Surrounded by Beauty, Supported by Community

Some of the essentials to maintaining the best cognitive level possible are keeping up social connections with peers, remaining physically active, and giving back to the community through service projects. To be useful is an innate human need.

Those kinds of social activities, along with regular exercise and brain-boosting games, have been shown to slow the progression of memory loss by as much as 60 percent for people with an early diagnosis. As long as there’s support in place, there is nothing that should be holding back people with changes in cognitive function.

All residents are encouraged to explore on-campus brain health programming, including our Brain Fitness Gym—a leading-edge, research-based program developed by Case Western Reserve University that helps strengthen cognitive function through technology and mental exercise.

The driving forces behind the Masonic Homes “Traditions” program include:

• Exercise: Keeping physically fit benefits not only the body but also the mind. As part of Traditions, residents with brain change exercise twice a day—typically for 30 minutes in the morning and an additional 15-30 minutes in the afternoon.

• Social Groups: Through Traditions, residents gather every day for a wide range of group activities, including the “artists corner,” a gardening group, cooking and baking classes, walking teams, and lunch clubs.
• Brain Games: Games like bingo may get a bad rap as stereotypical senior-game night fare, but group activities can actually help stave off memory loss and keep seniors sharp. Team trivia, card games, and the like also help strengthen memory and bring people together.
• Group Outings: The beauty of the Masonic Homes 268-acre campus is exploring other parts of our community, like the Masonic Homes library, museum, ice cream parlor, and clothing shop. Visiting these spaces is a key element of the program, as are off-campus group trips, whether for a lunch outing or to visit a local museum.
• Community Integration: At the Masonic Homes, we believe in an interconnected community. That’s why in Traditions, residents are encouraged to fully participate in the campus culture. Whether it’s sharing lunch with friends, attending a ceramics class, or attending a music performance, residents are invited to all Masonic Homes events, both on campus and off, while ensuring that there are trained team members on hand to support them.