When a resident moves to Westview Acres at Good Samaritan – Waconia in Waconia, Minnesota, they’re quickly introduced to a variety of activities and events.
Two popular groups are the B.S. clubs.
“Boys with Stories and Beautiful Successful Ladies. Those groups are on Tuesdays and Fridays,” says Denise Leonhardt, life enrichment director at Westview Acres. “Boyd Huppert came from KARE 11 and interviewed a couple of our ladies and sat and visited with the group.”
A knit and stitch group meets once a week and sits together while working on various projects.
“I do diamond dots. Right now, my hands are troubling me because I have arthritis, but I keep moving them and keep working,” says 88-year-old Shirley Bren, a resident since 2020.
She has been a quilter for decades and is involved in the Westview Acres quilt group, which displays a different quilt each month in the main area of the building.
Besides interacting with each other, residents have the opportunity to visit with people from the Waconia community who share their time and talents.
“People come in and perform live music on Friday afternoons. It might be country music or somebody imitating Elvis,” Shirley says. “Sometimes we have children from an elementary school come and play games or cards or sing and do something special. There’s a farm outside of Waconia and, last summer, those people brought their llamas.”
A joyful, active, friendly community
Denise did her practicum for therapeutic recreation at Westview Acres in June 1985 and was hired in September 1985. Since then, she has tried to provide activities that focus on the different dimensions of wellness.
“I was lucky and got to create the whole program,” says Denise. “We have exercise groups, we play cards, we have a discussion group and different music groups that come in. Artists come in and teach watercolor painting, jewelry making and pottery. We have a book club, Bible studies, ministers who come in, educational programs, master gardeners who come in, walking clubs and wellness programs.”
Shirley enjoys socializing and has made many friends while living at Westview Acres.
“We are blessed by the amount of activities here. Denise does a good job planning them. She is great about having discussion groups and I enjoy that,” says Shirley. “I appreciate the Bible studies and church services because I don’t drive anymore.”
To stay physically active, Shirley participates in the exercise class that meets three times a week.
“We do exercises from the Arthritis Foundation. It’s basically stretching and movement. I also love to walk. I go outside when the weather permits. I walk 2,000 to 5,000 steps at a time. And I just do what I can,” says Shirley.
She and other residents also have the opportunity to go on outings.
“We have activities where they take the Westview bus and go out to lunch at a local restaurant. Transit Link comes on certain days so we can go to the grocery store, Dollar Tree or Target,” Shirley says.
Purpose through volunteering
Shirley likes to volunteer and delivers Meals on Wheels around the building, makes greeting cards with women from a local Lutheran church, takes part in the prayer group and tidies up the community gathering spaces.
“I like to be busy. I enjoy doing what I can and getting to know people,” says Shirley.
She also volunteers in the Westview Acres store.
“It’s open Tuesdays and Fridays for an hour each time. We sell necessities like soap, toilet tissue, cleaning supplies, soups and cereal,” says Shirley.
Denise appreciates Shirley and the rest of the resident volunteers.
“I’m really lucky to have residents who say, ‘We live here and we want to be helpful,’” says Denise.
Those same volunteers created a group to help new residents feel welcome. Shirley is a part of that, too.
“We’re called the Friends of Westview Acres and we introduce ourselves to new residents who are moving in and take information along about the dining room, the bus service, the store and Meals on Wheels,” Shirley says.
Shirley is thankful for the friends old and new at Westview Acres and the chance to stay active – spiritually and physically.
Denise is grateful for the relationships she’s made with residents and the opportunity to help them live fulfilling lives.
“It’s a really fun place to work. I’m encouraged by them. I hope I have their attitude to be appreciative of what I have and just be happy,” says Denise.
