Judy Alder loves making hats. She's been crocheting for four years, and sends many of them to a local NICU. “At first, I made a baby hat and I didn't like it!" Judy says. "Then pretty soon, I liked baby hats the best." She's made 70 hats so far this year, with no end goal in sight.

At Brookdale River Valley Tualatin, Maxine Labs is staying busy. She teaches classes on decorative painting, a hobby she's had for years. Her room is full of art supplies, training books, and many of her own creations - even the sweatshirt she’s wearing.

Brookdale Senior Living’s care coordination model Brookdale HealthPlus® has won a 2024 Argentum Best of the Best Award. The program helps residents and families navigate complex health systems, delivering value-based care.

A group of residents at Brookdale Corpus Christi pride themselves on their volunteer work with the Ronald McDonalds House, which houses families traveling to Corpus Christi for treatment at the children's hospital. Each month the residents prepare home cooked meals for the families staying there. The event started as a Christmas tradition but the group enjoyed it so much they started doing it year-round.

At Brookdale Norman, Joyce Bell has made a hobby out of tracking genealogy. She started with her ancestors, and now helps others discover their own families. "You never know,” Joyce says. “You look for the newspaper clippings and the little things that fill in what they actually did and who they were.”

The 35 residents of Brookdale Shawnee are happy to be home. One year ago, a tornado ripped through town, damaging the community. They had to relocate for several months. Resident Don Warstler said he was so happy to get back to the Shawnee community that he "cried like a baby. It feels good to be back," he said.

88-year-old Diane Engel likes to read. So much so, that she reads to her fellow residents at Brookdale Cushing Park. Diane was a teacher, librarian, and a musician. And she still exercises those talents at her community. "Everyone needs a friend like Diane," Cushing Park's resident director says. "She is the best kind of neighbor that you would want."

At Brookdale Wilmington, several seniors are part of a "Green Thumb Club." That means they spend time outside, digging in the earth, planting flowers, herbs, and vegetables. “The fresh air is great," one resident said. "It’s good for us.”

At Brookdale Tacoma, Tina Gerlack just celebrated her 106th birthday. Tina says, as old as she is, she still loves to work. "Even on my hands and knees." And her secret to longevity? "Pay your bills and be nice."

At Brookdale Carrollton, resident Eddie Hartsfield stays busy. He volunteers at the Carroll County Soup Kitchen. And he's been doing it for 10 years. Eddie says he'll happily step up to help with any task at hand. But his favorite part? Meeting and talking to people.

A resident at Brookdale Tacoma, Tina Gerlack, is celebrating her 106th birthday. She was born in 1918. And the key to longevity? Sticking to a daily routine: one meal a day. Always take out the garbage. Keep track of appointments.

In Tacoma, Washington, a resident just turned 106 years old. Her name is Tina Gerlack, and even at her age, she is still active and independent. She retired at 72. But she hasn't lost the spirit. "I like to work. As old as I am, I still like to work."

Residents at Brookdale Wilmington celebrated all things tomato with "Mater Mania." Cooks prepared all sorts of tomato-based dishes, like salsa and sandwiches. Residents also helped, by cultivating tomatoes, basil, and rosemary.

Carolyn Fleischauer has seen a lot in her 105 years. She was born a year before World War I ended, and since then has raised a family of strong women: a daughter, two granddaughters, and three great-granddaughters.

Brookdale Senior Living has the most communities recognized as “Best of” senior living by US News & World Report among senior living providers for the third year in a row.