Wellness is more than advertising a fitness center or gym in your community. More and more, senior living communities are shifting towards a wellness-first strategy. Having a variety of wellness programs in your community promotes a healthy lifestyle, active socialization and a better quality of life for your residents.
For many people, the concept of wellness is robust. It can include everything from intellectual, social, emotional and physical health.
A 2017 report from the International Council on Active Aging found that in Life Plan Communities found that 91% of residents enrolled in a wellness program reported that their health and wellness was good or excellent. If you want to improve your patient’s wellbeing, Here are 3 ways to include more programs in your community:
Offer classes
Outside of physical workouts, seniors are looking for mental workouts. Using video, you can provide educational videos. Facilities have also been known to use the social component of creating group gatherings to work on projects/lessons together. (Although this will have to be delayed because of our current climate)
Classes can be put in various categories: lifelong learning, exercise and fitness, health education and health and nutrition preparation. Many communities bring in weekly or monthly instructors to come in.
Reduce stress sources
According to the American Institute of Stress, 77% of people report experiencing physical symptoms caused by stress, and 73% reported psychological symptoms. It’s not news that stress can lead to medical issues like high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. Because of this, communities are taking initiatives to minimize sources of stress.
Being in a community is already helpful as it provides easy access to medical, maintenance and culinary services. It can help to offer additional accommodations to assist in traveling and pursuing hobbies. Many many senior living communities have added practices such as yoga to their activities, as well as on-campus spas to aid in stress reduction.
Tech support
Outside of the pandemic and everything happening in the world of Senior Living, one thing is for certain, technology has taken over. Communities have adapted to the rise of wearable technology, allowing seniors to monitor everything from their heart rate to their nutrition. Many smartwatches can even detect if the wearer has fallen and contact emergency services if necessary.
Whether it’s telehealth for remote doctor visits, personalized workouts, or medication dispensers – there are tons of technological advancements that can improve your residents’ quality of life. We’ve previously covered some of the technological options in this article.