Good health through good humor.

Common sense and a growing body of medical literature tell us that the ability to laugh at life is one of the most effective ways to maintain a positive attitude and, in turn, stay healthy. Not only does laughter release the positive mood-enhancing hormones known as endorphins, it relaxes your muscles and increases both your heart rate and the oxygenation of blood.

The staff of The Washington House, a continuing care retirement community in Alexandria, Virginia, have taken that information to heart for both residents and themselves, creating an innovative program that recognizes and emphasizes the preventive benefits of humor. Known as the "Humor Affirms Healthy Attitudes (H.A.H.A.) Project," its purpose is to promote healthy attitudes among employees and residents of The Washington House through the use of appropriate humor.

According to Dr. Judith V. Braun, president and CEO of The Washington House, the facility's intent was to create the kind of program that would help people realize that laughter really is sometimes the best medicine, no matter what ails you. The program is also a boon to new residents and their families, helping to alleviate the adjustment anxiety that they often experience after moving into a new home, she notes.

We know that having a good chuckle can often help us better deal with the changes that come along on the road of life, says Braun. She adds that this program is one way to encourage all to keep life in perspective.

A confidential, voluntary committee of staff and residents administers the H.A.H.A. program's many ongoing projects.

These include planning Quarterly Pranks and Follies, such as reading the morning's announcements in a helium voice and sending silly, made-up holiday poems to each resident. Often the pranks and follies are devised on a spur-of-the-moment basis, such as the recent "Lose the Blues" Day. Dark sunglasses, a la Blues Brothers style, were distributed to staff and residents, along with a flyer asking everyone to don their sunglasses for dinner the following evening. A group photo was taken, with more than three dozen participants. Even Katie, The Washington House's resident dog, got into the excitement.

Other efforts have included the Baby Face project. Residents and staff were invited to submit baby, childhood, graduation or humorous pictures for a special Reminiscence Gallery. The more than two dozen photos submitted were displayed in The Washington House lobby to give everyone a laugh.

The H.A.H.A. committee also sponsors Special Events. These include programs such as a recent "Silly Saturday," featuring funny movies and popcorn, topped off by an evening of humor with a local comedian.

A big hit, especially with staff members, are Friday Happy Hours, where "Mocktails" are served and the rules of the house are: no work, no complaints - just fun and laughter and getting to know each other.

Residents appreciate the Humor Corner in The Washington House library, where funny books donated by local bookstores are available for perusal. In addition, residents receive on their birthdays a joke featuring the H.A.H.A. logo (a court jester), with a peppermint patty attached.

Perhaps most well known of all H.A.H.A. projects among residents and staff is the Case of the Blahs, a crate containing seven stuffed "Beenie Weenie" style creatures. The Blahs are awarded anonymously to an individual or department identified as needing moral support or a good laugh. The recipient keeps the crate for a week, after which it is repossessed and replaced by a smiley-face Blah, indicating it is time to move on and "get over it."

Other staples of the H.A.H.A. program include funny cartoons posted on the bulletin boards on each floor. There's also a humor column in The Washington House's monthly newsletter. Humorous quips are printed on each evening's menu, such as "What's another word for synonym?" and "Why isn't phonetic spelled the way it sounds?" There's even a H.A.H.A. suggestion box in The Washington House library, encouraging everyone to offer new ideas, cute stories, funny pictures and jokes to share.

The response to this wide assortment of fun and games has been overwhelmingly positive.

"Thank you for your efforts to awaken a sense of playfulness in us all that, for some, has been dormant too long!" wrote resident Margaret Lang. "Keep the laughs coming!"

Vice-President Colleen Ryan-Mallon, recipient of the Blahs during the last weeks of pregnancy with her son John, thanked the committee for keeping her spirits up. "I was not in a very good mood after returning from the hospital half-dead, after 18 hours of labor and intense labor pains - still pregnant," she wrote. "When I opened the package [you sent] to find the Blahs, I laughed so hard. But moreover, I was touched. I know that the Blahs are not given to just anyone, and I couldn't believe that anyone could know how blah I was feeling." She went on to credit her ability to laugh at that time for baby John's resulting happy demeanor.

Family members have also told staff how much they appreciate the positive atmosphere that the H.A.H.A. program has created for residents. As a testament to the positive effects such a program can have on maintaining optimal mental and physical health, The Washington House received the prestigious 1998 Innovation of the Year Award from the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.

While such humor programs may be few and far between in most CCRCs or healthcare environments, Braun foresees them as a wave of the future. "The Washington House is best known for its ability to keep people healthy and happy," she says, "and that should include its staff, too."

She pauses for a moment: "Know any good knock-knock jokes?"

Sue Stone is a member of the committee that designed the H.A.H.A. Project.