A well-rounded approach to wellness.
There was one aspect of her previous job as a personal trainer Gretta Zinski found especially rewarding: working with seniors.
Now, in her role as Edenwald’s wellness coordinator, Gretta gets to work with older adults every day. In addition to enjoying their company, Gretta finds working with Edenwald residents especially satisfying. “Seeing the progress that can happen as a result of an exercise program is very fulfilling,” she says.
Gretta also sees how her work can have a direct effect on the residents’ quality of life. She conducts exercise programs that can assist with standing up, grabbing an item from a high shelf, picking up something from the floor, getting from one place to another—activities of daily living, or ADLs, that many of us struggle with as we get older. “These are not things younger people often think about,” she says, “but seniors know how mobility can be impacted as we age. I get to see how my work can really make a difference.”
Edenwald residents have ample opportunity to participate in exercise programs, classes, and one-on-one personal training sessions that Gretta and the community’s Wellness Director Amy Demaine conduct. The duo oversees fitness initiatives that include cardio classes, strength training, balance training, Zumba, aerobics, water aerobics, trail walking, and more.
Additionally, Edenwald residents can participate in meditation and take advantage of external instructors who come into the community and offer massage therapy, Tai Chi, and Reiki (an ancient Japanese spiritual healing technique).
Wellness: transcending the physical.
Edenwald takes a holistic approach to wellness with initiatives that go well beyond physical wellness. Take, for example, our community’s approach to social wellness. Though Gretta’s not directly involved with socialization, she recognizes its importance. “There’s a good amount of research out there,” she says, “that shows the two components that make the most difference in brain health are physical activity and socializing.”
When it comes to socializing, once again, Edenwald residents enjoy countless opportunities to connect. Residents gather to enjoy cultural performances, card games, club meetings, art classes, wine tastings, lifelong learning lessons, holiday parties and special events, weekly outings, resident-run committees, and more. There’s even a gathering to just sit down and have a chat over a cup of coffee.
Weekly Bible study classes, bi-monthly Shabbat services, a variety of Sunday worship services, and quiet spaces with opportunities for personal reflection ensure Edenwald residents’ spiritual wellness is well tended to.
As Edenwald evolves into a college-enriched senior living community, the opportunities for intellectual wellness are increasing dramatically. Residents can audit Goucher College classes, attend lectures and on-campus cultural events, access the college’s library—even take part in study abroad programs. While the physical manifestation of this evolution is impressive—125 new planned INSPIRE residences and amenities on the Goucher College campus—what will have an even greater impact on Edenwald residents (and students) are the opportunities for lifelong learning and personal growth the expansion will bring.
Coming soon: new spaces and new faces.
When asked what kind of impact INSPIRE will have on the Edenwald wellness program, Amy doesn’t mince words. “It will be huge,” she says.
“I see the wellness department growing tremendously,” Amy says. “The expansion will open up all kinds of new opportunities for us. For example, we’ll have a dedicated yoga studio in the new space.”
The expansion will also include a larger fitness center—allowing Gretta and Amy to continue using a multi-purpose room and the auditorium for classes that are too big for the studio.
Amy also sees the expansion as an opportunity to develop intergenerational classes that will include Goucher College students. “That’s definitely on the horizon,” she says.
Gretta notes that the wellness program already has internships with Goucher College students, and points to one particular student who finished her internship, but came back to teach water aerobics, just because she missed the residents.
Edenwald is known for bringing innovation to the field of wellness, and increasing the intergenerational facet is yet another example of how that forward-thinking mindset can be brought to life for the benefit of all concerned.
If you’d like to learn more about Edenwald’s holistic approach to wellness and other ways the Edenwald-Goucher College partnership is shaping Maryland’s premier college-enriched senior living community, or the INSPIRE expansion, call an Edenwald Residency Counselor at 410-339-6263.
Edenwald’s expansion project is subject to final approval by the Maryland Department of Aging.
