How Retirement Communities Facilitate Senior Wellbeing
Published on April 5, 2019
Often living alone at home for seniors can do more harm than good. While seniors may still feel they are independent, many still find it difficult to find a true sense of fulfilment day to day, as loneliness and health challenges take their toll, and overall wellbeing suffers. Retirement communities strive to bring solutions to these problems by offering programs and opportunities for seniors to increase their wellbeing. Here’s what you need to know about retirement communities and how they facilitate physical, emotional, mental, and social wellness for seniors.
Social
Isolation can lead to depression and other mental health conditions, which is why many seniors choose to move into a retirement community instead of living at home alone. Retirement communities are designed with a proper support system for older adults that encourages socialization. At VIVA Retirement Communities, our approach to active living enables seniors to spend more time with others and reduce their risk of isolation. Some key elements of this approach include special events; shopping trips to local malls, town centers and farmer’s markets; visits to the local library and theatre; hobby groups and classes; and group trips to museums and art galleries.
The social environment of our communities also helps seniors build new friendships and strengthen existing ones. It’s easy for seniors to lose touch with friends or to see less of their loved ones, so finding new social circles that are more convenient is extremely valuable to social wellness. Seniors can make new friends that also live in the community, and can make regular plans to meet up and enjoy conversation and activities together.
Emotional
Some studies have shown a connection between a positive outlook on life and the reduction of certain health challenges. Since stress is a significant factor in the development of many health problems, reducing it and finding ways to deal with conflict and cope with disappointments can improve your overall wellbeing. Our holistic lifestyle programming—including our V!VAfit exercise platform—offers more than physical wellness; it also provides opportunities for our Community Members to relax, centre their minds, and focus on what’s important in life. These programs include chair or laughter yoga, deep breathing exercises, family rooms, pet wash stations, massage therapy, spas, and salons. Taking time to pamper oneself can contribute to emotional health and overall wellbeing.
Intellectual
The more active seniors are with hobbies and activities that stimulate the mind, the less likely they are to dwell on negative experiences and feelings of depression. Studies have shown that sharp, mental activity can prevent or delay conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. Our communities offer a number of intellectually stimulating amenities and activities, including a Brain Gym, card tables, reading material, trivia challenge events, mental aerobics, and more.
Vocational
Finding passion in life is still important in your later years of life. Whether it’s developing a new skill like knitting, improving your methods in the kitchen, or creating beautiful art, finding a new calling is easy at VIVA’s retirement communities. We enable and empower our Community Members to continue enjoying old hobbies or finding new ones.
Physical
Physical and emotional health go hand in hand. At our retirement communities, seniors will benefit from a schedule that includes nutrition, adequate sleep, exercise, and emotional support. Our V!VAfit program offers fitness opportunities such as heated saltwater swimming pools, equipment designed for older adults, healthy living lectures, and fitness classes. These tools are available to help Community Members improve in the areas of balance, cardio, strength, and flexibility.
Food & Nutrition
The saying “You are what you eat,” is true—a healthy, balanced diet is vital to your health. But our communities go above and beyond simply providing three square meals a day. Our V!VAlicious dining cuisine is prepared by Red Seal chefs and features fresh ingredients grown in our on-site V!VA Victory Garden, often maintained by Community Members themselves. In addition, we provide a variety of menu choices and strive to create a variety of meals that can help address common health challenges such as cholesterol, diabetes, and blood pressure.
Environmental
Another benefit of living in a retirement community is easier access to the environment and outdoor space. In their own homes, seniors are often afraid of venturing outdoors for fear of slipping on ice or simply falling on an uneven path. In a retirement community, the outdoor space is maintained to ensure safety. Plus, our Communities offer spacious, scenic surroundings, horticulture rooms, and a beautiful V!VA Victory Garden featuring raised planters for easy and safe access. With so many things to do and places to explore, every day can be filled with valuable experiences—indoors and out—that improve quality of life.
Why Choose V!VA Retirement Communities?
Are you looking for the right retirement community that provides programs and opportunities to support wellness? You’ve come to the right place! While there are many options to choose from, V!VA Retirement Communities strives to provide senior living that goes above and beyond expectations. We offer more than a comfortable place to live; we provide our Community Members with a safe, trustworthy environment where they can build friendships that stand the test of time. We care about our seniors and that is reflected in the care provided by our Team Members. Our Members are made of people who understand that care goes beyond providing quality services. They each understand our core values: to create a refreshing, safe, social, and comfortable environment for our Community Members. We also offer a variety of programs that help seniors feel valued, productive, and healthy.
As one of the few strong and successful privately-owned and independent developers in the senior living field, we offer quality care so each of our Members have an easier transition! We have locations in Barrhaven, Mississauga, Pickering, Thornhill Woods, Ancaster, Carleton Place, Oakville, and Whitby.
To learn more about our retirement living options and to find out if V!VA Retirement Communities is right for you or your loved one, e-mail us at info@vivalife.ca or call us at 1-888-984-8482.
