New tai chi classes starting

Area residents are invited to participate in new beginning level tai chi classes being offered by the Taoist Tai Chi Society, a non-profit, all-volunteer organization dedicated to making Taoist Tai Chi available to all. In Knoxville, a new weekly class will begin Monday, Feb. 3, at 6 p.m. at the Candy Factory. In Kingston, a weekly class for beginners will start Saturday, Feb. 15, at 9 a.m. in the Kingston Community Center. Both classes are 90 minutes long.
The beginning classes last three to four months, during which students receive instruction on the 108 movements of the set. Students are encouraged to proceed at their own level in this noncompetitive activity. Tai chi is often described as moving meditation, based on slow and continuous movements designed to restore and maintain health.
The Taoist Tai Chi Society offers classes in more than 700 locations around the world. The four purposes of the organization are making Taoist Tai Chi benefits available to all, promoting its health benefits, promoting cultural exchange and helping others. Instructors are volunteers accredited by the Taoist Tai Chi Society of the USA.
This article posted on Tuesday, January 21, 2003, We Missed YOU in 2002, Come Join Our Community in 2003! Breakfast at International House of Pancakes, an Arts Guild of Oak Ridge meeting, lunch from Big Ed’s and a trip to see the Winterfest Lights in Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge. What do these events all have in common? They are just a few of the entertainment choices offered to residents of Oak Ridge Retirement Community, their families, and friends during the past month.
While it’s well known that we offer a wide array of senior housing choices, including independent apartments, assisted living and early memory loss care, many people don’t know about all of the other amenities available at Oak Ridge Retirement Community.
Helping each resident maintain maximum independence and individual dignity is the core of ORRC’s mission. “Maintaining control is a big factor facing senior adults as they grow older,” according to Toni Ladd, the ORRC administrator. “We strive to provide customized levels of care based on the needs of each resident. This allows them to continue making decisions with the assurance that our experienced staff is there to help if needed.”
Since residents have faced many changes, including the loss of their home and often the loss of their spouse, we work closely with new residents to help them create a comfortable, new home. We also assist them in maintaining ties to the community by offering transportation to area events, bridge games, churches, and synagogues, as well as hosting meetings and opening our Activities Room to community and church groups. “I moved here for the freedom from responsibility and companionship,” says longtime Oak Ridger, Esther O’Bleness. “Since I’ve been here, I’ve reconnected with past acquaintances and made several new friends.”
Daily wellness programs are designed to help residents retain a positive quality of life as they face life’s changes. We strive to meet our residents’ physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs through a variety of activities including outings, discussion groups, church services, and special performances. Monthly activities vary based on residents’ requests.
As Assisted Living facilities continue to spring up all over, our continued commitment to quality care remains a top priority, just as it has for the past 18 years. Toward this end, our staff attends monthly in-service meetings on pertinent topics such as first aid and safety, disaster management, infection control, as well as re-certification in CPR. “We also have monthly training sessions for our nurses so they can stay up-to-date on health care issues,” said Christina Trentham, assistant administrator. “Since we began having LPNs on duty 24 hours a day, we’ve been able to focus more on prevention than illness with routine assessments.”