The latest blog posts and information.

From the golden forsythia to the purple haze of red buds, evidence of warmer weather blooms all around us. Finally, spring has come to Brandermill Woods! Whether you’re a beginning gardener or a pro, opportunities abound to work in the dirt.“I love to see Brandermill Woods residents outside, enjoying the nice weather.

Retirement can be a wonderful time—years to hang up your hat, put up your feet, and enjoy the rewards of a lifetime of hard work. But as we age, there comes a point where we need a little bit of extra help with day-to-day tasks.For seniors and their caregivers, the decision to move into an Assisted Living community can be challenging: When is the right time to move? What should you look for in a community?

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...