The Difference Vital Heroes Make in Assisted Living

Photo of a woman sitting and smiling

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. 

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A hero is defined as a person who shows great courage and is admired for their achievements and noble qualities according to Merriam Webster. There’s no mention of flash and capes, because true heroes, like those in our communities, are too busy serving courageously in their PPE instead. We call them Vital Heroes because they are essential in bringing vibrancy to the lives of our residents and their families, especially now. Here are just some of the ways they make a difference.

Are you caring for a loved one yourself? We know it isn’t easy, so we’ve created a resource that helps each day go a little more smoothly. The Caregiver’s Checklist: Supporting an Aging Parent covers a wide variety of topics ranging from creating a safe home environment, to how to recognize the signs a senior needs more assistance. Download it with our compliments today!

caregiver's checklist

The Impact of Our Vital Heroes

TESTIMONIALS

“I know there are heroes all over Maristone, but I will speak of those I know personally. Tanesha, Stephanie, Judy, and Claudia. Thanks to you beautiful women for your dedication and love.”
Stephanie O. | Resident | Maristone of Franklin | Franklin, TN

“Thank you for all you do for my mom, Martha. You are all wonderful!”
Susan I. | Family Member | Maristone of Franklin | Franklin, TN

“Amy is an amazing person and my Mom and our family love and appreciate the second mile that she goes.”
Teresa P. | Family Member | Maristone of Providence | Mt. Juliet, TN

“Maybelle Carter has the most caring staff imaginable! Thank you!!! Amazing team of people who love and care for the residents as family! Appreciate each and every one of you!!”
Connie C. | Resident | Maybelle Carter Living | Madison, TN

“I am so grateful to each and every one of you for your caring, your sharing, your hard work taking care of us and most especially for your quick responses when we need you.”Jane H. |Resident | Maybelle Carter Living | Madison, TN

“Staff are wonderful and work very diligently to provide such a caring community for our loved ones.”
Susan T. | Family Member | Traditions of Athens | Athens, AL

“They always go the extra mile even when it’s not in their job description. Thanks never feels like enough when they do more than they have to.”
Bobbi L | Resident | Traditions of Spring Hill | Spring Hill, TN

“I can’t say enough good things about Traditions. From the moment we were referred to them, they were so incredibly accommodating and attentive. Every member of the staff gave us every impression of genuinely caring for the happiness and wellbeing of their residents.”
Nathan M. | Family Member | Traditions of Spring Hill | Spring Hill, TN

“I have been trying to decide which hero at Traditions to spotlight. I can’t choose just one. We are so grateful to everyone.”
Lorraine R |Family Member | Traditions of Spring Hill | Spring Hill, TN

“Everyone at VCV are amazing! But I refer to Julia as one of my Moms angels. Julia has always been kind, caring and shown such wonderful compassion to Mom.”
Nikita W. | Family Member | Vitality Court, Victoria, TX

Celebrating During National Assisted Living Week and Beyond

Last week we honored our Vital Heroes during National Assisted Living Week for caring first for residents, families and each other no matter the circumstances. It was a great week celebrating them with fun activities across our communities.

But we didn’t feel that was quite enough given their achievements so we created our own holiday for them, Vital Heroes Day, which we will continue to celebrate each year. You’ve seen what makes our caregivers heroes to our residents and families, now take a look at this video to see why we admire these heroes so much!

For more information on assisted living at Vitality, contact a community near you to schedule a virtual tour!

Vitality Living half Blossom
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