A Typical Day for Residents at Brandon, FL Assisted Living Community

Chair Dancing

The birds are chirping, the sun is rising and so are residents at The Bridges Assisted Living Community in Brandon, FL. Breakfast is being prepared and the dining room readied for residents to arrive. Servers, familiar with the likes and dislikes of each resident, pour their preferred beverages. For one resident, only cranberry juice will do. For another, it is coffee with cream and two sugars and a glass of orange juice with ice. As residents arrive, they place their order and are promptly served. Will it be bacon and eggs, or yogurt and fruit, or perhaps “the special” of the day?

A group of energetic residents gather in the lobby for the Sunshine Walking Group, led by our wellness coordinator. After 30 minutes of walking, with occasional breaks for rest, residents relax in the lobby as they watch the colorful fish in the saltwater aquarium.

Rex, the therapy dog, arrives to make his rounds visiting with residents. With tail wagging, Rex warmly greets each one as he waits for scratches behind his ears. You can almost guess which residents were previous dog owners by their expression when they see Rex and the other therapy dogs when they visit.

The Bridges’ bus waits out front of the building for residents who will be boarding. The trip to The Colonnade restaurant in Tampa has been scheduled for weeks and interested residents have signed up to go. Before boarding, the group meets in the lobby. Activities Assistants offer red hats for those without one; after all, it is a Red Hat Luncheon.

Later in the day, chair dancing begins with 40 assisted living residents ready to move and groove in their chair to music from the ‘50s and ‘60s. The stretching and dancing is led by our wellness coordinator who energizes the group with his encouragement.

For those with a green thumb, they will be meeting to begin gardening in the gazebo. For sports enthusiasts, Wii bowling is on the agenda.

As the day winds down, residents gather in the dining room. Meeting with friends over dinner is a good way to wrap up the day. But wait, after dinner, there is still karaoke!

Sunshine Walking Group