Life is sweet as a box of chocolates at the Deupree House retirement community in Cincinnati’s Hyde Park neighborhood.
Any given week, residents can choose an amazing number of fun things to enrich their lives and share experiences with their neighbors. One recent Wednesday afternoon, there was Chocolate Tasting with Emerson Stambaugh and Anna Honerlaw, where residents’ minds were filled with interesting facts about the indulgent treat, and their mouths were delighted by it.
Anna, the director of Life Enrichment at Deupree House, organizes and schedule events, sometimes enlisting the help of co-workers and residents to add to the other offerings.
There’s such a wealth of activities in a particular week or month, “Many people compare it to a cruise ship,” Anna said. Here’s just a sampling.
Game Night
Resident Marilee Sand, one of the organizers, said the preferred game is ‘Kings Go Wild,” which she learned in Florida. “We’ve have 18 or 19 people that want to play every time.”
“It’s just fun. We all get together, we have some good laughs,” Marilee said. “Everybody’s kind of competitive and loves to play. And we really look forward to it.”
Bus to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Residents buy their own tickets to the internationally acclaimed Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and Deupree House supplies door-to-door transportation so they avoid the inconvenience of driving and finding parking spaces.
“Many people tell me one of the reasons they moved to Deupree is the transportation to the symphony, ballet, and Linton (Chamber Music) Series,” Anna said. “It is so nice to continue the tradition of attending the arts without the headaches of parking and night time driving.”
Knitting
Two residents who started the ongoing event thought it would be fun to gather with others to knit or create other fabric works, such as crochet. Some have brought sewing machines to make a quilt. The conversation may be even more enjoyable than the hobbies.
Poker
The Five-Card Draw poker has been a popular game. Residents each bring $2 to the game. Resident Linda Busken Jergens now organizes the games. “It’s a way to meet other people,” Linda said. “You have something to focus on, you meet people you wouldn’t otherwise know, and everybody’s there because they want to learn it, or they liked it already.” Meanwhile, Duplicate Bridge also happens weekly.
Trivia with Christopher
Christopher Oakes’, Deupree House painter and trivia guru, “is one of the most fun things that we have here,” Anna said. Christopher has excellent, well-rounded knowledge, great rapport with residents, and “he’s so funny. The residents love his sense of humor and really look forward to it.”
After Dinner Cocktail with Great Jazz
Brian is a jazz pianist, and his wife, Andrea, is a vocalist. Events like this are bring-your-own-bottle, and people afterward go to dinner. Other musical performances and concerts happen on the campus during the month.
Films and Documentaries
Films and documentaries are shown through the month, some on Fridays and Saturdays, others on different days. Among them in February were The Color Purple (the 2023 version), You’ve Got Mail, Blazing Saddles, and The Butler.
Monthly Cocktail Parties
These take on a variety of themes, depending on the month, and offer relaxed fun before dinner. Deupree is rumored to have the only “endowed” cocktail party in any retirement community in the country. Seriously, a spirited and generous resident gave a donation more than 30 years ago to ensure that Deupree House would have a cocktail party in perpetuity. For many, it is a monthly social must and continues as a staple of Deupree’s social calendar.
Meet with Maisie
Occasionally, ERS Wellness Director Chloe Hough brings in her beautiful dog to provide residents some ‘canine therapy.’
Related blog: How Director of Life Enrichment Anna Honerlaw Helps Deupree House Residents Stay Engaged
Art with Marty
Marty Santos offers art-therapy events. She is a retired art teacher who brings a variety of art mediums residents can use, and she can guide them through ideas on what they may want to create during the hour.
Horticulture Therapy
Horticulturist Robert Evans takes nature to residents. They arrange or plant flowers or other things, enjoying themselves as they do.
Related blog: Fun with flowers and plants: Horticultural therapy cultivates friendships, joy
Buses to Hyde Park Plaza, Kenwood Towne Center, Trader Joe’s or Rookwood and Fresh Market
Many take the opportunity to visit Kroger, while others have their hair done at a salon. The buses are great for people who have given up driving but still want to do their own shopping and other activities. These are shopping options in some of Greater Cincinnati’s better retail areas. The bus trips are especially popular because the stores’ parking lots often are very crowded.
Lots of fitness! Exercise classes through the week
There are Chair Classes, where people work out in their chairs, Balance Classes, Aqua Aerobics through the week.
There is something for everyone, it seems at Deupree House. Whether you enjoy the arts and music, wellness and fitness, or watching the most recent film, Anna Honerlaw, with help from her co-workers and resident committee, make sure that there is so much to do at Deupree. After all, Deupree House is all about providing options and allowing the residents to make their own choices!
To schedule a tour of Deupree House, contact Karen Immell at (513) 561-4200.
