 Health care professionals who work with seniors have long suspected lonesomeness plays a role in aging. Recent research shows they were right. Isolation has been identified as a serious health risk for our seniors. It contributes to a variety of health problems ranging from diabetes to high blood pressure, cardiac disease, depression and obesity. Seniors who make a move to an independent living or assisted living community have greater opportunities for staying mentally, emotionally and physically connected as they age compared to adults who choose to stay in their private home.
A few of the many benefits adults enjoy when they move to a senior living community include: 1. Good Nutrition Planning menus and grocery shopping can become more of a burden with age. Senior living communities have in-house cooks who prepare healthy, nutritious meals three times a day. Residents also have the advantage of having friends to dine with. It helps make mealtime a social event to look forward to each day. 2. Companionship Being surrounded by like-minded older adults to share the events of the day can have an incredible impact on senior’s mental and emotional well-being. The informal conversations and gatherings that happen every day give senior living residents an opportunity to build their circle of friends and feel less alone. 3. Life Enrichment Programs Activities that take place in senior living communities all day every day are designed to engage the body, mind and spirit. 4. Wellness Opportunities As we learn more and more about how to age successfully, wellness programs continue to be an important piece of what attracts older adults to senior housing communities. 5. Safer Facilities Older adults who move to a senior living community are often coming from older homes. They frequently trade this outdated environment for one built with the safety of seniors in mind. A few of the common features include: -Handrails in hallways -Good lighting -Grab bars in bathrooms -No-step showers -Emergency call systems 6. Lower Stress Ask any senior who lives alone in an older home, and they will tell you it can be stressful. Even if they hire someone to help with housekeeping and maintenance, keeping everything coordinated is a lot of work. Giving up these responsibilities and moving to a senior living community can help decrease an older adult’s stress and improve their quality of life. The benefits of moving to a senior living community above are incredibly important, and we hope you take them to heart.
18 Comments
8/15/2017 10:26:25 am
My mother-in-law is getting old enough where it may be beneficial for her to move to a place with other elderly people so she isn't so lonely, but she doesn't know if it's right for her or not yet. It is so true that meal planning and shopping can be hard for elderly people, so it would be nice to have a community where healthy meals are prepared for you every day. Moving to a senior community seems like a great opportunity for her to be more social, healthy, and stress-free. Thank you for the helpful information! 12/12/2017 11:31:08 pm
It was great when you mentioned that the activities designed for the elderly in assisted living facilities are intended to engage the body, mind, and the spirit. My grandmother loves participating in activities, so I think she will definitely enjoy being in an assisted living facility. The reason why we have decided to take her to one is that we are almost always out of the house, and there's no one there to look after her. She will be really sad if she continues to live alone. Thanks for sharing. It's great! 1/22/2018 05:19:57 pm
What I appreciated the most was how you said that it can benefit the senior's mental and emotional well-being if they will live with other adults who have the same thinking as them. You may have a point there because I find it quite difficult to engage in a meaningful conversation with my grandma because we can't seem to understand each other. She needs people who can relate to her. I'll talk to my parents about this. Thanks. 3/14/2018 09:27:31 am
I like that this article mentioned that senior care facilities are built to be safe, like having hand rails in the bathroom and hallways. My grandmother recently took a fall and had to live in an assisted living home for a few weeks. Although it was hard on the family, it really helped keep her safe as she had nurses to keep her from taking off her neck brace. 3/30/2018 09:50:49 am
I like how you talked about companionship being really nice for people looking to move into assisted living. My grandma is in this place in her life and wants to find an assisted living center to move to. Thank you for the information about how informal conversation and gatherings that happen every day can help people build friendships and not feel alone. 6/1/2018 09:06:05 pm
I love that you mentioned that living in a senior community gives older people the type of companionship that they need since they will have opportunities to talk to like-minded people sharing informational thoughts. My parents are getting older and they thought that it would benefit them if they live in such a community because their neighbors in their area doesn't seem to care for elderly people. I am not with them anymore since I have a family of my own, and I just want the best for them. So I will be helping them find a nice community for them. Thanks! 6/25/2018 03:32:46 pm
I think being around people that share your same interests and can provide lasting friendships is underrated. When people age it can be really helpful to be around those who are like minded. When I retire this is something I would love to do, especially if there is a golf course. 6/26/2018 05:35:30 pm
That's interesting that moving to a senior living community gives your loved one more opportunities for companionship. My grandma is getting pretty old and needs help with her health. I'll have to find an assisted elderly living that would help her health but also give her the opportunity to meet more people. I really like the advantage that senior care facilities have by allowing the elderly to form a new circle of friends and feel less alone. My mother has been very lonely since my father died, and because of that my wife and I want to get her a new social group. I will be sure to do some research into senior care facilities in the area, that way I can find some new friends for my mom! 8/21/2018 09:26:03 am
I thought it was interesting that you mentioned having like-minded adults sharing a community. I think that this would be really wonderful for my grandmother who is finding it difficult to get a long with a few of the "youngsters" in her neighborhood. Maybe this is what she needs and it might have a positive outcome on her mental health. 8/29/2018 05:18:58 pm
Ever since my family has moved, my grandmother has had less access to the care that she needs. I really appreciate your information on senior living centers; how they have in-house cooks who prepare the meals and plan the nutrition of the residents and that there are life enrichment programs as well as safety features in all the facilities. With this information, I don't know why we haven't considered moving her to a care facility sooner. We'll look into senior living centers to find the best option for her. 9/18/2018 08:10:18 am
I really appreciate your tip that assisted living communities are designed to be safe, especially with the handrails and guardrails. My wife and I have been trying to find my mother some help ever since my father died. I will be sure to look into finding an in-home assisted living center that can install handrails in her home! 9/28/2018 10:35:03 am
My grandma recently got surgery and she will have a long recovery period that makes it difficult for her to do simple daily tasks like getting dressed and making food. She is thinking of moving to a senior living center and I didn't realize there are so many benefits of this type of environment! You make a great point that my grandma will receive great nutrition and she will receive home-cooked meals that are healthy so he won't have to worry about making food. Also, the fact that there will be senior living activities and opportunities to socialize would help my grandma to maintain her quality of life. 10/3/2018 02:54:01 pm
It is really awesome that there are activities in senior communities the engage the body, mind, and spirit. I would love to move my mom into a senior apartment where she can have activities like that. She would honestly love it so much. 3/8/2019 07:24:59 am
I liked what you said about having other people around the same age who share similar opinions. My friend was talking about wanting to have her parents start looking into moving to a senior living community. I think that it would be a great place for them to build connections with people like them. 3/20/2019 11:12:58 pm
Personally, I believe that my senior father would be cared for in a senior living community because he'll get good nutrition there. Since he'll gain companionship with new people, he won't feel so lonely. Thank for listing that he'll be able to participate with life enrichment programs there as well so I might ask him if he wants to move there so I can find one for him. Leave a Reply. |
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