Once Upon a Time

Local long-term care residents compete in 35th annual Golden Age Games

�Here, piggy, piggy, here. Here, piggy, piggy,� one resident from a local residential care facility calls into a microphone. The next resident tries a different tactic. �Oink, oink, oink.� The next calls, �Sooooeeeeeee!�

Nope, the residents aren�t on a farm. They are trying to call in a battery-operated pig, participating in the hog calling event at the 35th Annual Golden Age Games at the Osage Center in Cape Girardeau.

Steve Mabery cheers for his pig during a race at the Golden Age Games on Friday, Oct. 19, 2018, at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau.BEN MATTHEWS ~ bmatthews@semissourian.com

The hog calling is one of the many events of The Golden Age Games, which are aimed at enhancing and bringing joy to the lives of area nursing home residents. The Golden Age Games are organized each year by the Missouri Health Care Association (MCHA) District V, Missouri�s largest association of licensed, long-term health care facilities, residential care facilities and assisted living facilities dedicated to improving the quality of life for long-term care residents.

�It is a pleasure for us to plan and organize this event for our residents,� says Gay Hartness, treasurer of MHCA District V. �Each home reaches out to their communities to solicit everything we need for a successful event. It is a joy to see the residents enjoy each other, see new faces and compete vigorously for medals and trophies.�

Military veteran Robert Francis stands for the national anthem during the Golden Age Games at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau.BEN MATTHEWS ~ bmatthews@semissourian.com

The theme of this year�s Golden Age Games is �Once Upon a Time.� Residents from 12 area nursing homes from Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, to Caruthersville, Missouri, dress as characters from �Mary Poppins,� �The Wizard of Oz� and �Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,� to name a few of the movies chosen by each living facility.

The day kicks off with a parade, in which the residents model their costumes while riding on the themed floats they built. The residents next compete in games such as a football throw, ping pong ball toss and bowling.

Beverly Montgomery, left, dances with Alice Welch during the Golden Age Games on Friday, Oct. 19, 2018, at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau.BEN MATTHEWS ~ bmatthews@semissourian.com

After lunch, residents show off their dancing skills through choreographed dances. Nurses, activities directors and other assisted living employees push residents playing tambourines in their wheelchairs to a song from �Mary Poppins,� do �The Twist� with residents and walk along the Yellow Brick Road, arm in arm.

The day concludes with a ceremony in which the first, second and third place winners for games, costumes, crafts and dancing receive medals and trophies.

Norman Puckett showcases his hog calling skills during the Golden Age Games at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau.BEN MATTHEWS ~ bmatthews@semissourian.com

Kim Hall, activities director at South Gate Living Center in Caruthersville, Missouri, says one of the residents commented the Golden Age Games was the best day of their life.

The day means a lot to Hall, too.

�Seeing a lot of the residents get out, meeting new people, the smiles on their faces, interacting with us outside of the living center � it�s been a great day,� Hall says. �We interact with them everyday, but it�s inside [the living center]. When people come to us and come into our home, we get to take them outside [through days like today at the Golden Age Games] and let them see the outside world. It means a lot to us.�

Jerome Nelson showcases a dance routine after being awarded “Dancer of the Day” during the Golden Age Games at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau.BEN MATTHEWS ~ bmatthews@semissourian.com

Volunteers from 10 area businesses within the nursing home industry, such as John�s Pharmacy, Aging Matters and Crown Hospice in Cape Girardeau, volunteer to run and judge the events for the day. The day is also made possible by other Southeast Missouri businesses who donate food, bingo, table decorations, games, medals and trophies.

�I�ve really enjoyed it,� says Ed Nichols, who resides at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. �Everybody�s been happy and laughing and really having a good time. You don�t see this much happiness anywhere.�

Alice Beatrice Welsh, who resides at South Gate Living Center in Caruthersville, Missouri, is dressed as the Wizard from �The Wizard of Oz.� She agreed with Nichols. �I really had a good time,� she says. �I�m glad I came � I�m glad I didn�t miss coming here today.