PEABODY — Competitive spirits came alive Wednesday afternoon as seniors battled for bragging rights in balloon volleyball, cornhole, tic-tac-toe, and basketball at the Jeffrey & Susan Brudnick Center for Living.
Residents traded quiet hallways for spirited competition during the facility’s first Senior Olympics: an event designed to bring joy, movement, and connection to seniors of all abilities.
A balloon volleyball floated through the air, cornhole bags sailed toward patriotic boards, and small basketballs bounced every which way as nurses and staff cheered residents on from every corner of the room.
The games — adapted specifically for mobility and memory care needs — transformed the nursing home into a lively arena where competition mattered less than camaraderie.
“We’re Olympic gold medalists,” resident Diane Fay joked after wrapping up an intense game of tic-tac-toe, which involved residents squaring off by throwing softly spiked balls into buckets. “We’ve still got it.”
The event, held in honor of National Skilled Nursing Care Week, welcomed residents aged 75-95 along with staff and families. Every participant received medals as well as custom T-shirts and visors. Also, an array of donated Beanie Babies were waiting at the finish line for every resident.
Activities Director Nancy Bekel said the idea grew from an effort to create something every resident could enjoy, regardless of physical limitations.
“We were trying to come up with something that residents of all levels could do… It gets them laughing. It gets them smiling. I just want to have them all get together, smile, and have a nice afternoon,” she said.
The crowd favorite was balloon volleyball, where residents lined up, with six on each side of the net, swatting a large yellow balloon back and forth over a net.
“When I play this game, I get more laughs from the residents than I do with any other activity I have… They end up working as a team, and they end up laughing at the mistakes they make,” Bekel said.
