Residents from Westminster Communities of Florida’s 10 active senior living communities enjoyed outdoor festivities, games and fitness opportunities at Eckerd College
ST. PETERSBURG, January 31, 2020 – With outdoor lawn games, live music, dancing and a tai chi exercise, the Sixth Annual Westminster Games kicked off on Friday on the campus of Eckerd College. More than 300 residents and employees from Westminster Communities of Florida’s communities around the state, from the Tampa Bay area, Central Florida and North Florida, came to enjoy a competition of outdoor lawn games and tai chi. At the end of the day, their objective was to have fun in the great outdoors!
The Westminster Games showcase Westminster Communities of Florida’s active lifestyle, featuring their exclusive My W Life program for wellbeing of body, mind and soul. Residents enjoyed a fun and active experience today with the support of Eckerd College students and faculty, plus live music and dancing. Eckerd College students helped to put on the games and tabulate the scores, for inter-generational opportunities to learn more about seniors and their interests.
Attendees competed as teams by community in a variety of games to celebrate active living and wellbeing for seniors. The games included horseshoes, ring toss, corn hole and more.
Garry Hennis, Westminster Communities of Florida Chief Operating Officer, celebrated the day’s intent. “It is amazing to think that this is our sixth year! The Westminster Games highlight the difference that our residents and staff make in celebrating the active lifestyle,” Hennis said. “It’s so great to be here today.”
Eckerd College student body President Bailey Cross offered a warm welcome to attendees on behalf of Eckerd, and described her own experiences working with Westminster Shores. “Last year, during our winter term, I had the privilege of studying aging patterns in Sardinia. Before we left, we visited Westminster Shores and got a lot of feedback and had amazing conversations about what it’s like to grow up,” Cross said. “Thank you for being here today and for your continued partnership with Eckerd College!”
After a prayer led by Eckerd College chaplain Doug McMahon, the games kicked off. Several hundred residents competed in teams to see which community would come away with the prize of first place.
This year’s winning team was Westminster Shores in St. Petersburg, followed by Westminster Winter Park in second place and Westminster Towers in third place. “Congratulations to all the winners!” said Jim Polaski, Regional Vice President of Operations.
Congratulations to Westminster Shores and all the residents of Westminster Communities of Florida, for joining us in celebrating active living.
All throughout 2019, Westminster Communities of Florida residents celebrated each month with exciting themed activities and events, as part of our Celebrating Your Life program. This monthly calendar of various themed activities and events was designed to appeal to our MyWLife wellbeing program’s Eight Dimensions of Wellbeing: physical, nutritional, community, lifelong learning, spiritual, emotional, vocational, and social. Around the state, we’re working hard to facilitate these festive celebrations all year long.
We’re excited to announce that, for the entire year, we announced an overall winner. Please congratulate Westminster Shores for coming in #1 in 2019’s Celebrating Your Life program!
Learn about all the fun we had last year:
December – Celebrating The Holidays
How do you celebrate Christmas and New Year’s? We discovered a whole world of celebration, plus a celebration of “Physical Fit”mas, annual choral and musical performances, holiday scavenger hunts and decorating contests — and more than a few New Year’s Eve parties, too. Happy New Year!
1st Place – Tie with Westminster Manor, Westminster Woods on Julington Creek, Westminster Shores, Westminster Palms and Westminster Towers
2nd Place – Westminster Point Pleasant
3rd Place – Westminster Oaks
November – Celebrating Gratitude
Each Thanksgiving, many of us enjoy gathering with our family and friends and sharing what we’re grateful for this year. With “Celebrating Gratitude,” we shared a variety of celebrations, from thanking local police and first responders, and sharing friendship with each other, to packing shoeboxes and sending greeting cards to the men and women of the U.S. armed forces serving abroad. What are you thankful for this year?
1st Place – Tie with Westminster Shores, Westminster Palms and Westminster St. Augustine
2nd Place – Westminster Manor
3rd Place – Westminster Woods on Julington CreekPhotos Celebrating Gratitude at our communities in November.
October – Celebrating The Arts
The residents and staff in our communities are amazingly artistic. All throughout the month, we celebrated every kind of art: We made kites, baked pies, enjoyed theatrical and choral performances, and so much more.
