Learning Never Ends at Perham Living

At Perham Living, staying curious and engaged is just as important as staying healthy. The resident engagement team works hard to create opportunities for lifelong learning—something that enriches residents’ lives and builds community every day.

For 97-year-old resident Barb Lovaasen, lifelong learning is a way of life. “I’m still active,” she says with a smile. “I go to chair yoga and strength and balance exercises, and I take part in bingo and a book club. I lead an active life. I’m happy I still have my faculties.”

Barb joined the Perham Living community seven years ago and quickly found that the activities offered here keep her both physically strong and mentally sharp.

Being blind didn’t stop her from joining a book club. “I was always an avid reader, but I’d never been part of a book club before,” she says. “I listen to audiobooks and take an active part in the discussion. We always have a lively time, and I’ve learned so much.”

Barb is always willing to try new things. “I never played bingo before I came here, and now I play every Tuesday. I’d never done chair yoga or a strength class, but now I do both several times a week. Chair yoga is stretching and bending, and we use weights in the strength class. I’ve always believed in exercise and keeping busy, and I’m glad that I can keep that up here.”

Behind the scenes, the resident engagement team makes sure that opportunities like these are always available. They keep the residents active and engaged and give them opportunities to try new things.

“One of the biggest reasons we keep our activities so diverse is to offer new and interesting experiences,” said Rachel Tumberg, Perham Living Household Coordinator. “People need to feel valued, and part of that is learning new things and experiencing new things. We can’t stop developing ourselves—lifelong learning is just a part of life.”

That philosophy has led to a wide range of programs at Perham Living, from exercise classes to book clubs to hands-on workshops. “We’ve had community members come in to teach pottery, jewelry-making, and flower arranging,” Rachel says. “There are also groups like ‘sit and stitch’ for those who love handiwork. People in the community are so kind—they bring in opportunities we wouldn’t have thought to ask for, and our residents love it.”

For residents like Barb, staff encouragement makes all the difference. “Because I’m blind, I need someone to bring me to the activities. They’re always willing to help me get there. They really don’t want you to become a vegetable here—they want you to stay active, and they go out of their way to make that possible.”

“We do have great employees who will sit down and do activities with the residents. If someone’s not physically able to hold a paintbrush any longer, they will hold the brush while the resident picks out the colors. Staff can help residents continue to participate in something new or something that they used to love that they haven’t been able to do until they came here to Perham Living,” explains Rachel.

That support has allowed Barb to keep trying new things, keep her mind sharp, and even find new joys late in life. “Perham Living is a good name for this place because we really do keep on ‘living’ when we come here,” Barb says. “I’m probably more active here than I was when I lived in my apartment.”

Her advice for someone thinking about moving to Perham Living? “If you come with a positive attitude, you’ll enjoy it. You’ll have opportunities you never had before. If you want to be active, you can be as active as you like—it’s up to you. I really enjoy it here. They’re helping me keep my mind, and that’s a blessing.”

At Perham Living, lifelong learning is a way of life—it’s a way of honoring every stage of life. It’s proof that curiosity, growth, and joy don’t stop at any age.