Two of the most talented and motivating leaders were Beverly Kannengieszer, who shaped the early years of Fitness and Aquatics and was Director of Active Living Month, and Gerry Stride, creator of imaginative Therapeutic Recreation for residents in Assisted Living and in skilled nursing in Woolman. Gerry was also producer of the memorable Holiday Show.
Fitness & Aquatics provides every level and type of exercise for those who are already pretty fit and for those who may move with great difficulty. The primary goal is to get everyone, whatever the infirmity, to exercise. In 2013, Ken Roland, who worked with Beverly, was made the new manager of Fitness & Aquatics. In that capacity, he headed the department’s daily operations on both the Medford and Lumberton campuses, scheduling classes, training, ordering equipment, and attending to restorative groups like Estaugh residents with severe physical impairment. New assistants who joined him that year were helpful with exercise in the pool at Medford and in one-on-one exercise to push physical limits while being aware of the person’s physical well-being.
Ken added cycling competition and in the 2019 CyberCycle Madness residents spun 1,189.8 miles, overcoming 100 other teams from retirement communities around the country and receiving the Golden Spokes Trophy. To keep residents in shape in the isolation of the pandemic, Ken and his staff lead exercises over Medford Leas’ Channel 15 into the living rooms of residents, as well as providing exercise videos available on the MLRA website.
Ken added cycling competition and in the 2019 CyberCycle Madness residents spun 1,189.8 miles, overcoming 100 other teams from retirement communities around the country and receiving the Golden Spokes Trophy.
To keep residents in shape in the isolation of the pandemic, Ken and his staff lead exercises over Medford Leas’ Channel 15 into the living rooms of residents, as well as providing exercise videos available on the MLRA website.
Residents who have reached the age of 100 and continue to attend Fitness are annually honored by the Fitness staff at a luncheon.
Therapeutic Recreation. She had wanted to be a teacher, but during summer volunteering at a nursing home in Philadelphia, Gerry Stride was overcome by the needs she saw. She felt she could make a bigger difference in the lives of the elderly. By 1991 she had made her way to Medford Leas and quickly made her mark. She focused, among other things, on the elderly need for socialization.
By 2012, Gerry was Director of Therapeutic Recreation, drawing on her endless imagination, and, with her staff, creating programs that were involving, captivating and just plain fun. For St. Patrick’s Day, “an Irish Pub Crawl” took elderly residents in wheelchairs from room to room in the main building with an Irish surprise in each. There was the visit of “Just Children” from a day care center nearby. Easter was the theme, complete with a hunt for plastic Easter eggs filled with candy and interaction with the seniors. A Halloween party found residents dressed as 34 states. Gerry, as master of ceremonies, came as an Idaho potato.
For 17 of her 29 years at Medford Leas, Gerry brought down the house with the Holiday Show she produced, and staff from each department performed, for residents. The issue of performance in the show, in fact, was raised in the interview of every CEO applicant!