Residents go on an Exciting Kayaking Adventure

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Fishing, canoeing, kayaking and campfires: what comes to mind when you hear those words? Summer camp, of course! Whether you’re young or young at heart, the thought of camp should put a smile on your face. That’s exactly what resulted from a recent trip Silverado residents took to a local camp — smiles, laughter and lots of fun. 

Excitement for the trip had actually begun weeks prior to the big day. A volunteer club made up of Silverado residents in Wisconsin had been raising funds to purchase new fishing poles and gear for the kids program at The Blue Lotus Camp Resort. Blue Lotus offers a variety of camp programs designed for individuals of all ages to experience the healing power of outdoor activity. 

As the big day drew near — a day in which residents expected to deliver their donations and tour the camp — there was one added surprise, a full day of camp activity for the entire group! Residents went fishing, hopped into canoes and kayaked across the lake. 

One of the residents was very reluctant to get into the kayak, but with a little encouragement, she did it and loved it.  When she returned, her family could not believe it, sharing that she had been afraid of water all her life. Fast forward three weeks later and the camper was still sharing with her friends at Silverado how proud she was for overcoming her fears. 

The day at camp was a part of Nexus, a Silverado program created specifically to help residents maintain cognitive ability. Nexus is composed of six pillars based on research showing that there may be ways to slow the progression of dementia. The trip to Blue Lotus supported two of those pillars. Purposeful social activity — such as raising funds for the kid’s camp — has shown to modify the effect of memory-impairing disease. While physical activity, such as kayaking, has been found to impact the brain through improved cognition and memory.