Menu Week of August 30

Menu Week of September 6

Calendar, September 2026

Hello Parks’ Place Families,

We have lots of wonderful updates and moments of joy to share from the past couple of weeks, along with some exciting activities coming up!

September Life Enrichment Calendar

Our September Life Enrichment Calendar is now ready!

We have another exciting month of music, special guests, animal visits, outings, and activities planned. We hope you’ll be able to join us for some of these special events and make memories with us!

Moments of Joy

The beautiful weather has given us plenty of opportunities to enjoy time outside. We continue to harvest the vegetables our residents helped grow this summer. Watering, pulling weeds, checking on the plants, and picking fresh vegetables have become daily activities that many residents look forward to. It has been wonderful to watch our garden grow—and even better to enjoy the results!

Music also filled Parks’ Place! We enjoyed wonderful performances from Pastor Wayne, Jeff Carver, Tara B, and Jim K. There was plenty of singing along, toe-tapping, and smiling throughout the building.

We’ve also had some very special animal visitors! Sustainable Safari stopped by with several animals for residents to see up close while sharing some interesting and fun facts about each one. The following week, Bestie Bunnies visited and brought plenty of soft bunny snuggles and smiles. Animal visits continue to be a favorite at Parks’ Place!

Coming Up This Week

Monday, August 31 at 6:30 pm – Music at the Parks featuring The Floras
Tuesday, September 1 at 2:30 pm – Music with Wayne
Friday, September 4 at 10:30 am – Music by Niny

Save the date! Saturday, September 26, 12pm – 3pm our 7th Annual Fall Festival for residents and families. Click here for details about the Fall Festival!

Thank you for your continued support of Parks’ Place. We love sharing these special moments with you and appreciate the opportunity to be part of your family’s journey. 💜

🎉 Congratulations, Olivia! 🎉

We are so excited to congratulate one of our amazing caregivers, Olivia Shiek, on being featured in this month’s Plymouth Magazine!

Olivia, we are incredibly proud of your accomplishments and grateful for the compassion, dedication, and positive energy you have shared with our residents and team at Parks’ Place. We know you will continue to impress and inspire those around you as you pursue your education and a future in the medical field.

Congratulations, Olivia! We can’t wait to see all that your future holds! 💜

Read the full article and issue of Plymouth Magazine here:
August-September 2026 Plymouth Magazine Issue

View the Menu

We had a wonderful turn out for the dementia education we offered a couple weeks ago on Communication with Those Living with Dementia. To view session on YouTube click HERE.

We have many wonderful Moments of Joy to share from the past couple of weeks!

Our residents enjoyed spending time outdoors as the weather finally gave us a welcome break from the heat and humidity. Some of our favorite outdoor activities included our reading roundtable, sing-alongs, and gardening. We were even able to enjoy some of the tomatoes we grew together as a special afternoon snack!

This month, residents also had the opportunity to express their creativity during visits from Northern Clay and Art with Larry—two programs that are always resident favorites.

We were especially excited to welcome Jeff Carver back after a brief break due to health concerns. It was wonderful to see him doing well and sharing his musical talents with us once again.

Our residents also enjoyed fantastic musical entertainment from Tara B., Brenda B., and Benny Weinbeck. Their performances always have everyone tapping their toes, singing along, and smiling.

Don’t forget to join us for our next Music at the Parks’ summer concert on Monday, July 27, at 6:30 p.m., featuring Firespice. We hope you’ll join us for another fun evening filled with music, fellowship, and creating more wonderful memories together!

Walking Challenge Update

We’ve made it halfway across the largest Great Lake!

A big thank you to everyone who has been walking and contributing laps to our challenge. Because of your efforts, we’ve reached the halfway point! Our goal is to make it all the way across the lake by the end of the summer, and we’re well on our way.

Annual Caregiver Skills Training

Last week, our caregiving team completed their annual hands-on skills training. Under the guidance and supervision of our nursing team, caregivers demonstrated essential care skills including applying compression stockings, proper handwashing, safe resident transfers, operation of mechanical lifts, use of the spa, and other daily care techniques.

This year, we began each training session by reading a heartfelt letter of appreciation from a resident’s family member. In her letter, she described the many qualities she sees in our caregivers and the difference they make each day.

Following the reading, each caregiver reflected on the kind of care partner they strive to be by writing down three words they want to embody as a Parks’ Place caregiver.