1st Place – Westminster Shores
2nd Place – Tie with Westminster Palms and Westminster Towers
3rd Place – Tie with Westminster St. Augustine, Westminster Woods on Julington Creek and Westminster OaksPhotos showcasing The Arts at our communities in October.
September – Celebrate Active Aging
Aging is a part of life, but this month, we celebrated being active and having a great time! We treated ourselves to healthy dining choices, physical wellbeing events, meditation classes, and an astronomy night. Being happy never gets old at a Westminster community!
1st Place – Tied for Westminster Palms, Westminster Shores and Westminster Towers
2nd Place – Westminster Oaks
3rd Place – Westminster ManorPhotos celebrating Active Aging at our communities in September.
August – Celebrate The World Around You
In August, we celebrated “The World Around You” all month long. Our residents and team members enjoyed events ranging from dinners featuring international cuisine and presentations by world traveling residents, to musical events and even nature and birding trips.
Congratulations to our August winners:
1st Place – Westminster Shores
2nd Place – Westminster Palms
3rd Place – Westminster TowersPhotos showcasing The World Around You at our communities in August.
July – Celebrate Patriotism
“Celebrate Patriotism” was the theme for the month of July. Throughout the month resident and team members enjoyed many patriotic events: Fourth of July fireworks, red, white and blue yoga, virtual America, a historical happy hour and much more.
Congratulations to our July winners!
1st place – Westminster Palms
2nd place – Westminster Shores
3rd place – Westminster Woods on Julington Creek
June – Bucket List Trip
What’s on your bucket list? Throughout the month of June, we celebrated “Bucket List” items. We conquered some fears and went rock climbing, listened to a live mariachi band, tried some exotic foods, like fried frog legs, cricket-based protein chips and much more.
Congratulations to our June winners!
1st place – Westminster Shores
2nd place – Westminster Palms
3rd place – Westminster Point Pleaseant
May – Spring, When Life Blooms
We continue to celebrate each month with a unique theme. In May, we celebrated “Spring, When Life Blooms,” Westminster Shores, took the first-place prize for the second time this year.
Residents and team members participated in many spring-themed events: Planting Key lime trees, spring fashion shows, a Mother’s Day tea, a musical, and much more.
1st place – Westminster Shores
2nd place – Westminster Woods on Julington Creek
3rd place – Westminster Oaks
April – Celebrate Local Community
“Celebrate Local Community” was the theme for the month of April. Throughout the month, residents and team members enjoyed many activities around their local communities — city and farm tours, local scavenger hunts, exercising around the community and many other community involvement events.
Congratulations to our April winners!
1st place – Westminster Palms
2nd place – Westminster Shores
3rd place – Westminster Manor
March – Healthy Habits
To continue promoting a healthy lifestyle for our residents and team members, the theme for March was all about “Healthy Habits,” encouraging everyone to find a healthy habit they can enjoy.
Throughout the month, residents and team members engaged in many events — morning walks, volleyball, learning to create healthy meals, gardening and many other healthy habits.
Congratulations to our March winners!
1st place – Westminster Shores
2nd place – Westminster Palms
3rd place – Westminster Woods on Julington Creek
February – Love Your Neighbor
February’s celebrated theme was “Love Your Neighbor.” Residents and team members enjoyed physical outings around the neighborhood, volunteered at local organizations, had gatherings to meet their neighbors and explored new places with their neighborhood friends.
Congratulations to our top three February winners for celebrating Love Your Neighbor with wonderful experiences for our residents:
1st place – Westminster Palms
2nd place – Westminster Shores
3rd place – Westminster Manor
January – New Beginnings
January’s theme celebrated “New Beginnings” as communities across the state planned New Year’s celebrations, learned new traditions, and discussed resolutions.
Residents participated in new fitness challenges. Some of the new exercises included a Fitness Train, golf, chair yoga, pole walking and many more. We also learned about nutritional foods and danced to new tunes from many local performers.
To thank them for their service, Dominick DeSarro, Vice President of Pharmacy Services, wrote an open letter to his staff, thanking them for their dedication to their profession. Read the letter now.
