell filled with a tasty combination of ground beef, chicken, or turkey mixed with tomato sauce, corn, and grated cheese—then folded over into a crescent shape and crimped along the edges to seal. A nice fruit kabob with tropical fruit or any of the ideas that you can find on the internet. Here is one site for appetizers.

Dinner is always a big part of the success of the evening event. Suggestions for meals might include:

Ropa Vieja” (Beef Stew), “Masitas de Puerco” (Fried Pork Tenders), ox tail, or barbecued ribs. For a lighter option, you can serve the popular sandwiches called “sandwich mixto” or Cuban Pressed Sandwiches. Make sure to include typical dessert items on your dinner menu. These might include, Tostones, which are simply plantain slices fried till tender and golden to bring out their natural sweetness, Flan (Cuban custard), Merenguitos (mini meringues) made from beaten egg whites whipped with sugar and then baked, and Arroz con leche (rice pudding) flavored with cinnamon and topped with juicy raisins. Then for some Cuban pastry or cake options, there are señoritas, pastelitos, and capuchinos. Señoritas are flaky pastries filled with layers of creamy custard, served in a choice of vanilla or chocolate flavors. Pastelitos are little puff pastry “buns” stuffed with your choice of guava or cream cheese fillings, or grated coconut in heavy syrup. And the capuchinos are little yellow cone-shaped cakes, soaked in a syrup made with cinnamon, orange and lemon peels, and anisette. 

This is a nice site with some good photos of a Havana theme that was done in a home. I thought it was worth sharing because of the ideas and the pictures.

After dinner I've hired a group that includes musicians and dancers. I can't wait to see how it all goes. If you have done this theme before and have something to add, please leave a comment below! Thanks.

College Campus and CCRCs

As baby boomers begin to enter retirement, they are requesting more educational activities from their CCRC's activities directors then ever before. Their educational requests span the gamete of  taking classes on college campus, having guest speakers from the college at the retirement community, to taking on-line courses at home. There are many benefits for the residents to be involved in continuing education. Some of the benefits are:

• Keeps their minds sharp
• Improves memory
• Develops Self-confidence
• Gives them a feeling of accomplishment
• Opportunity to meet new people with like interests
• Provides the resident with something new to speak about

In my retirement community, we are very lucky to have 3 college campuses within a 5 mile radius. We schedule outings to the colleges for musical presentations, lectures and courses. I've gotten to know the contact person for the departments of interest and stay in touch with them by e-mail as often as needed. The residents are also a great resource and bring in items of interest that they want to attend.

One of the universities has a lifelong learning program that we have been actively involved with. Due to arranging transportation, we (the two other activities directors from my sister communities and I) review and select a handful of courses that we think will be interesting and promote those to the community. We arrange for the resident's enrollment and payment paperwork to be processed, so it makes it easier for the resident. The other successful by-product from the university's life-long learning catalogue, is that I can see who is teaching what subject, and contact the professor directly myself. I do this by going to the university's website and finding the instructor's email address. It is that easy!

Besides having lectures, we have had the ability to hire wonderful musicians out of the music departments of the universities. This gives the students needed performance time and extra dollars while they are attending school. For our community, it is usually a benefit to the budget to hire the students. We also have hired instructors to develop a specific program for our events. A few months ago, I spoke with the dean of the music department and asked her to find someone who could present a Chinese themed musical program for one of our theme nights. She could not find anyone that fit the bill, but she did find a wonderful DVD that was a mixture of ballet, opera and cinematography that was amazing. She did a lesson on the importance of the DVD, and its meaning. It was very well received. She then sat down and played a few of her favorite pieces on the piano, because our residents know and love her for her talents. The audience spoke about that program for weeks afterwards because it was so unique.....and I would have never know about it, if I didn't ask her, the college professor, to work on the program for me.

Residents at my community have requested more programs on the weekends. I find that have an educational talk is usually a popular event. I get a lot of my speakers from the university and have some of the instructors back on a regular basis. The residents love the connection this brings to the class.

As Activity Director, I really value having the college and universities to work with. I believe that residents moving into our CCRC are, and will be, more interested in continuing education as the baby-boomers start moving in. I really believe that this is a great area to focus on if you want to build your activities program up and work towards an even more successful future.

Below are some articles that I found on-line regarding college campus and retirement communities:

Senior Citizens Attracted to Campus Settings 

Retirement Communities 101 Seniors Flock to College Towns

Why Baby Boomer Choose Campus Living

Baby Boomers and Seniors Embrace LifeLong Learning
Why Boomers are Retiring to College