Senior Living and Loving in Victoria, Texas

February 18, 2018
| 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.

It’s never too late to begin a new chapter of life. If you’re weighing the benefits of Victoria senior living communities for yourself or a parent, know that the move to senior living isn’t the end of a story. It’s the beginning of something new. Many older adults find new purpose and meaning in their golden years. Consider the recent viral story of a retired teacher who makes cards for soldiers at her Idaho retirement community. Or the many seniors who find love for the first—or second or third—time at a senior living facility.

Here’s what you need to know about making the next chapter of your parent’s life a grand adventure.

Why Happiness in the Senior Years Matters

Whether you’re already caring for an ailing parent or just worried about what will happen when your parent’s health declines, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Some caregivers focus solely on finding a safe place with excellent medical backup. While it’s important to ensure your parent is safe and well-cared-for, this isn’t where your search should end. Aging doesn’t change what it means to be human. It’s as important as ever for your parent to feel connected, valued, and engaged.

The benefits of finding senior living communities that support an active, social lifestyle include:

More opportunities for exercise, which can improve memory, reduce the risk of dementia, lower osteoporosis risk, improve cardiovascular health, increase longevity, and support long-term mental health.
Greater mobility among seniors who have more opportunities to socialize with others.
Better health among seniors who remain socially engaged. Seniors who have health problems decline more slowly when they have frequent opportunities for socialization.
A longer life. One study found that seniors with few social connections were 50 percent more likely to die in a seven-year timespan.

Perhaps most important of all, an active and engaged senior living community is more attractive to seniors ready to move out of their homes. If you’re worried about your parent’s health or concerned about a parent who is stubbornly independent, you’re more likely to get buy-in from your parent if you offer a senior living community with a vibrant community and active lifestyle.

How Communities Support a Fuller Life

Older adults are understandably often concerned about a transition to senior living. All older adults deserve a joyful retirement, filled with opportunities to live out their passions and seek new thrills. Unfortunately, many older adults find that as their retirement stretches on, so do physical frustrations and feelings of isolation. As older adults’ bodies change, so too do their opportunities to learn new things, meet new people, and explore the world.

Senior living communities expand horizons for older adults by offering friendship, exercise, and activities all in one place. Worries about driving on the highway or at night with failing eyesight melt away. Memory concerns that make going out alone impossible no longer hold older adults back. And for seniors who are still in excellent health, integrating into a vibrant community now offers hope that potential future health problems don’t have to mean a more constrained existence.

Maintaining as Much Independence as Possible

Whether we’re eight or 80, we all want to lead independent lives. Older adults transitioning to senior living may worry about sacrificing their independence. Seniors who choose Vitality communities gain more independence, not less. They no longer have to rely on loved ones to transport them to activities or manage health concerns. They don’t have to worry about falls or unpaid bills. Our supportive communities meet older adults where they are, providing safe and active opportunities to age in place.

Freedom to Focus on Family

The relationship between a parent and child is among the most complex, nuanced, and meaningful there is. Too often, a senior parent’s health problems shift that relationship from one of care and mutual concern to one of caregiving. This can drain the child’s emotional and physical resources, undermine the parent–child bond, and leave senior parents feeling more dependent and less dignified.

The right senior living arrangement offers a renewed focus on all that’s good about parent–child relationships. Older adults don’t have to feel dependent and don’t have to worry about becoming a burden. Children can rest easy knowing that their parents are safe, allowing them to enjoy family time once again.

Opportunities at Vitality in Victoria

There are new opportunities for older adults to live a full and engaged life at Vitality Court in Victoria, Texas, every day. Here are a few examples of what Vitality Court offers:

Invigorate your days with yoga, gardening, dance, walks, and more
Rediscover a passion, learn something new, and swap stories with new friends
Look as good as you feel with an onsite spa and salon experience
Feel your best with health and wellbeing services
Explore and learn at Experience U

At Vitality, we believe living your best life starts with your environment. Learn more about what type of community is the best fit for your parent in our free guide, The Complete Guide to Choosing Between Senior Living Options.

Healthy Living, Just Thinking

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