Edgemere, Dallas’ premier SQLC retirement community, recently celebrated all things Greek during its “World of Wellness Week,” an initiative to encourage seniors to live an engaged and active lifestyle. The week-long, quarterly initiative highlighted the Masterpiece Living® philosophy by exploring its four components of successful aging: social, spiritual, intellectual and physical wellness. Residents experienced a Greek-inspired cooking demonstration by Chef Victor, learned about the Greek language and its contribution to the history of the English language at a lecture, “Our Slippery Mother Tongue: A Light History of the English Language” by Professor Elliot Engel, and ended the week with an outing to the 60th Annual Greek Food Festival of Dallas.

“It was exciting to be able to share my culture with my fellow residents,” said Dr. Phoebus Koutras, an Edgemere resident who helped coordinate the excursion to the Greek Food Festival.

Edgemere residents also tapped into their creative sides as they followed a step-by-step painting lesson inspired by the beauty of Greece. The social activity, much like the popular “Painting with a Twist” concept, was a relaxing way for residents to fine-tune their motor skills. Painting is often considered a therapeutic exercise for seniors’ minds and bodies.

“At Edgemere, we strive to find creative ways to incorporate wellness activities into the residents’ daily lives,” said John Falldine, managing director of Edgemere. “The World of Wellness Week program has been well-received by residents and has encouraged them to participate in activities that they previously may not have considered. To date, we have experienced French and Greek culture, and I am looking forward to seeing where our next World of Wellness week will take us.”