The Olympics – which feature both individual and group activities, and include physical and mental contests – are a big hit in the home, says Pamm Griffin, Muskoka’s activities coordinator. Last year, more than 50 residents took part, either in a competitive or cheerleading role.

Staff wear ‘Richard Simmons’-styled fitness garb as a show of solidarity, or depending on your viewpoint and love of headbands, says Pamm, comedy. The challenge this year, she says, is to get the nurses in costume.

Individual contests are designed for their intellectual stimulation and safety – such as the ‘guess what’s in it’ game (a blindfolded resident has to pick out an object from a bag full of uncooked rice) or ‘mental aerobics,’ where participants are asked to find as many possible word configurations from longer words (such as ‘senior’s olympics’) – and for their fun quotient.

A fishing game with magnetized ‘hooks’ and plastic fish in a large barrel is a one of the more popular individual contests, says Pamm. Group sports range from kicking a ball through a (wheelchair friendly) obstacle course, a relay involving various items of odd shape and size ( a relay with a large snakelike balloon filled with water is, says Pam, almost impossible to complete), and the Olympic’s grand finale – seated balloon volleyball.

Bad weather – Pamm says much of her July outside programming was ruined by the month’s near–continuous heat wave – won’t be a factor, as the Olympics will be moved indoors to the home’s large activity room. (Muskoka has a home safety policy of not taking residents outside if the temperature rises above 25C degrees.)

The Senior’s Olympics is typical of Muskoka Landing’s youthful programming bent, which Pamm attributes to the young average age – 23 - of the five activity programmers, 4 of whom are part-time. One staff member, a 2 year volunteer, is still finishing high school.

“We’re greeted really warmly by the residents – with big smiles – and I think it’s because our group is so upbeat and positive.”

Apart from designing the events this year, the other challenge will be to get appropriate prizes. And while podiums and real medal awards are outside of the budget of 94 bed home, embroidered ribbons are a distinct possibility, says Pamm. Headbands, on the other hand, are a guarantee.