At Washington, D.C.-based Sibley Memorial Hospital, a group of older adults gather each month for the “Laugh Cafe,” according to The Washington Post.
The cafe is one of the activities offered to local seniors, including members of Sibley’s Senior Association. The price of admission for the “Laugh Cafe”? One joke.
“This isn’t a hospital per se, because there’re so many things to do,” said Joanne Philleo, a cafe frequenter. “This is a place that contains a hospital.”
“And they make a great Philly cheese steak,” added Tom Reynolds, the Laugh Cafe’s volunteer leader.
The Senior Association also holds other activities, including tango lessons, French and Italian conversation classes and day trips to museums.
Marti Bailey, director of Sibley’s Senior Association, explained the additional pros of the group.
“Healthcare transformation requires we do everything we can to increase people’s health, rather than waiting for them to get ill,” Ms. Bailey said. “Healthcare doesn’t stop when you leave the hospital.”
Various other hospitals, including Arlington-based Virginia Hospital Center and Washington, D.C.-based George Washington University Hospital, are offering similar programs to seniors.
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