On a beautiful spring day, you can often find residents of Avamere at Cascadia Village planting flowers and herbs in the garden. Their Garden Club meets once a month, but staff find residents planting outside weekly.
Avamere at Cascadia Village staff have created a fun, lively environment for their residents. From the wide variety of amenities to the activities, there’s truly something for everyone.
Bringing the community and residents together
Avamere at Cascadia Village staff offer great opportunities for the residents and local community to interact and enjoy each other’s company.
They offer Social Hour every Friday where residents, family, and friends get together to enjoy live music, well drinks, and gourmet appetizers. They switch up their signature drink of the week, including Bahama Mamma, Lemon Drop, and more. Sometimes they even have Karaoke!
Avamere at Cascadia Village also hosts community bingo. They hand out raffle tickets for a chance to spin the raffle wheel. Prizes include Avamere swag, cash, gift baskets, and for those who aren’t current residents, a free two-night stay in their model room to experience the Avamere lifestyle.
Enjoying life at home
Residents can enjoy fun activities right from their own home – staff bring the entertainment to them! They enjoy movie night every Friday and Saturday. They also watch TED talks, documentaries, and health awareness videos.
Laughter Yoga is a popular activity where residents listen to interactive stories and act them out with exaggerated movements. The instructor, Gail Hand, brings her two dogs to the class.
Terry Braun, Executive Director of Avamere at Cascadia Village, attended once and said she had a blast.
“I love Laughter Yoga,” she said.
Residents also have the opportunity to interact with dogs with dog therapy, where someone visits with a service animal.
And of course, there are also activities all about relaxing and enjoying each other’s company. Avamere at Cascadia Village hosts Friends and Tea twice a week, where residents gather together for tea, cookies, and a nice chat. They choose a topic, such as the happiest time in their life, memories from high school, their favorite animal, and more. Together they enjoy tea and good company.
Fun out and about
It’s nice to get out sometimes! Avamere at Cascadia Village staff offer great opportunities for their residents to enjoy the surrounding community.
They watch a movie at Sandy Cinema every other Wednesday, paid for by Avamere at Cascadia Village. They also attend plays at the Sandy Actors Theater.
And because Oregon is known for their tulips, residents enjoy trips to the Tulip Festival every spring. They also do what they call a Fruit Loop Tour in autumn where they visit apple orchards in Hood River.
There’s something fun to enjoy no matter the season!
Traveling the world from home
Residents at Avamere at Cascadia Village can travel the world right from their home. The Activities Director, Cyndi Simpson, started the Travel Club. She made passports for residents in the club and together they “travel” to different countries.
Travel Club members recently traveled to Polynesia. They enjoyed Polynesian coconut cake, watched a documentary on the country, and got a stamp in their passport.
“She is full of energy and ideas,” Terry noted.
Summertime fun
Summertime is a great season for enjoying the outdoors – even at home! Avamere at Cascadia Village staff throw big events, including a luau, 4th of July barbecue, and Father’s Day barbecue.
They barbecue any chance they can get, Terry said. They have a gourmet chef on the team who used to work in Las Vegas. She is well known for her exceptional food, and staff say she makes every event spectacular.
These events take place on the patio – a popular spot at Avamere at Cascadia Village. Staff set out a kiddie pool on the patio for residents to stick their feet in on those hot summer days.
Classes, trips, and more
Avamere at Cascadia Village offers many amenities, including a salon, gym with daily exercise classes, a pool table, portable shuffleboard table, and transportation.
Residents can join Tai Chi three days a week, a sleep apnea class, or another one of their classes offered in the gym.
Their transportation services include medical appointments, errands, or sight-seeing tours. Every Tuesday is “Dr.-Errand day.” They start by going to Sandy in the morning then Gresham and Rockwood areas in the afternoon. Stops include doctor appointments, shopping, and the bank.
Once a month, residents can get together for lunch outings. The residents pick the spot, and staff take them out in the Avamere bus.
They also have the opportunity to go to church on Sundays – something Terry says is important to many of their residents. They also offer religious services in the building with different denominations of study and in-room communions.
Avamere at Cascadia Village staff are proud to offer activities and amenities to help keep their residents engaged and happy. Stop by for a tour – they’d be happy to show you around!