3 Ways Senior Living Can Help You Avoid the Health Risks of Social Isolation

July 28, 2021
| Vitality Living

When it comes to healthy aging, quite honestly, there’s a lot to do. You’re supposed to make sure to keep your body active and your brain engaged all while maintaining your social connections as well. Sure, the benefits to your overall well-being are worth the effort, but retirement is supposed to be a time with less responsibility on your plate, right? Well, it turns out that in senior living you can have your cake and eat it too, so to speak. Here’s how programs like our Vivid Life make keeping active, engaged, and connected easy and fun!

Benefits of Healthy Aging

Good things happen when you focus on healthy aging. In addition to feeling better overall, which in and of itself is a win, other benefits of keeping active, engaged, and connected include:

Improved ability to do everyday things
Reduced impact of illness and chronic disease
Enhanced mobility, flexibility, and balance
Improved sleep
Increased energy level
Reduced feelings of depression and stress
Increased feelings of happiness and self-confidence
Reduced risk of cognitive decline
Increased mental adaptability and cognitive reserve
Improved memory recall and problem-solving skills
Improved concentration and attention to detail

How Senior Living Can Help

At home, particularly when living alone, it can be hard to stay as active, engaged, and connected as you’d like. From lack of opportunity to lack of motivation to lack of transportation to mobility challenges, and more, it’s tough, we get it! That’s why we created the Vivid Life program in our senior living communities. It’s composed of three parts: Vibrant Body, Vibrant Brain, and Vibrant Connections. Here’s what each entails:

Vibrant Body – We offer amenities such as a state-of-the-art fitness center, a pool, walking trails, gardening opportunities, and even a dog park to help you stay active. A sample of activities includes:

Walking club – Daily walks at different outdoor locations using pedometers to measure steps.
Yoga – At least once per week for gentle yoga, and once per week for mindful breathing.
Fitness classes – At least two times per week using a variety of hand weights, resistance bands, and circuit-type exercises.
Tai Chi – At least once per week with a live instructor.
Non-traditional exercise – Dancing, gardening, etc. at least two times per week.
Physical games and sports – Golf, putting, bowling, croquet, bocce, and ping pong available daily with organized events one to two times per week.

Vibrant Brain – We offer monthly calendars filled with classes, events, creative arts, and enrichment opportunities to help keep you engaged. A sample of activities includes:

Visiting lecture series – Twice per month with topics such as cultural, historical, local interest, career-oriented, etc.
Creative art series – At least one per week with a theme that runs 3-6 weeks, such as poetry writing, storytelling, painting, digital photography, etc.
Learning series – At least three times per month with an emphasis on learning something new such as foreign language, sign language, technology, hobbies, etc.
Games – At least one time per week and may include poker, bridge, Scrabble, etc.
Mindfulness – A meditation class once per week and gratitude discussion group twice monthly.
Church service – At least once a week through visits by local churches.
Stress reduction – At least once per month class that offers deep breathing exercises, nature walks, music appreciation, spa-type treatments, etc.

Vibrant Connections – We offer resident-led clubs, social events, outings and volunteer opportunities for any interest to help you stay connected. A sample of activities includes:

Outings – At least twice per month and may include going to concerts, art shows, museum visits, theatre productions, etc.
Intergenerational programming – At least once per month and focuses on building relationships between young adults/children and residents.
New resident welcome party – At least once per month to formally introduce all new residents, and includes ice breakers, social games, etc. to encourage connection.
Philanthropic program – At least once per month provide residents the opportunity to give back to the community, such as volunteering for a local food bank or pet shelter.
Resident-led clubs – May include game clubs, professional clubs, common interests, etc. that meet at least monthly.

What’s more, it’s all right outside your door (or transportation is provided offsite) and all in a supportive environment with home maintenance, housekeeping, and restaurant-style dining freeing your time to make it even easier to stay active, engaged, and connected.

Learn more about Vitality Living’s Vivid Life programs. Or find a Vitality Living community near you today to schedule a tour.

Of all the things people worry about as they get older; your social life seems like it would be low on the list, right? However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently highlighted a 2020 study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), which found that social isolation significantly increased a person’s risk of premature death from all causes. Those risks may rival those of smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity, especially with seniors.

Here’s what you need to know about social isolation and how senior living can help you or your loved one lessen the health risks.

Understanding Social Isolation in Seniors

Loneliness and social isolation aren’t one and the same. As described by the CDC, loneliness is the feeling of being alone, regardless of the amount of social contact, while social isolation is a lack of social connections. The NASEM study indicates that nearly a quarter of adults aged 65 and over are considered socially isolated, often due to factors such as living alone, losing family or friends, chronic illness and/or hearing loss, as well as mobility and transportation challenges.

In addition to the risk of premature death, loneliness and/or social isolation can also lead to:

An increase of almost 50% in the risk of dementia
A 29% increase in the risk of heart disease
A 32% increase in the risk of stroke
Higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide

Avoiding Social Isolation in Senior Living

When it comes to social isolation, where you live matters. At home, particularly when living alone, it’s simply just harder to maintain social connections. In fact, the Pew Research Center reports that seniors who live by themselves, on average, spend about 10 and a half hours alone each day; even those who live with someone, other than a spouse, still have an average of seven and a half hours of alone time each day.

Here’s how senior living at a Vitality Living community can help:

Community setting – You’re never alone in a senior living community unless you want to be! Friends, neighbors, and caring associates are always nearby. What’s more, our communities provide home maintenance, housekeeping, and meals so you can forget about chores. Instead, you’re able to finally have the time to have fun socializing and make the most of life!
Social opportunities – In senior living, you never have to worry about finding opportunities to stay connected. It’s all taken care of for you! Most communities even have a dedicated lifestyle director who ensures there’s always a full calendar of fun and engaging options from which to choose – like happy hours, social events, activities, outings, classes, and clubs.
Convenience – Everything you need to maintain social connections is right outside your door in senior living. Most activities are onsite, and we provide transportation to offsite outings. Not to mention, our communities have a variety of amenities like a fitness center, pub, restaurant, beautiful grounds, and common areas perfect for spending time with neighbors, friends, and family.

Check out our Active Adult Decision Guide to learn more. Or, contact us today to schedule your virtual tour!

Healthy Living, Senior Living

Vitality Living

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