These words represent the commitment our team makes every day—to provide compassionate, respectful, and person-centered care while creating moments of joy for our residents and their families. We are incredibly proud of the dedication, professionalism, and heart our caregivers bring to Parks’ Place Memory Care.

Thank you for your continued support of Parks’ Place. We love sharing these special moments with you and appreciate being part of your family’s journey.

Supporting Engagement Through Purposeful Parallel Programming

At Parks’ Place, our daily programming is thoughtfully designed to support residents at all stages of dementia. Through our parallel programming model, residents are offered meaningful activities tailored to their interests, abilities, and level of engagement throughout the day.

Our goal is to create opportunities for connection, movement, creativity, comfort, and joy in a structured and supportive environment.

About Our Programming

Move & Groove

We begin each day with a morning greeting followed by gentle exercise, stretching, dancing, and movement-based activities that encourage mobility, coordination, and energy. Moving our bodies and listening to music not only benefits our physical and mental well-being, but it also enhances our mood, reduces feelings of isolation, and promotes socialization.

Morning & Afternoon Socials

Interactive group activities focused on conversation, reminiscing, music, current events, and social engagement. Reminiscing promotes social skills and brings back joyful moments from the past.

Table Tops & 1:1s

Rest is just as important as activity for our residents. We encourage time for recovery and re-energization before meal times. For residents who would benefit from closing their eyes and relaxing, we transition to recliners or resident rooms for a peaceful rest period. For those who prefer to remain engaged, we offer independent table-top activities and personalized one-on-one engagement opportunities tailored to each resident’s interests, abilities, and needs.

Sports & More

We make exercising fun and exciting! SPORTS & MORE features a variety of engaging activities including games, yoga, stretching, balance exercises, and group workouts that everyone can enjoy. Staying active is especially important for seniors, as regular movement helps improve cardiovascular health, strength, flexibility, and balance while lowering the risk of falls. Our goal is to promote wellness, confidence, and social connection through enjoyable physical activity.

Let’s Get Creative

We enjoy exploring everyone’s creative side with the LET’S GET CREATIVE group. Crafts, painting, cooking, baking, gardening, and other hands-on activities encourage self-expression, connection, and purposeful engagement. These activities provide opportunities for residents to explore their interests, reminisce through familiar tasks, and experience the joy of creating something meaningful together.

Afternoon Social and Brain Games

During AFTERNOON SOCIAL & BRAIN GAMES, we explore the world through travel guides, hands-on learning experiences, discussion, and interactive games. These activities are designed to stimulate cognitive function, encourage conversation, and enhance social skills. Participation also helps promote independence, confidence, emotional well-being, and meaningful connection with others in a fun and engaging environment.

Let’s Get Moving

We will offer a variety of activities to residents, and if the weather permits, we may move the group to the outdoor patio. This group concludes our physical wellness program, where we prioritize independence, mobility, and self-worth.

Games Galore

Playing board and card games is a staple of many family gatherings. In our GAMES GALORE group, we bring game night to the residents. This group allows residents to enjoy a variety of classic games, evoking fond memories of their own family game nights.

TV/Movie Time

Each evening, we provide TV/MOVIE TIME in our community spaces for residents who wish to socialize more before heading to bed.

Soothing Circle

A calming sensory-based program designed to provide comfort, relaxation, and emotional connection. SOOTHING CIRCLE guides residents into a peaceful time of rest and relaxation to help re-energize before the next meal and afternoon activities.

Explore & Engage

Hands-on activities that encourage curiosity, conversation, and meaningful participation. EXPLORE & ENGAGE focuses on occupational-based tasks inspired by residents’ social histories, interests, and past roles while incorporating the use of all the senses. Activities are designed to promote purpose, independence, cognitive stimulation, and connection through familiar and engaging experiences.

Light & Wonder

Sensory programming featuring calming visuals, music, tactile items, and peaceful engagement opportunities. LIGHT & WONDER guides residents into a time of rest and relaxation to help re-energize before the next meal and evening programming.

Discovery Den

Evening sensory and relaxation programming designed to provide comfort and reduced stimulation while assisting residents with the transition to bedtime. DISCOVERY DEN takes place in our media room, featuring the comforts of home with calming visuals, peaceful music, and a cozy environment that promotes relaxation and emotional well-being.

