Laughter is the Best Medicine: This is an old statement but it will live through the centuries!!
According to the dictionary, 'LAUGHTER' means the process of laughing, to giggle, laugh consisting or smile widely. The BENEFITS of laughing or laughter may also BOOST memory and lower stress. Laughter can SHARPEN your ability to remember things, while also reducing the stress hormone cortisol especially in older people. Laughter may make you more resilient.
Well, with that being said, allow me to introduce Barbara Eloi, the Activity Director at Southern Manor Senior Living on Fair Road in Statesboro. Barbara is an energized, enthusiastic, and creative planner and implementer, with FUN being her middle name.
“My goal as Activity Director," Barbara said, "Is to make our residents' end days better, by making them smile, making sure they feel worthy, making sure they feel important and helping them feel beautiful and giving them purpose.”
Barbara Eloi was born in California to a father in the Coast Guard, so she moved around a lot. Married to Robert (retired Army) has five children and two grandsons.They moved to Statesboro, Georgia 4 years ago and love everything about it here. Barbara is a graduate from Georgia Southern University - 2018, Public Health with Gerontology Certificate. She and her family attend Bible Baptist Church, where she teaches Sunday School. Barbara joined Southern Manor two years ago as their Activity Director.
Southern Manor Senior Living was founded in 1988 by Kay Wildes, in beautiful Statesboro, Georgia. It was the first retirement living center of its kind in Bulloch and surrounding counties. Later in 2011, it was sold to Ralph Cowart, the current owner. Southern Manor has 45-50 residents ranging in age from 68-102 years young.
Barbara said what she loves about Southern Manor is that it feels like home. "When I get to work in the morning, the residents are happy to see me. I can be in the facility for 20 minutes and already have had four compliments. How is that for starting the day off right!"
Barbara told me she plans the activities starting with the Local Community Calendars and a National Calendar to plan for the month. Some of the activities are SILLY like Water Gun Fights, Water Balloon Painting, and Waffle Tasting.
They do have a lot of educational games, too, where they learn new things and remember some old facts. The residents particularly LOVE to do a ‘Daily Facts’ game. She reads all the facts and they have to guess what it is by just the clues.
They also love a game called ‘Wood Peck’. This game gives you 7 random letters and they have to come up with as many words as they can. They also have Devotions, Bible Studies, and Hymn Singing.
Exercises occur throughout the week, and of course they must not forget Bingo, one of the FUNest and most favorite games played on weekends with one of the residents calling the numbers.
Barbara said one thing she truly loves about Southern Manor is when the residents are not in the Activity Room with her, they are in the Living Room, on the Front Porch or out in the Courtyard ENJOYING the sun.
"I have even stopped by on weekends or later in the evening and I can find the residents in each other's rooms, visiting or on the benches in the hallway solving the world's problems of course!”
This is a true testimony of the GREAT interaction she has helped create with the Programs and Activities.
The residents of Southern Manor love the UNUSUAL and FUN activity days like Toilet Paper Day ( they guess their height with TT and see if it matches) or Yummy Days like Peach Pie Day or Oreo Cookie Day, Ice Cream Day or Double Dessert Day.
Barbara said she likes to plan things to do that would "SPARK memories, something we can LEARN about and something that would be FUN.”
Last year on 2/22/2022, they renamed the day ‘TWOSDAY’. The residents dressed up in Tutus and ate Twinkies.....endless smiles and laughter.
Another GREAT day was National Barbie Day. Everyone dressed in Pink and had a few Barbie games. One game they played was a ‘Dress the Barbie Relay’. This was a HIT!
"There was so much laughter during the game as they struggled to dress the dolls from the heap of clothing and accessories in the center of the table. They spent much time reminiscing about when they played with Barbies as young girls and also with their own children,” she added.
The competitiveness, the sharing of memories, and the communication is always HIGH on Barbara's schedule of activities at Southern Manor.
She also takes into consideration the Six Dimensions of Wellness model to make sure that she has planned activities that will fit into each of these categories: intellectual, occupational, spiritual, emotional, physical, and social. Every resident can barely wait to come to the Activity Room (they call it CLASS) at 10:00am and 2:00pm Monday to Friday.
“There are so many FUN activities including the wonderful people, from Bulloch County,and surrounding areas, that come and share their talents,” said Barbara.
Families come and do devotionals or sing, and every Tuesday, Mr. Lewis comes to make brownies or his famous pound cake.The Mennonites with their children come and sing. The residents love singing along to the beautiful hymns.
Dr. Braz comes monthly to play a beautiful selection of songs on the piano and always ends with ‘Georgia on My Mind’ which happens to be several of the residents' favorite. Oh yes, and there's a very special couple (in their late 70’s/early 80’s) who come twice a month and do crafts. Let’s NOT FORGET the Therapy Dogs that bring so much pleasure!
Every Sunday one of the residents' sons, who is a pastor, comes and does a church service. Southern Manor and the residents are constantly involved with something to do if they desire!
Volunteers Needed
The JOY, FUN, and LAUGHTER resonate within the cozy walls of Southern Manor. Barbara summed it up beautifully: “We certainly have been ‘Blessed’ with volunteers. We can also use more volunteers.You don't need to be a musician either. We need people to help with parties, serve coffee, answer the phone, visit, color, paint nails, chat, play games and help with activities’. Contact Barbara Eloi at Southern Manor by calling 912-981-2686.
Come have ‘FUN and LAUGH’ and make this your BEST Senior Moment yet!
