Wondering if an assisted living community is the right choice? Learning more about how assisted living supports seniors’ health may help you with your decision.
Assisted living is a type of senior community that offers residents the best of two worlds: independence and support. An older adult who chooses to move to assisted living is able to maintain a sense of privacy and independence by having their own apartment or suite. But residents also know the support of caregivers is always nearby when it’s needed.
By moving to an assisted living community, seniors also reap many other health benefits that help them enjoy their best quality of life.
How Assisted Living Improves a Senior’s Health
Assisted living communities tend to take a holistic view of resident health and happiness. Days are structured to enrich residents’ lives using a body, mind, and spirit approach. The result is often an improvement in several core areas of wellness. Some of the benefits include:
- Promotes better nutrition: Seniors often find cooking for one or two people is just too much work. From menu planning to grocery shopping, the effort required to prepare healthy meals at home may seem like a hassle. The end result can be poor nutrition. In an assisted living community, residents enjoy a wide variety of menu choices at every meal. They are designed to be nutritious and tasty!
- Encourages physical activity: In recent years, researchers have determined that sitting too much is just as dangerous as smoking. A sedentary lifestyle puts you at higher risk for diabetes, heart disease, and even early mortality. In an assisted living community, residents have both formal and informal opportunities to stay active. You can enjoy a walk around the campus with a neighbor after breakfast, join a morning stretching class, or spend time tending the garden.
- Prevents loneliness and isolation: Isolation is another risk factor for serious disease in older adults. If a senior has given up driving or has mobility challenges that make it tough for them to get out and about in their neighborhood, it may lead them to spend too much time alone. Seniors who are isolated experience higher rates of diabetes, obesity, depression, and other serious medical conditions. Because there is so much going on in an assisted living community, residents have ample opportunities to socialize every day. The social engagement helps enhance mental health along with physical well-being.
- Protects muscle and bone strength: Assisted living communities offer a wide range of fitness programs every day. They typically include stretching classes, walking groups, weight training, chair yoga, tai chi, aerobics, and more. By participating in fitness activities on a regular basis, a senior is more likely to maintain muscle and bone strength. That’s important for preventing falls and fractures, which can be life-threatening for older adults.
- Engages the mind and spirit: Another benefit offered by assisted living communities is the myriad life enrichment activities that occur throughout every day. You’ll find music, art workshops, cards and games, book clubs, billiards, and much more. These types of activities are linked to better cognitive health as you age. They stimulate the brain while also providing residents with opportunities to enjoy one another’s company.
Visit The Wesley’s Assisted Living Community in Saratoga
At The Wesley Community, you will find a full continuum of senior living on one campus in Saratoga Springs, New York. Older adults will find a care solution to meet every need, from independent living and assisted living to memory care and a skilled nursing center. To learn more or to arrange a personal tour, please call (518) 587-3600 today!