Luena is our oldest resident at Bay Haven. She is 106.
What does the term centenarian mean? A centenarian is someone who is 100 years of age or older. Bay Haven Care Community is proud to say that we have THREE centenarian residents, Luena – 106, Isobel – 104, and Annie – 102. All three centenarians are in great health and continue to be active in our recreation programs. In fact, Luena plays the piano for all her fellow residents and staff four days a week. When asking Luena what her secret to longevity is, she said to always keep active physically and mentally. Annie use to be a nurse when Bay Haven began in 1969. Now, her daughter Roseanne is a nurse and her granddaughter Amanda works in house keeping.
Bay Haven Care Community also have many residents that are in their late 90s. Muriel is 99 years old and will be turning 100 in 2020. Other residents’ range between 95 – 99. It is incredible to be surrounded by so many active elders in the Bay Haven community, whenever I come into work, it encourages me to keep active so that I may also live a long, healthy life.
The oldest person to ever live was a woman named Jeanne Calment from France. Jeanne was born on February 21st, 1875 and she passed away on August 4th, 1997. She was 122 years and 164 days old. Currently, the oldest living person is Kane Tanaka from Japan. Kane was born on January 2nd, 1903 and she is currently 116 years old. Kane is still in good health and occupies her time by playing the board game Othello and taking short walks in the facility’s hallways. Her hobbies include calligraphy and calculations. She credits her family, sleep, and God as her secrets to her longevity. Kane also said that she has a strong appetite and likes sweets; she drinks three cans a day of canned coffee, sodas, and various nutritional drinks.
Studies have shown that longevity has been increasing over centuries. As life expectancy is increasing across the world, the number of centenarians is expected to increase quickly in the future. According to a study done in the United Kingdom, one-third of babies born in 2013 in the UK are expected to live to 100. In the end, remember to eat well, keep active, get proper sleep, and live an amazing life.
Marco Sanfilippo – Marketing Specialist/Recreation Assistant