Many factors impact healthy aging, and while some are out of your control, like genetics, many are not. You can determine how much you exercise, how healthy you eat, how active you keep your brain, how social you are, and how purposefully you live, right? Yes, to a certain extent. But as you age you may lack opportunities to do as many of these things as you’d like. That’s why the environment in which you live becomes so important. Here’s how it helps with healthy aging.
Healthy Aging at Home
While you may have the best intentions to make your health and wellbeing a priority when aging at home, there can be a number of barriers that make it harder to do including:
- Living alone
- Hearing/vision loss
- Limited mobility
- Limited transportation options
- Being a caregiver for someone with a serious condition
- Chronic health conditions
- Psychological or cognitive challenges
- Live in a rural or hard-to-reach location
- Have language barriers where you live
In fact, any or all of these barriers in your environment could lessen your opportunities to pursue activities to help with healthy aging.
Healthy Aging in Senior Living
On the other hand, the senior living environment fosters healthy aging. Not just in the space itself but also in the elements we incorporate into daily life. In our communities, this is known as Vivid Life, and this program helps with healthy aging through:
- Maintenance-Free Living – With amenities like home and yard maintenance, housekeeping, and transportation, senior living communities like ours give you freedom from chores so you can worry less and enjoy more which can help with healthy aging.
- Amenities and Convenience – Our environment fosters healthy aging by making life easier as well with amenities like dining venues that include a bistro, pub and restaurant, hair salon/barbershop, concierge services, pool, library, dog park, and walking trails on beautiful grounds. While you may have some of these options in your neighborhood at home or nearby, it’s rare to find them all right outside your door as in senior living.
- Social Connection and Fulfilment – You never have to feel alone and/or isolated here with a community of friends, neighbors, and supportive team members always nearby. Plus, you’ll find an ever-changing calendar of social events, activities, and outings as well as clubs, classes, and volunteer opportunities to keep you engaged and fulfilled. And it’s all planned for you- just choose the options that fit you best and enjoy!
- Opportunities to Stay Active – It’s much easier to stay active and healthy with our wellness services, a state-of-the-art fitness center, yoga, and tai chi classes, and onsite spa and salon experiences available to you each day. What’s more, you don’t have to worry about nutrition or the hassle of cooking either with chef-created menus that use fresh, locally-grown ingredients for meals that are nutritious and delicious!
- Peace of Mind – You may not initially consider peace of mind as a factor in healthy aging, but it absolutely is. It may seem counterintuitive, but the environment in senior living actually empowers independence, perhaps more so than at home. For example, you can feel safe and secure knowing your space is designed with features like emergency response systems, grab bars, and wheelchair ramps, all in an easy-to-navigate setting that minimizes steps and fall hazards. What’s more, with support always near you may feel more freedom not having to call family, friends, and neighbors to help like you would at home.
For more information about Vitality’s Vivid Life program – Vibrant Body, Brain, and Connection – visit our Vivid Life webpage. Or find a Vitality Living community near you today to schedule a tour and experience Vivid Life for yourself.