What The Best Senior Living Communities Offer Older Adults

What The Best Senior Living Communities Offer Older Adults

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. 

blog-family-decision-guide

 

If you are a senior, or the adult child of one, you may be thinking it is time to downsize. Many older adults find themselves living in just a few rooms of a large home they have lived in for decades. It’s usually expensive and time-consuming to maintain.

As you start to explore the options for this next chapter in life, you might wonder about the benefits of moving to a senior living community. Many families have only a vague understanding of what senior living communities are and what they have to offer.

From well-balanced meals to a rich variety of events and activities, let’s take a look at what the best senior living communities do to help residents age with success.

The Benefits of Finding a Quality Senior Living Community

  • Care options that change with your needs: While an older adult might move to a senior living community when they are active and independent, a good community will offer more options for care as an elder’s needs change. Knowing they won’t have to move again, gives both the senior and their family peace of mind.
  • Variety of events and activities: From computer classes to art workshops and movie nights, senior living communities offer a wide range of life-enrichment activities. Residents have an opportunity to meet new friends while engaging in hobbies they enjoy.
  • On-site wellness programs: Quality-focused senior living communities place great importance on health and wellness activities. They offer fitness programs, like yoga practice, stretching classes, and cardio strength toning, several times each day. You’ll also find opportunities to nurture the spirit, such as meditation and gardening.
  • Choice for dining: A good community recognizes how important it is for an older adult to be in charge of their day. That means they offer a variety of mealtimes and menu options. If a senior is headed out for some shopping, for example, they might want to opt for a quick bite instead of a sit-down meal.
  • Maintenance-free living: If you or your loved one has been living in a private residence, you know all too well the burdens and expenses that come with home ownership. By moving to a senior living community, you leave the worries about finding contractors and repairmen behind. Every chore, including appliance repair, housekeeping, lawn care, and snow removal is taken care of for you.
  • Transportation services: Another convenience offered by quality senior living communities is transportation. Most have regular transportation routes that include restaurants, shopping malls, pharmacies, and other requested stops. In addition, residents can usually schedule transportation for private appointments and outings.
  • Beauty and barber shops: On-site salons are another feature of a good senior living community. These make it more convenient to get a haircut or a manicure.

If you are ready to start your search, download the Home Care vs Senior Living Guide. It can help you explore the ins and outs of your  best fit.

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