Assisted living provides various care that helps your loved one feel safe and well cared for. From a 24/7 staff to chef-prepared meals, assisted living allows residents to maintain their quality of life by providing support.
The best communities also provide recreational and social activities to improve strength and balance and help reduce depression.
Create an Environment of Well-being
Providing wellness options in the workplace can help employees make healthy choices. Whether offering a snack-free breakroom, running group fitness classes, or organizing an environmentally conscious volunteer effort, these small gestures can convey that well-being is a priority for your organization.
Creating a culture of well-being can also start at the top, with leaders serving as role models and aligning cultural touch points. In addition, some new communities bake well-being into the fabric of their neighborhoods by combining senior housing with mixed-age and family-friendly living like Westminster Palms. It provides a natural face-to-face community in our tech-driven, often isolated, work lives.
Provide Personalized Care
Many seniors move into assisted living because they’ve experienced a neurocognitive disorder like Alzheimer’s or another condition that makes them no longer safe to live alone. They can receive round-the-clock care from trained staff members who help keep them socially engaged, secure, and comfortable while meeting their health needs.
Incorporating exercise into daily life is one of the best ways for seniors to maintain their wellness. Assisted living communities often have a range of physical activity programs, like walking paths and group fitness classes. They may encourage participation by making their lessons fun by naming them with catchy names or incentivizing attendance through public recognition and prizes.
Maintaining healthy relationships with family and friends is critical to a good quality of life. Assisted living communities typically offer regular visiting hours and special events that provide opportunities for families to connect.
Encourage Socialization
Whether at home or in an assisted living facility, people of all ages need regular socialization to maintain physical, mental, and emotional health. Elderly adults who remain isolated and lonely have higher risks of depression, poor nutrition, and cognitive decline.
Thankfully, many facilities are designed with the opportunity to socialize in mind. Introduce your loved one to other residents on their move-in day or during scheduled activities so they can start making friends immediately. Consider also letting the staff know their favorite hobbies so they can add them to the schedule. If your mom loves seated yoga or your dad enjoys working on jigsaw puzzles, for example, they can plan group sessions where everyone can join in on the fun together. In addition, a pet can be a great way to encourage socialization and boost feelings of well-being.
Encourage Physical Activity
Providing opportunities for physical activity helps maintain a healthy body weight, improves cardiovascular health, and lowers blood pressure. It also contributes to mental wellness and happiness.
Encourage your clients to incorporate movement into their daily routine. They don’t need to take on the gym or a vigorous workout to get the benefits of exercise; even small steps can make a difference. For instance, walking up and down the stairs instead of using the elevator, walking during their lunch break, or doing housework can be physical activity.
Assisted living facilities provide healthcare and assistance with everyday activities such as bathing, dressing, meals, and transportation. Medicare generally covers these services and is often available 24/7. In addition, many communities offer various social and recreational activities.
Encourage Communication
Many seniors feel that maintaining contact with family and friends is a primary factor in their quality of life. A good assisted living community will offer transportation assistance to facilitate a visit or shopping and provide access to various planned activities that promote the opportunity to maintain old friendships or develop new ones.
To avoid miscommunication, a facility’s staff must communicate clearly with residents and their families. When critical information is not shared, it can lead to medical mistakes and possible resident harm. For example, if a caregiver notices subtle changes in a resident’s condition and fails to share this information with the oncoming team member at shift change, this could result in a CAUTI (Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection). Encouraging communication through huddles can help to eliminate barriers to speaking up.
