Sneak Peek: See How Senior Living Residents Spend Their Day

June 27, 2022
| 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.

If you’ve been researching senior living communities, you’ve likely already learned what to expect in terms of cost, types of care, and the benefits that come with life in a community like the convenience, an active, social lifestyle, abundant amenities, a focus on wellness, and peace of mind.

Sounds great, right?

We know what you really want to understand before you make your decision, though: what’s daily life truly like here? Hint: It’s more than bingo. From art classes to fitness activities- this is what a typical day is like for our senior living residents.

A Typical Day in Senior Living

While a typical day may differ somewhat depending on the type of senior living in which you reside – independent living, assisted living, or memory care – we strive to create vibrant communities where residents can be themselves, live purposefully, and experience a profound sense of belonging. It all starts by empowering our senior living residents’ independence and giving them the freedom to live life on their own terms.

Morning
Wake up in your beautiful private residence. Depending on the community you live at, there might be a patio home, cottage with an attached 2-car garage, a 1- or 2-bedroom apartment, or a studio. You begin getting ready for the day either, independently or with assistance from one of our team members. Then opt for breakfast in the dining room or prepare it yourself at home in your kitchen.

After your meal, you set about planning your day. You look up the time for the next Adapted Tai Chi class that you enjoyed trying last week. You call maintenance to replace that light bulb that went out and fix the loose doorknob. Then make an appointment for the onsite hair salon later in the week. Now it’s time to head out because housekeeping is coming shortly. It will be so nice to come back to a clean home without having to lift a finger!

Afternoon
On your way to the resident garden space to check on your budding plants, you stop to chat with some of your neighbors who’ve become close friends, and one of them reminds you to RSVP to the Happy Hour in the cocktail lounge on Friday.

The stained-glass art class starts at 11 a.m., so you head to the craft room for that. After, you join some friends in your class for lunch at the café. Then it’s off to the library to choose a new bestseller to read as you relax in the courtyard. It’s such a nice day, and the community’s grounds are just lovely.

Evening
You’re glad you ate light at lunch because dinner is always an experience here. You love the fresh, locally-grown ingredients used in the meals and can’t wait to see what the chef-created options are tonight. Then it’s off to movie night in the community’s theater where they’re playing one of your favorites.

Once you return home, you look at the calendar for tomorrow and remember you volunteered to help some of the other residents pack boxes for the local food bank. You decide that’s a perfect excuse for some time in the hot tub after, or better yet, an appointment at the on-site spa to relax those tired muscles. Now, off to bed; it’s been quite the day!

What Our Senior Living Residents Have to Say

Of course, it’s our senior living residents who truly know best what life is like in our communities. Here’s what some of them have to say.

“This is a beautiful and wonderful place. Great atmosphere and caring staff members!”
-Carson, resident

“The food is exceptional! Our chef & staff go out of their way to create amazing meals! The staff is so friendly and helpful! This is home now and I couldn’t be happier! Thank you for everything you have done to ease our minds during this difficult time.”
-Janet, resident

“I live in one of the patio homes, with a kitchen, a bath and a half, and 2 bedrooms. Every day we have activities, and I like the arts and crafts. They provide transportation to anywhere you want. The staff was very helpful. They have a beauty salon, they have nurses available to help with medication, and the maintenance was excellent.”
-Diane, resident

“The staff is friendly and efficient, and they took care of everything for us. It’s just a nice place for senior living. The food is good. The apartment has a refrigerator, a built-in stove, a dishwasher, and a microwave. It’s got a porch off of the apartment, and they’ve got all kinds of pool tables, and a library, all kinds of stuff in there.”
-Charles, resident

“There is free yard care, free monthly housekeeping, free garbage/recycling, no house upkeep, and repairs are a call away. The staff is friendly and helpful and there are a lot of amenities. At the end of the day, you can rock under your covered porch with a gentle breeze provided by the ceiling fan and sip Mint Juleps while visiting your new friends and neighbors. This is where we were meant to be.”
-Madison, resident

“From the time I turned 50 my dream was to find an active senior community. 15 yrs later I found the perfect place for me. My dream finally became a reality and I am living my best life. The amenities are great. My favorite is once a month house cleaning. The clubhouse is state of the art with all the newest fitness equipment you can imagine. There are art and crafts, Friday happy hour, games, walking club, book club just all kinds of social gatherings. I don’t participate in everything but it’s nice to attend the events that I do like. It’s just a fantastic place to be. And no I wasn’t paid to say all this LOL!!! I am blessed to be here.”
-Maggie, resident

For more information, download our Choosing a Senior Living Community Guide today! Or contact us today to schedule a tour.

Healthy Living, Senior Living, Vivid Life

Vitality Living

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