We asked the Westminster Pharmacy Services team to take a step into the spotlight and share their stories. Some of our team responded simply that the most important part of working as a pharmacist was having a desire to take care of people — and that “Westminster’s commitment to our residents and our values as an organization” are why they choose to serve our residents.
Why should you choose to work as a pharmacist, this National Pharmacist Day? “You will gain a family and support system that cares about your success,” another said.
Meet some of our superhero pharmacists – and be sure to thank your neighborhood pharmacist today!
Dr. Teri West, Consultant Pharmacist
Q: How long have you been at Westminster?
I have been here since July 2015.
Q: Why did you decide to work as a pharmacist?
To be an advocate for older adults trying to navigate complex medication regimens and help them avoid dangerous side effects.
Q: What brought you to Westminster?
It was the opportunity to impact more older adults.
Q: What do you like best about serving WCOF employees and residents?
I get to help hundreds of grandparents, even though mine are no longer with me, except in in spirit.
Q: This National Pharmacist Day, what’s the top reason you would recommend a career in pharmacy?
You should consider a career in pharmacy to become a support person and a solution for other caregivers and nurses every day, who share our calling to serve older adults.
Q: What’s one fun fact that your co-workers don’t know about you?
I love the game of pinochle! I used to go to the senior center with my grandma and play with her friends.
Dr. Chris Marian, Pharmacist In Charge, Bradenton
Q: How long have you been at Westminster?
Three years.
Q: Why did you decide to work as a pharmacist?
I became interested in it when I was helping my grandmother with her medications, growing up.
Q: What brought you to Westminster?
This has been a very unique opportunity to help residents over multiple levels of care, and the ability to develop closer relationships with the residents.
Q: What do you like best about serving WCOF employees and residents?
The opportunity to get to know them better and provide them with more personalized care, while serving them from down the hall or elevator from their apartment buildings.
Q: This National Pharmacist Day, what’s the top reason you would recommend a career in pharmacy?
You get the satisfaction of helping others by making their medication process more convenient, guiding them toward better health, and saving them money.
Q: What’s one fun fact that your co-workers don’t know about you?
I can speak three languages: English, Greek and Spanish.
Dr. Courtney Schmidt, Consultant Pharmacist and Staff Pharmacist
Q: How long have you been at Westminster?
I have been here one and a half years.
Q: Why did you decide to work as a pharmacist?
I enjoy taking care of people and I like a challenge.
Q: What brought you to Westminster?
A friend recommended Westminster to me.
Q: What do you like best about serving WCOF employees and residents?
I like getting to know our residents and knowing that I’m able to help them.
Q: This National Pharmacist Day, what’s the top reason you would recommend a career in pharmacy?
I recommend it because you have the ability to help others who are in need.
Q: What’s one fun fact that your co-workers don’t know about you?
Previously I have lived in Africa.
Dr. Lance Fontenot, Staff Pharmacist
Q: How long have you been at Westminster?
Sixteen years.
Q: Why did you decide to work as a pharmacist?
I wanted to help heal people.
Q: What brought you to Westminster?
It was a change of scenery.
Q: What do you like best about serving WCOF employees and residents?
I like having the ability to help heal sick people and bring them back to health through our services.
Q: This National Pharmacist Day, what’s the top reason you would recommend a career in pharmacy?
Today, we’ll get free doughnuts!
Q: What’s one fun fact that your co-workers don’t know about you?
We’re so excited that we can start the new year at our communities by kicking off our “Celebrating Your Life,” an annual calendar of monthly lifestyle events which strives to enhance the resident experience at every community. We already know that the exciting and active lifestyle our residents enjoy is great, but we’re making it better with a focus on fun and engaging thematic events. It’s another way that a Westminster community is more than just a place to live — it’s a way of life.
Our goal is to ensure that we bring out every dimension of our exclusive MyWLife program for wellbeing of body, mind and soul, involving every department and all of the residents. This fun and engaging theme helps us capture the true celebration of life.
