The latest blog posts and information.

Brandermill Woods has built a strong reputation in Central Virginia for “redefining retirement”—helping residents trade in the lawn mower and gutter cleaning for a lifestyle of happy hours and lifelong learning. But as a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), our job is to redefine every stage of retirement, and we do this with a razor focus on caregiving.“Caregiving encompasses a broad range, and includes everything from the family member checking in on a loved one...

“Keep the mind sharp.” You hear this language as a goal for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and we certainly have it as one of our goals in the memory care center at Brandermill Woods. These diseases are progressive conditions where the mind becomes less and less sharp and memory loss takes over. While there is no known cure, there are many treatment strategies that can slow the progression and maintain quality of life for as long as possible.

In John Prine’s “Hello in There,” the singer talks about the challenges of loneliness on older age. Released in 1971, when the singer was a precocious 26 years old, the song tells the story of a couple whose children have grown up and fled the nest. In the final lines, the singer implores you to stop and say hello to seniors who might appreciate the company.The challenges of loneliness in older age are nothing new, but thankfully, today’s seniors have more options than ev...

One of the best things about retirement is you can finally spend your time doing what you want to do rather than what you have to do. For many of us, that can mean catching up on our backlog of reading and discovering new books. At Brandermill Woods, many of our residents participate in a monthly book club, offering the chance not just to read a good book, but to discuss it with friends.“The books offer new ideas and good conversation among the residents,” said Hope Bolger, the Brandermill Woods...

The winter solstice and the holidays are behind us, but we still have a few months of short days and cold weather before the first blush of spring. In this time of low gray skies, bare trees and blistering wind, many people suffer from “seasonal affective disorder,” or the winter blues, which is characterized by feeling depressed and a lack of energy.The exact cause of the winter blues isn’t known for certain, but one major factor is that the low level of natural light creates a drop in serotoni...

We’ve reached the end of another exciting year at Brandermill Woods. Perhaps our biggest milestone in 2017 was completing our four-year expansion project—a major investment in our community that offers our residents a wealth of new amenities and upgrades while preserving the small-town feel that we all cherish. The expansion includes a gorgeous new wellness center, additional dining options, events and activities spaces, and 93 new apartments for seniors to choose from.“This expansion project is...