‘Talk Less, Think More,’ advises 104-year-old classical and jazz great
At 104, Charlie Burrell has had a lot of time to consider his life’s work and his values and he has a simple philosophy about how to live life to the fullest: “Talk less, think more, and whatever you do it with a vengeance and everything will be OK.” Burrell says he has only thought of music since he was 12. In 1949, he became the first Black American member of a U.S. orchestra. Burrell also proved gifted as a jazz musician, playing on-stage with greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holliday.
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Honor guard honors nurses at Brookdale Sakonnet Bay
A new group that seeks to recognize nurses and the vital work they do paid a visit to Brookdale Sakonnet Bay. There, they honored 12 retired area nurses. One resident, Holly Billings, worked as a community nurse for 30 years. She said she'd do it all over again. "You get to know people so closely," she said. "It felt really gratifying to be able to help so many people because in nursing, you knew what was at risk for them."
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High school football players help feed seniors at Brookdale Midland
The residents of Brookdale Midland got a visit from the Midland High Freshman Bulldogs football team. The team served seniors meals and ate lunch together. "[The residents] like talking about when they went to high school. They like hearing about what they're doing now, especially sports. It's a lot different from when they went to school, so it's nice they get really excited about it..." said Elizabeth Karvonen, marketing director for Brookdale Midland. The players say that it didn't take much convincing to get them to come out and lend not only a hand, but also an ear to the residents.
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Brookdale Bowling Green wins best float decoration at holiday parade
96 floats rolled down downtown Bowling Green for its annual holiday parade. Brookdale Bowling Green participated, and walked away with the award for Best Float Decoration or Construction.
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Honoring veterans at Brookdale Florham Park
Brookdale Florham Park hosted a special Veterans Day concert for their residents. They brought in Bobby Valli, younger brother of Frankie Valli, to sing.
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D-Day veteran shares his story for Veterans Day
98-year-old George Hubbard lives at Brookdale Salem. He's a decorated World War II veteran - who served both in Normandy during D-Day and in Okinawa in Japan.
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Brookdale CEO 'hopeful' affordability in senior living will be priority in new White House
While it’s still uncertain how the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump will impact the senior living industry, Brookdale CEO Cindy Baier is “hopeful” the industry can elevate the issue of affordability as the new administration settles in. During Trump’s first term, Brookdale worked “closely” with the previous administration throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, emphasizing the role the industry plays in the broader U.S. economy, Baier said during a panel at the Stephens Annual Investment Conference.
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Brookdale Sherwood hosts Thanksgiving food drive
For Thanksgiving, Brookdale Sherwood is collecting donations of turkey and ham for the holiday. They are also hosting a special Thanksgiving dinner for residents and their families.
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South Coast Nurse Honor Guard honors 12 retired nurses at Brookdale Sakonnet Bay
12 retired nurses are being recognized by their local Nurse Honor Guard Chapter. “It made me feel good that I dedicated myself to nursing for quite a few years,” resident Mariecia Maschak said. “I graduated in 1953, so it’s nice to be remembered.”
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Brookdale Jackson Oaks participates in local Veterans Day parade
Brookdale was one of the many participants in the 2024 Veterans Day Parade that was presented by the West Tennessee Veterans Coalition in downtown Jackson, Tennessee on a cool Saturday, November 16, 2024.
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Two Bartlesville senior citizens try skydiving for the first time
At 81-years-old, George Charlson says he's ready to see Oklahoma from a bird's eye view. George and his friend, Jody Martin, both skydived recently. They hope their experience encourages people to keep trying new things and to never let anything hold you back - at any age. "Doing this shows people in Brookdale that maybe they've got a handicap but they can still do it," George says.
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Bartlesville friends skydive for the first time at 65 and 81 years old
Bartlesville friends skydive for the first time at 65 and 81 years old George Charlson and Jody Martin will have something new to chat about at the dinner table at Brookdale Bartlesville: skydiving. Both seniors decided to go skydiving for the first time. They hope to show that thrilling experiences can happen later in life too. “This will encourage our friends to get out and do stuff,” said Jody.
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Catching up with the CLEO Club, one year later
Last year, high school seniors partnered with Brookdale College Parkway to teach residents how to use their smart phones. Now, the CLEO club has expanded to a dozen chapters across several states. The club's founder was featured on Kindness 101 on CBS Mornings.
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Former Concord City Councilwoman honored at Brookdale Concord Parkway with room makeover
Ella Mae Small is the latest resident featured on Brookdale's "Make it Mine" series, where a design team transforms a resident's space. Small has a storied career - as a teacher and councilwoman. Even at 90 years old, she still serves on several committees and loves to bring joy to her fellow residents.
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Brookdale Meridian residents receive special donations of blankets and socks
"Dream Chasers", an organization in Meridian, Mississippi, is donating blankets and socks to local seniors - including those at Brookdale Meridian. The group's leader, Zack Ball, Sr., says his grandmother's memory inspired him. "It was in my heart and I prayed about it and I just stepped out on faith and decided to get to the nursing home because I know some families don’t come visit their loved ones."ining new army recruits, eight weeks at a time. But Sam was always eager to get home to his wife, Betty. They met in sixth grade and have been together for over 75 years.
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