Our Philosophy

At Parks’ Place, we believe every resident deserves a purposeful day filled with dignity, connection, and meaningful moments. Our programming team works to create experiences that meet residents where they are while promoting comfort, engagement, and quality of life.

Thank you for allowing us to be part of your loved one’s journey.

We are delighted to congratulate the Wayzata Students in the Class of 2026. This week, 16 of our remarkable caregivers and activity assistants will participate in the graduation ceremony. To celebrate their achievement, we invited them to wear their caps and gowns yesterday and today, sharing the moment with our residents and acknowledging their future pursuits. Most of them completed the CNA course at Wayzata High School, finishing their clinical hours at Parks’ Place before becoming part of our team. Our partnership with Wayzata High School is truly valued.

2026 Parks’ Place High School Grads

Aish – University of Pittsburg, Majoring in Neuroscience, English – Pre-med

Rahf – University of Minnesota, Majoring in Neuroscience (Pre-med)

Zoeya – University of Michigan, Majoring in Neuroscience

Reese W. – University of Iowa, Majoring in Neuroscience (Pre-PA)

Lauren – NDSU, Majoring in Biology (Pre-med)

Rhea – U of MN, Majoring Human Physiology (Pre-med)

Amanda – NDSU, Majoring in Nursing

Jadyn – NDSU, Majoring in Nursing

Cecelia – Marquette, Majoring in Nursing

Caden – University of Iowa, Majoring in Nursing

Reese R. – St. Thomas University, Majoring in Nursing/Spanish

Minnette – Creighton University, Majoring in Nursing

Anna – University of Iowa, Majoring in Psychology (Pre-PA)

Keerthana – U of MN, Majoring in Psychology

Abby – San Diego State, Majoring in Speech Language & Hearing Sciences

Emily – Grand Valley State University, Majoring Exercise Science

Photo Gallery

May News, Events, Music and More at Parks’ Place

May Calendar 2026

May Menu Week 2

May Menu Week 3

May at Parks’ Place – A Month Full of Music, Celebration & Connection

We are excited to share a wonderful lineup of activities and entertainment happening throughout May at Parks’ Place! Our calendar is filled with engaging opportunities designed to bring joy, connection, and meaningful moments to our residents each day.

This month features a variety of live entertainment, special celebrations, and interactive programs that our residents always look forward to.

We are thrilled to welcome back many of our favorite performers along with some exciting special events:

• Rosewood Band kicks off the month with lively entertainment on Kentucky Derby Day (May 2)
• Music with Niny appears multiple times throughout the month, including a special performance during our Mother’s Day Lunch (May 10)
• Tara B, Wayne, Jeff Carver, Benny, and Steve Roehm bring music and energy on various afternoons
• Van & Kathy Nixon and other guest entertainers provide wonderful variety and engagement
• A unique visit from Loveable Llamas (May 21) is sure to be a resident favorite!
• And we welcome back our favorite fuzzy long eared friends, Bestie Bunnies (May 29)
• Joanne and her dog Jude will also be visiting us this month (May 26)

March News, Events, Music and More at Parks’ Place

March Calendar 2026

March Menu Week 1

March Menu Week 2

February was jam-packed with activities and meaningful moments at Parks’ Place!

One of our favorite highlights was welcoming 15 delightful Wayzata Hockey players for an evening of games and cookie decorating. They jumped right in to assist our Life Enrichment team with Bingo, Table Hockey, Unicorn Launch/Balloon Volley, and the ever-popular Granny Pant Throw. Laughter echoed from every station as unique and heartwarming connections formed between the players and our residents.

A special thank you to Josh and Kelly Max, and Molly Nelson for reaching out and helping coordinate this wonderful intergenerational event with Parks’ Place. We are so grateful for your partnership!

Valentine’s Week also brought many visitors and special moments. Our Activities Coordinator, Steph, shared the love by bringing her young children to hand out handmade Valentines to every resident. That same morning, the Rosewood Band serenaded us with classic love songs, filling our community with music and smiles.

The January Family Council minutes, along with responses from the Parks’ Place team, are now available. We apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience. Please click here to read the full update.

We look forward to hosting our upcoming Resident Council meeting this week and will share those minutes as well.

Thank you for being part of our Parks’ Place community!