Last year, we enjoyed embracing the many wonderful memories of our residents and the importance of living life in the moment. This year, for “Celebrating Your Life,” our communities will be celebrating:
January: New Beginnings
February: Express Love
March: Women and Men in History
April: Going Green
May: Taking Care of Yourself
June: Summer School
July: Patriotism
August: Technology
September: Humor
October: World Showcase
November: Thanksgiving
December: Holidays
Each month’s program will cover MyWLife’s Eight Dimensions of Wellbeing — Physical, Spiritual, Emotional, Nutritional, Social, Community, Lifelong Learning and Vocational — and will involve residents and employees in the celebration.
To make things a little more interesting we’re going to be scoring ourselves each month on who did the best job — and an overall winner for 2020. We’ll be announcing 2019’s overall winner soon, and we can’t wait to see how this year’s celebrations turn out.
Join us all year to follow along with “Celebrating Your Life”!
Celebrate Bake Cookies Day with One of Our Signature Recipes
Today is Bake Cookies Day! We love these little circles of flour, sugar and joy. This year, in celebration, we’re inviting you to make your holiday cookie plates a little more festive with Westminster Communities of Florida’s signature cookie recipes: Chocolate, peanut butter and oatmeal raisin. Cook along with us — make just one recipe, or make the whole bunch! Download the recipes below and enjoy. We can’t wait to hear what you enjoy.Chocolate chip cookies on a baking sheet.
Dining isn’t just part of residents’ lifestyle at a Westminster community. It’s an integral component of our My W Life program for wellbeing of body, mind and soul! Our dedicated dining team members work hard to put delicious and nutritious cuisine on your table for breakfast, lunch and dinner, every day. We want you to enjoy how delectable dining can be.
Whether you make one recipe or all three, we hope you enjoy your taste of our signature cookies this year!
Westminster Towers and Westminster Park Celebrated Hanukkah with the Jewish Pavilion
ORLANDO – This week, residents at Westminster Towers and Westminster Winter Park celebrated the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah with a special program featuring festive Hanukkah foods, games and a telling of the Hanukkah story.
The celebrations were hosted by the Jewish Pavilion, a faith-based organization with the mission of bringing Jewish holidays and celebration to older adults in retirement communities throughout Central Florida.
The Hanukkah celebrations at Westminster Winter Park and Westminster Towers helped Jewish residents in their communities connect with the traditional celebrations. Residents of different faiths at each community enjoyed games and the traditional meal of latkes, fried potato pancakes, as they celebrated and learned about the miracle of Hanukkah.
Hanukkah, often called the Jewish Festival of Lights, is a holiday that commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Today the holiday is celebrated with gifts, a game played with a spinning top called a dreidel, and festive foods like latkes and jelly-filled doughnuts.
Hope McCormack, Jewish Pavilion Program Director for Downtown Orlando, led the residents at Westminster Towers in singing prayers and songs, and explained how the game of dreidel is played. McCormack also played trivia: “Does anyone know why the dreidel is so important to Hanukkah? When ancient Israel was occupied, studying the Torah was forbidden. The students would use the dreidel to continue studying.”
At Westminster Winter Park, Susan Bernstein, Jewish Pavilion Program Director for North Orlando, told the story of the military victory of the ancient Maccabees over the powerful Greek army, and about the miracle of light when the Temple was being purified.
“We were very pleased to host this Hanukkah celebration and to partner with the Jewish Pavilion,” said Rev. Walk Jones, Director of Church Relations for Westminster Communities of Florida. “I could see that the residents enjoyed it! There are many programs at our that inform and educate residents of different faiths about their neighbors and their traditions and beliefs.”
As a faith-based, not-for-profit organization, Westminster Communities of Florida is proud to serve residents representing the Jewish faith and countless others. Our celebrations of the holiday season are all part of our My W Life program for wellbeing of body, mind and spirit.
Thanks to Hope, Susan and the Jewish Pavilion for hosting this wonderful celebration at Westminster Towers and Westminster Winter Park!
Thanksgiving is a time to share a special holiday meal. We say thanks for our blessings and share our gratitude for our family, friends and loved ones. Then, we feast! This year, we’re inviting you to celebrate a Westminster Thanksgiving by sharing our communities’ menu with you. Our excellent chefs created a delicious, well-rounded menu for a whole Thanksgiving feast menu for you to enjoy, from the perfect turkey to soup, salad, side dishes and dessert. Cook along with us — make just one recipe, or make the whole feast! Download the recipes below and enjoy. We can’t wait to hear what you enjoy.
