A recent Gallup poll found that less than half of Americans listed 'Very Satisfied' with their personal lives. Feeling dissatisfied with your life is going isn't limited to one age dynamic.
Unfortunately, it can be particularly prevalent in seniors. Certain factors, whether they be losing loved ones and friends or developing health conditions, can make the elderly particularly dissatisfied.
The key to combating this is to find wellness programs in retirement communities.
But what exactly is wellness? And how do these types of programs enhance a retiree's life? In this guide, we'll answer these questions so you can decide if this type of program is right for you.
Wellness is the measure of a person's quality of life and overall well-being. Some people think that wellness is just applied to a person's physical health.
While this is one component of it, wellness also incorporates things like intellectual, social, environmental, financial, occupational, spiritual, and emotional aspects of a person's life.
Is the person making satisfying relationships in their life? Are they happy with their environment and financial situation? Do they have purpose and meaning in their life?
These are all questions that a person needs to ask themselves when determining their wellness level. When we prioritize wellness we improve our quality of life.
We're happier and excited to embrace the day, which in turn can improve our physical and emotional health as a wellness lifestyle senior.
Many retirement communities are restructuring their programs to incorporate wellness. This is great news because wellness programs in these types of communities have the potential to dramatically enhance the quality of life.
This is the key to not only prolonging one's retirement years but also making the most of them through senior wellness benefits.
Physical activity has both immediate and long-term health benefits for people over the age of sixty-five. Unfortunately, many seniors who live on their own might not have access to it. Maybe they don't want to drive to go to a gym.
Or they might not have friends they can go with. Retirement communities will often include fitness programs in their wellness structure.
Since they're on-site it makes it easy to schedule a work-out. Fitness classes can be a fun way to meet people or socialize with friends while getting a workout in.
It's never too late to start learning. Many people find that retirement is the perfect time to start broadening your cultural horizons. They might take an interest in literature, art, history, writing, or crafting.
Any good wellness program will provide seniors with many opportunities to learn through retirement community activities.
They might do this through regular classes or clubs. Events can also be a great way to introduce people to a new hobby. Staying curious and acting on that curiosity is an important aspect of wellness as one ages.
It's estimated that nearly a quarter of the population over the age of sixty-five are socially isolated. The negative health effects of loneliness should not be underestimated.
Specifically, the same report found that it caused a significant increase in premature mortality from all causes. Plus, it causes a 50% increase in developing dementia.
The key to enjoying one's retirement years is to maintain and make new social connections no matter how old you get. Unfortunately, this can be hard for some seniors. When seniors lose spouses or close friends they often feel intimidated to make new connections.
Retirement communities provide the perfect places to meet new people who are the same age. There are plenty of social events and icebreakers for introducing yourself to the community.
Things like classes, book clubs, fitness programs, community meals, and more all provide retirees with a way to make friends. More importantly, it makes them feel like they're part of a community. And being part of something larger is vital to wellness.
Because many seniors travel less, they're often not able to go to the grocery store as much. This can result in an unhealthy diet of processed frozen meals and junk food. Retirement communities with retirement health programs provide diets of nutritious, home-cooked meals.
These meals both support a person's physical health and provide fun daily socialization for residents.
Unexpected health conditions are simply a part of retirement. Luckily, many retirement communities can provide additional care for your developing health needs.
Whether you need specialized memory care after developing dementia or help with Parkinson's disease, wellness programs should be able to help. Specifically, programs should work at providing you with the care you need while still retaining as much independence as possible.
Some residents might just need help with cleaning and other daily tasks. Senior living wellness programs should accommodate any level of care needed.
When selecting assisted living accommodations, the first thing you should look for is practical things like location, qualifications, and cost. However, after that, you should begin looking at whether or not they will improve the quality of your or your loved one's life.
The best way to do this is to ask about their wellness program. See what they're doing to improve their residents' lives. Looking into the different amenities to make sure they have things that interest you.
And tour the apartments to see if you approve of the living conditions. This will give you a better idea of whether or not the retirement community is right for you.
We hope this guide helped you learn more about wellness programs in retirement communities. Many seniors make the mistake of viewing retirement communities as a loss of independence.
However, that couldn't be less true when you live in communities like Addington Place of Edwardsville. Our goal is to give you the freedom to enjoy your retirement while responding to your developing care needs.
So if you want to see why our world-class amenities are great for any retirement, schedule a visit with us today.