LIFE Geisinger enjoys trip to circus

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Participants in the LIFE Geisinger Wilkes-Barre program recently spent a day at the 109th Field Artillery, taking in the sights and sounds of the Irem Shrine Circus. 

The group enjoyed circus fare and a variety of performances that ranged from clown shows to high-wire acts. 

Participant Marlene Matosky was fond of trapeze artists as a child and recalls sharing that joy.

“I remember bringing my children and even, as a Girl Scout leader, bringing other kids. This is a happy place,” she said. “Now, I get to be a kid again.”

The LIFE Geisinger group watched in awe as a pair of performers led their impressive team of dogs through a dazzling battery of tricks and another duo showcased both motorbike skills and aerial acrobatics along a cable suspended high above the crowd. 

“It’s good to be out as a group,” said participant Basil Desiderio, who bought a “Bubble Blaster” to bring a bit of the circus home with him. “This is the first time I’ve been to the circus since I was in high school.”

LIFE Geisinger is a program for adults 55 and older designed to give seniors the support they need to live at home by offering comprehensive daily living and health services. The LIFE Geisinger team coordinates care based on individual needs, offering caregivers relief and support. 

The day trip is just one example of the social activities LIFE Geisinger plans across its five locations to enhance participants’ quality of life. 

With centers in Kulpmont, Lewistown, Minersville, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, LIFE Geisinger provides medical oversight, physical and occupational therapy, home care and socialization.
 
For more information, visit geisinger.org/lifegeisinger or call 800-395-8759. 

About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the nonprofit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 126 care sites — including 10 hospital campuses — and Geisinger Health Plan, with more than half a million members in commercial and government plans. Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,700 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $15 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.