Dining isn’t just part of residents’ lifestyle at a Westminster community. It’s an integral component of our My W Life program for wellbeing of body, mind and soul! Our dedicated dining team members work hard to put delicious and nutritious cuisine on your table for breakfast, lunch and dinner, every day. We want you to enjoy how delectable dining can be.
Whether you make one dish or the whole meal, we hope you enjoy your taste of our Thanksgiving recipes!
Residents Rode 2000 Miles in Cyber Cycle Challenge
ORLANDO – In October, nearly 150 residents throughout the state put on their cycling gear to ride more than 2,000 miles, collectively, as part of our CyberCycle Challenge.
This celebration of wellbeing featured fun of pedaling on the CyberCycle, a recumbent stationary bike with an “exer-game” virtual reality component. The courses involve riding terrain around the world, including motion controls to simulate hills and turns. Residents at all of Westminster Communities of Florida’s active living communities can enjoy a fulfilling wellbeing program, which includes the CyberCycle and a variety of other fitness equipment, as well as wellness and fitness classes from Aquacize to Zumba.
Congratulations to the Westminster Winter Park team of residents, who had 18 riders on their team, pedaling a total of 64 hours in the month. They won our October challenge! In total, our 149 participants rode 2,063 miles and burned 60,613 calories.
Each team was judged by how many total hours they rode in the challenge, in 15-minute time slots, as well as getting the most participants.
Research shows that for residents, using the CyberCycle isn’t just a benefit to their physical health. As a part of Westminster Communities of Florida’s exclusive My W Life program for wellbeing of body, mind and soul, the CyberCycle program provides physical, intellectual and social benefits.
The challenge’s results showcased communities around the state all competing in this challenge:
Westminster Winter Park, Winter Park
Westminster Manor, Bradenton
Westminster Woods on Julington Creek, Jacksonville
Westminster Oaks, Tallahassee
Westminster Shores, St. Petersburg
Westminster Palms, St. Petersburg
Westminster Suncoast, St. Petersburg
Westminster St. Augustine, St. Augustine
Westminster Towers, Orlando
Westminster Point Pleasant, Bradenton
Please join us in congratulating the Westminster Winter Park team for winning the October challenge!
JACKSONVILLE, Oct. 14, 2019 – Westminster Woods on Julington Creek was recognized at the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) annual conference with the 2019 ICAA NuStep Beacon Award for excellence in wellness.
The ICAA NuStep Beacon Awards, given by ICAA and NuStep, LLC, a manufacturer of exercise equipment used in healthcare, senior living and fitness settings, recognized Westminster Woods on Julington Creek among a select group of 25 active senior living communities around the nation for promoting a holistic culture of wellbeing.
Andi Sawl, fitness coordinator at Westminster Woods on Julington Creek, said that her community stands out by putting an emphasis on offering a wide variety of options and emphasizing wellbeing for both residents and employees. “Our community offers something for everyone,” Sawl said. “Because wellness is within our culture, residents have multiple choices on how to spend their time. We not only have different selections for someone who wants to live in a wellbeing-based community, but we also have motivated and dedicated staff members whose mission is to promote the culture of wellness with passion.”
The ICAA NuStep Beacon Award recognizes communities that successfully foster a wellness culture and an environment that supports wellness for all who live and work there. At Westminster Woods on Julington Creek, part of the family of Westminster Communities of Florida, wellness is part of the organization’s My W Life program emphasizing wellbeing of body, mind and soul. The program’s eight dimensions of wellbeing – physical, lifelong learning, nutritional, social, emotional, spiritual, vocational and community – create a harmony for participants, and improve residents’ and employees’ quality of life when they are nurtured and prioritized as a whole.
According to the ICAA, Beacon recipients demonstrate strength in creating resident-staff partnerships to create meaningful opportunities that empower participants to improve their quality of life and weaving wellness into the fabric of their communities.
