“2026 Seniors’ Joy Program (Phase 2)” — Ninth Activity Brief

By Jennifer Zhang

On Saturday, May 30, under clear skies and a gentle breeze, seniors arrived at the activity center as scheduled to participate in the ninth session of the “Happy Seniors” program.

This week, we were delighted to invite Nurse Practitioner Qiong Wang to deliver a special health lecture on sleep and healthy aging. In daily life, we often hear older adults say, “I need less sleep as I get older,” “My sleep has become lighter and I wake up easily,” or “I can never fall asleep at night.” In fact, these experiences are often signs of declining sleep quality. Through an engaging and easy-to-understand presentation, Ms. Wang helped participants gain a better understanding of sleep, learn about the factors that affect sleep quality, and explore practical ways to improve sleep for a healthier and more restful life.

Ms. Wang began her lecture by addressing some of the questions seniors care about most, such as, “How many hours of sleep do we really need each day?” She emphasized that sleep, like air, water, and food, is one of the fundamental necessities for maintaining life and good health. Chronic sleep deprivation or poor-quality sleep can lead to a wide range of physical and mental health problems.

She then explained insomnia from the perspective of circadian rhythms, discussing its definition, common symptoms, and potential health consequences. To help participants improve their sleep, Ms. Wang introduced healthy lifestyle habits that promote better sleep while highlighting behaviors that should be avoided. She also shared a variety of practical sleep-improvement strategies, including relaxation techniques, stress management, deep-breathing exercises, healthy eating habits, regular physical activity, medication therapy when appropriate, and music therapy. Throughout the presentation, she combined demonstrations with audience interaction, providing a comprehensive overview of sleep health in just 50 minutes. Her informative and engaging lecture concluded with warm applause from the audience.

Following the lecture, adult volunteers and CYOC volunteers served a delicious afternoon tea for the seniors. After enjoying snacks and hot tea and taking a well-deserved break, participants attended the final smartphone skills workshop presented by Xiangyang Wei, a senior volunteer from the Greater Washington Community Health Service Center.

As always, Xiangyang encouraged seniors to explore the many functions of their smartphones with confidence and not to be afraid of making mistakes. He patiently provided hands-on guidance on how to search for, download, and use useful applications from the Apple App Store. He also reviewed smartphone tips and essential skills covered in previous sessions, helping participants become more comfortable and proficient with their devices and enabling them to make better use of technology in their daily lives.

Volunteers also distributed fresh broccoli and bread provided by our community partner, So What Else. Although organizing and distributing food requires significant effort and coordination, seeing the smiles on the seniors’ faces as they received the food reminded everyone that the work is truly worthwhile.

The final activity of the afternoon was a senior dance session led by community dance instructor Yinhuan. Senior dance remains one of the most popular activities among participants. Accompanied by lively and uplifting music, everyone followed the instructor’s lead and danced with enthusiasm, energy, and joy.

Three hours passed quickly amid laughter and cheerful conversation. As the event came to a close, the seniors waved goodbye to the volunteers and looked forward to gathering again next week.