Are you concerned about the well-being of a loved one? If so, then we have good news for you. According to research from the National Institute on Aging, older adults who participate in programs and activities that promote wellness report better health, more energy, and better quality of life than their peers who don’t.
But what exactly does it mean? How do you know if your senior loved one is getting the care they need at an assisted living facility in Zionsville, IN?
What Is Wellness?
Wellness is optimizing your health and well-being by improving your physical, social, mental, and spiritual aspects. Wellness means taking ownership of one’s health and looking after other people’s well-being too!
Physical Health
Physical health is the most important dimension of wellness for older adults. It includes exercising and eating healthy foods, as well as caring for your body by getting enough sleep, having positive self-esteem, and taking time to relax.
In assisted living communities, there are many ways you can help encourage physical activity in your loved one:
- Encourage them to join a weekly exercise class or walk around the grounds daily (if possible).
- Ask their doctor if anything else could help improve their mobility. For example, they might benefit from using a cane instead of relying solely on their strength when walking outside.
Spiritual Health
Spiritual health is an important part of wellness for older adults. It can help them find meaning in their lives, so it’s critical to incorporate spirituality into your daily routine.
- Find your purpose: Older adults often have a deep sense of purpose and mission, but sometimes they need help finding it. A spiritual community can guide you as you search for the right path for yourself and others.
- Discover who you are: As we age, we tend to become more reflective about our identities-who we were before and what our values are now that we’re no longer young adults?
- Create a collage with pictures from different stages in life (childhood through adulthood), then write down three adjectives describing each step and how those adjectives describe who I am now.
- Write down five things that make me happy.
Social Connections
Social connections are an important part of well-being at any age. Friends, family, and a support system can help you stay engaged in your community and feel connected to others.
Assisted Living communities can provide many opportunities for social interaction:
- Daily programs such as exercise classes, movie nights, or music performances
- Monthly events like potlucks or holiday parties (or both!)
- A communal dining room where residents gather for meals together
Mental Health
Mental health is more than just the absence of mental illness; it includes positive states such as happiness or peace of mind. Mental health refers to our emotional state (how we feel) and our ability to cope with life’s challenges without letting them overwhelm us – something that can change over time depending on what’s going on in your life at that moment in time. It’s also the ability to love and be loved. Mental health problems can affect anyone at any time in life. The most common mental health problems are depression, anxiety disorders (such as panic attacks), phobias, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Assisted Living communities offer specialized care for those who need it, such as dementia patients or those suffering from Alzheimer’s. This type of service is especially valuable because it allows residents to live in their own apartments but still have access to 24-hour medical care when needed.