“I am absolutely delighted that Westminster Woods on Julington Creek has been recognized by the ICAA. We’ve always known that our residents and employees enjoy a robust and fulfilling wellbeing program in My W Life, but this award affirms that we can be among the best,” said Executive Director Amanda Birch. “I am so thrilled that we are receiving this award.”
To learn more about wellbeing and active lifestyles at Westminster Woods on Julington Creek, and how to become a resident or join the team, visit www.WestminsterWoodsFL.org or call (904) 287-7300.
About Westminster Woods on Julington Creek: Westminster Woods on Julington Creek is The Natural Choice for active senior living, ideally located on the shores of Julington Creek, a half-mile-wide tributary of the St. Johns River. Our beautiful, wooded campus of nearly 90 acres combines neighborhoods of detached villas and garden and waterfront apartment homes. We have served senior adults in Jacksonville and St. Johns County for more than 50 years, with an emphasis on exceptional living options, whole-person wellbeing and Lifelong Learning, backed by a financially strong and Mission-inspired, faith-based community.
About NuStep, LLC: NuStep, LLC designs, manufactures and distributes recumbent cross trainer exercise equipment. NuStep products, accessories and adaptive equipment empower users of virtually all functional abilities and fitness levels to engage in exercise that helps build strength, enhance independence and improve health outcomes. From 1998 to 2018, NuStep sponsored the Pinnacle Award to recognize senior communities and senior centers transforming lives through whole-person wellness programming. The award also served as a vehicle to educate and encourage senior organizations to integrate whole-person wellness into their programming.
About the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA): ICAA is a professional association that leads, connects and defines the active-aging industry and supports professionals who aspire to develop wellness cultures for adults over 50. This support includes creating wellness environments, programs and services. The association is focused on active aging-an approach to aging that helps older adults live life as fully as possible within all dimensions of wellness-and provides its members with education, information, resources and tools. As an active-aging educator and advocate, ICAA has advised numerous organizations and governmental bodies, including the US Administration on Aging, the National Institute on Aging (one of the US National Institutes of Health), the US Department of Health and Human Services, Canada’s Special Senate Committee on Aging, and the British Columbia (Canada) Ministries of Health and Healthy Living and Sport.
When a hurricane threatens our communities, the Westminster Communities of Florida family comes together to ensure the safety of all residents.
This week, Hurricane Dorian’s threat to the East Coast of Florida caused St. Johns County to order an evacuation of Westminster Woods on Julington Creek.
Independent living residents went to Westminster Oaks in Tallahassee, where they dined and spent time as one family. The Oaks residents even had up a sign to greet them: “We have to stop meeting like this!” The residents from Westminster Woods on Julington Creek enjoyed a bus tour of Tallahassee and the fine lifestyle opportunities and hospitality of Westminster Oaks for the holiday week.
Meanwhile, assisted living and Health Center residents went to Westminster St. Augustine and Riverside Presbyterian House, two sister communities in greater Jacksonville, as well as Taylor Residences and Cathedral Care of Jacksonville.
It was thanks to the the hard work and dedication of our staff that the residents from Westminster Woods on Julington Creek were safe and well-cared for throughout the storm.
Sue Gambill, a resident at Westminster Oaks in Tallahassee, captured the spirit when she said, “I admire the staff! They stayed later and all took on extra tasks. The Jacksonville staff have had to evacuate several years now. We residents throughout Florida are so lucky to be part of such an amazing community.”
Chief Operating Officer Garry Hennis said, “Our incredible team members provide care and compassion for our Mission daily. But it is magnified in challenging times, and they truly rose to the occasion.”
We hope you share in our gratitude to our employees. Together, our family is stronger than any storm.
We also ask that you keep the citizens of the Bahamas in your prayers, especially on Grand Bahama and the Abaco Islands. They have suffered far more than they did, and our hearts go out to them.
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Photos Celebrating Gratitude at our communities in November.
Photos showcasing The Arts at our communities in October.
Photos celebrating Active Aging at our communities in September.
Photos showcasing The World Around You at our communities in August.
Chocolate chip cookies on a baking sheet.
Oatmeal raisin cookies on a baking sheet.
Peanut butter cookies on a baking sheet.
Westminster Towers and Westminster Park Celebrated Hanukkah with the Jewish Pavilion