March calendar is now available, and we have some exciting events coming up:

Other dates to share for the month:

March 3rd, 10 am – Northern Clay Visits

Every Tuesday at 3:30 pm – Music with Wayne

March 5th, 1:30 pm – Music with Tara

March 5th, 6:15 pm – Church Service with Communion

March 6th, 10 am – Music with Niny

March 9th, 10:30 am – League Aires Entertain

March 9th, 1:30 pm – Music with Van & Kathy Nixon

March 12th, 1:30 pm – Music with Benny

March 17th, 10:30 am – Irish Dancers Perform

March 17th, 1 pm – Art with Larry (small group)

March 18th, 3 pm – Music with Jeff

March 19th, 10:30 am – Music with Lisa Murphy

March 20th, 10 am – Nail Salon

March 23rd, 1:30 pm – Music with Russell

March 23rd, 2:30 pm – FAMILY COUNCIL

March 26th, 10:00 am – Music by Rick Brix

February News 2, Events, Music and More at Parks’ Place

February Calendar 2026

February Menu Week 3

February Menu Week 4

Today, we were treated to a barbershop quartet serenade in honor of Valentine’s Day. Tomorrow, we will celebrate even more! The Rosewood Band will be entertaining us at 10:30 AM, and their music is always a favorite among the residents. Unfortunately, our volunteer-led program at 3 PM is canceled, but don’t worry—we will fill the afternoon with Valentine’s Day activities such as “The History of Valentine’s Day,” trivia, and candy tasting.

This week, we have thoroughly enjoyed incorporating the Olympics into our activities. Many residents have requested to watch their favorite events, including figure skating, skiing, hockey, and bobsledding.

Next Monday evening, we are excited to welcome a group of boys from Wayzata Hockey, who will join us for some competitive games such as table hockey, granny pant throw, and unicorn launch, as well as a Valentine’s cookie decorating session. It is always a joy to collaborate with youth groups through our Life Enrichment Department.

Lastly, we have an update regarding the MDH Assisted Living Report Card: This week, we were informed that our new report card has been updated on the Minnesota Department of Human Services website. We are thrilled to share that we received an overall satisfaction rating of 94% from families, earning us 5 stars. Additionally, we received 5 stars for Staffing and 4 stars for Resident Quality of Life and Resident Health. Congratulations to all our staff and directors for this outstanding report card! View our report card here: Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card

February calendar is now available, and we have some exciting events coming up:

Bluestone Physicians are visiting group 1 on 2/2 and group 2 on 2/23.

Other dates to share for the month:

Feb. 14th, 10:30 am – Rosewood Band Performs

Feb. 16th, 6 pm – Wayzata Hockey Player Volunteers Visit

Feb. 17th, 3 pm – Music with Wayne

Feb. 19th, 1:30 pm – Music with Tara

Feb. 24th, 3 pm – Music with Wayne

Feb. 25th, 3 pm – Music with Jeff

Feb. 27th, 1:30 pm – Music with Tim Patrick

February News, Events, Music and More at Parks’ Place

February Calendar 2026

February Menu Week 1

February Menu Week 2

We are excited to announce that we have once again been honored with Reader’s Choice Awards for Best Assisted Living and Best Memory Care in Plymouth, Wayzata, and Minnetonka. Thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate and vote for us—we truly appreciate your support. To view the special section featuring all of the winners, click here.

Last week at Parks’ Place was full of fun and creativity, highlighted by creating masterpieces with our visiting artist Larry, dancing and singing to polka music with Pete Sandvik, and singing along with Wayne. Residents also enjoyed making—and eating—fruit pizza for “Food, Facts, and Fun Friday,” and we were grateful to receive a donation from Wayzata High School’s Forget Me Not Organization, which helped us create beautiful Valentine flower arrangements.

We are thrilled to see so many families gathering for meals and enjoying meaningful time together with loved ones. This is truly the vision the Parks family had in mind when they set out to build Parks’ Place.

Friendly reminder: please notify the kitchen in advance if you would like to share a meal with your loved one. Providing advance notice ensures that we have enough food for all our guests. To guarantee that a meal is available, we prefer at least 24 hours’ notice.

