Meadowood Blog

About a year ago, during the height of the pandemic, I introduced something called Wellness Wednesdays. I would give a short talk on our TV channel about some topic of health, such as how foods can affect medications or how to improve your sleep. One of the most popular talks was called, “Making Health Your Hobby.” You might ask, “How can good health be a hobby? Isn’t it just something you have, or you don’t have?” At the moment, yes. You either have good health, or you don’t. But if […]

Meadowood is one of the few retirement communities with its own horticulturist, and today she is sharing her insights into her multifaceted role. Patti Loughridge, Meadowood’s resident horticulturist, has been with the community for 16 ½ years, and has helped many garden projects across campus blossom and thrive in that time. Patti, who earned a degree in Landscape Design and a certificate in Horticultural Therapy from Temple University and formerly worked as a private estate gardener, talks about the many ways in which she beautifies Meadowood’s campus and nurtures new […]

I’m going to start with a disclaimer: The title of this blog entry is a lie. What I’m about to talk about isn’t new, and it isn’t a drug. But it can work wonders, which is why I hope you will read this post from start to finish. When you hear the word “mindfulness,” what do you think? It’s an overused buzzword? Some new age mumbo jumbo? Another marketing scheme put forth by big business to get you to spend your money? I’m here to tell you, it is none […]

My name is Erich Burkhard, and I am one of the youngest residents of Meadowood Senior Living, a community that is comprised of 437 residents and roughly 340 team members. My wife Sandy and I moved into this neighborly, stand-alone retirement community in Worcester, PA, on June 1, 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Why We Moved to Meadowood Sandy is a few years my senior, and did not want to move to ANY Life Plan Community (also known as a Continuing Care Retirement Community or CCRC). However, […]

Taking steps to ensure your wellness–whether physical, emotional, or mental–is important all year round. However, there are certain actions you can take that are particularly helpful in the warmer months. Check out these tips that can help you shine all summer long: Drink Five 8-oz. Glasses of Water Every Day.Water helps with digestion, food vitamin and mineral absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature. Toss the Potato Salad.Don’t be a victim of the “cookout flu.” It takes roughly two hours for bacteria in foods […]

When you thought (or think) about your retirement, what did you imagine? For some, it’s about quiet days reading in the sun. For others, it’s traveling around the world. Some of you may have been looking forward to spending more time with family, while others hope to devote more hours to volunteer work. Or perhaps you want to hone your skills at Bridge or woodworking. However, as many of you have probably figured out already, there’s only so much time you can devote to doing nothing. Or everything. There is […]

Today we’re talking to Hugh Trumbull, President of the Meadowood Residents Association, about a very special tradition at our community. Going back in Meadowood history, the Meadowood Residents Association has always recognized the graduating high school seniors who work in Dining Services at Meadowood with a gift, according to Hugh. Historically, the residents provided $1,000 in college scholarships to each graduating senior,” Hugh explains. “In recent years, they’ve trended away from that, because they realized that not every graduating senior will go to college, and some may not go right […]

Recently, over 400 Meadowood residents and team members participated in Spring Fling, an all-day, magical event. There were games to play, wares to buy, music, socializing, and delicious eats galore. The event was extra special because it was the first event that brought everybody back together in person, according to Jody LaVerdure, Director of Development and Community Relations at Meadowood. Jody was in charge of the daunting task of planning the Fling. She put together a committee of residents and team members, and they got to work. Two months of […]

I’m not going to ask. It’s none of my business. This is between you and the waistline of those favorite pants… I will just say this: You and your pants are not alone. Many of us threw our healthy diets to the wind when the pandemic hit. It makes sense. Food is comforting. Familiar. And so, so delicious. For the last year and a half, we gave ourselves permission to splurge. Every day. To eat things we normally don’t eat—and a lot of it. I know, because I’m guilty, too. […]