February calendar is now available, and we have some exciting events coming up:

Other dates to share for the month:

Feb. 3rd, 3 pm – Music with Wayne

Feb. 4th, 10 am – Northern Clay Visits

Feb. 5th, 1:30 pm – Music with Benny

Feb. 5th, 6:15 pm – Ecumenical Church Service & Communion

Feb. 6th, 10 am – Music with Niny

Feb. 10th, 10 am – Sewing with Linda (small group)

Feb. 10th, 3 pm – Music with Wayne

Feb. 11th, 10:30 am – Music with Jeff

Feb. 14th, 10:30 am – Rosewood Band Performs

Feb. 14th, 3 pm – Valentines Day Program

Feb. 16th, 6 pm – Wayzata Hockey Player Volunteers Visit

Feb. 17th, 3 pm – Music with Wayne

Feb. 19th, 1:30 pm – Music with Tara

Feb. 24th, 3 pm – Music with Wayne

Feb. 25th, 3 pm – Music with Jeff

Feb. 27th, 1:30 pm – Music with Tim Patrick

January News and Events, Music at Parks’ Place, Upcoming Celebrations

Good afternoon! It’s hard to believe that we are already halfway through January. Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve enjoyed the warmth of staying indoors and the joy of friendship.

On January 6th, we celebrated a special first birthday for our wonderful girl, Missy! She was spoiled with plenty of hugs, kisses, and treats, and she looked adorable in her birthday outfit.

In the last few weeks, we also enjoyed musical performances by Van & Kathy Nixon, Benny Weinbeck, Niny Salem, Christine & Laura, Tara Brueske, and of course, our regular performer, Wayne Peterson.

Looking ahead, we have some exciting celebrations coming up: Grandma Day on January 21st, Grandpa Day on January 22nd, and National Pie Day on January 23rd.

On Wednesday, January 21st, we will hold our January Family Council meeting at 4 PM. The meeting will be available in person and online for those who cannot attend but wish to participate. A Teams meeting link will be provided to families next week for those joining online. We are also excited to have a special guest for the first half hour. Carol Srun from Eldermark Engage will demonstrate the new Engage Program Family App for Life Enrichment. We can’t wait to implement this for families this month!

Other dates to share for the month:

Jan. 20th – 1-3 pm Art with Larry (small group)

Jan. 20th – 3:30 pm Music with Wayne

Jan. 21st – 3 pm Music with Jeff

Jan. 22nd – 10:30 am Music with Lisa Murphy

Jan. 27th – 3:30 pm Music with Wayne

Jan. 28th – 1:30 pm Accordion Pete Performs

Happy New Year!

Activities Calendar, Menus, November Events, Howl-O-Ween, Trick or Treaters, Wayzata Hockey Association

Important Links:

November Calendar

November Week 1 Activities

November Week 2 Activities

November Week 3 Activities

November Week 4 Activities

Menu November 9-15

Menu November 16-22

Halloween week was filled with excitement and entertainment for everyone at Parks’ Place.

We kicked off the week with our first annual HOWL-O-WEEN Dog Costume Contest. Fourteen dogs visited in their Halloween best and paraded so everyone could admire their costumes. Throughout the week, residents, staff, and visitors voted for their two favorite dog costumes. After nearly 200 votes, a winner was announced on Friday: Lola and LeRoy Beilby won for their Cow and Chicken costumes. Congratulations to all the participants!

On Wednesday night, we welcomed a group of 8th and 9th grade boys from the Wayzata Hockey Association. They led activities and decorated Halloween cookies with the residents. Thank you to the Bantam B2 Navy team for connecting with our residents and demonstrating your commitment to serving our community.

On Friday evening, we enjoyed numerous trick-or-treat visitors. Residents loved seeing all the adorable costumes. As you can see in the photos below, we had a wonderful variety of characters, and we even ran out of candy!

Additionally, we welcomed Janet to our Parks’ Place family last week. We are excited to get to know her and her family better in the coming weeks.

The November calendar of events (presented above) is complete and packed with a variety of activities for everyone to enjoy. Please note the following special events for residents and families to enjoy together:

Date	Time	Event
11/6	10:30am	Music by Christine & Laura
11/7	10:00am	Music by Niny
11/8	10:00am	Beads of Serenity Volunteer Project
11/10	3:00pm	Music by Jeff
11/11, 11/18 & 11/25	3:30pm	Music by Wayne
11/13	3:30pm	Music by Tara B
11/13	1:30pm	Ecumenical Church Services & Communion (note this is a change in date from calendar)
11/17	6:15pm	Music by James K
11/19	1:30pm	Music by Jeff
11/19	2:30pm	Family Council
11/22	10:00am	Music by Rosewood