Of New Jersey’s population of nine million people, around 17% are over the age of 65, making assisted living communities an important part of the state’s healthcare landscape.
If your loved one is starting to show signs of advanced age, it might be time to consider assisted living. These communities are in place to help people manage the effects of aging safely and healthily. Not only do they care for residents’ unique needs, but they allow them to live the best possible lifestyle.
Here, we’ll look at some of the benefits of assisted living for seniors. From an improved social life to specialized care, keep reading and understand what your loved one will get during their time in Baker Place assisted living.
No More Social Isolation
Around a quarter of the American senior population is thought to be socially isolated. Social isolation affects people in a myriad of ways, from their mental and cognitive health to their physical health.
For example, there’s a strong connection between feelings of isolation and anxiety/depression. You’re also more likely to develop memory-related problems that signal Alzheimer’s and dementia. In addition, socially isolated people are less likely to get the required amount of physical activity, leading to steep health declines.
One of the most obvious senior living advantages is that your loved one will spend more time around other seniors. Their days will be filled with social interaction, activities, and outings with their fellow residents. Friendships will develop and happiness will follow suit.
Maintenance-Free Lifestyle
There are a few different types of senior living. Which one your loved one enters depends on their unique needs, but all of them offer a maintenance-free lifestyle.
The least intensive form of assisted living is a retirement home. Residents of retirement homes still have their needs looked after, however. In assisted living communities, these needs are often greater, such as assistance with cooking, cleaning, and bathing.
When your loved one is one of the nearly seven million Americans suffering from dementia, they need specialized care. This is when you’d look for an assisted living community that offers memory care.
Memory care involves 24/7 help for residents and special therapy/programming that helps them manage their symptoms. No matter what type of senior living community they need, your loved one won’t have to lift a finger.
Improved Diet
Nutrition is incredibly important as we get older. Getting a balanced diet, full of potassium, calcium, vitamin D, and fiber will help them avoid things like heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension.
A good diet will also build muscle, bone, and joint strength. This is essential in avoiding other physical ailments, such as arthritis and osteoporosis.
When a senior lives at home, it can become difficult to eat a good diet. In an assisted living community, they’ll have a full kitchen in their room, but access to restaurant-quality dining as well.
At Baker Place, for example, our in-house restaurant offers residents three fully prepared meals per day. These meals are prepared with the unique dietary needs and restrictions of all residents in mind.
Physical Activity
The other side of healthy aging is physical activity. Seniors need at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week to avoid the health issues mentioned above. Good dietary habits and physical activity go hand-in-hand.
When looking at assisted living features, you’ll often see an activity calendar. These are full of activities geared toward the mental, cognitive, and physical health of residents.
Each day is chock-full of thoughtful activities for your loved one. One day might have yoga or Tai Chi while another could have a walking club. Residents are encouraged to participate in as much physical activity as possible, but the choice is always theirs.
Deal With Cognitive Decline
As mentioned above, cognitive decline is a major issue in the American senior population. Numerous factors contribute to the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s, but there are things you can do to help manage and avoid it altogether.
One of the advantages of senior care is that it provides more mental stimulation than your loved one might get at home. The activity calendar is also full of things that keep residents’ minds engaged. They might include things like book clubs, puzzles, or storytelling.
Personalized Care
Every senior who enters assisted living has unique needs. When looking at senior care benefits, it’s important to consider how those needs are met at home versus in a community.
An assisted living community is staffed with qualified professionals. These people tend to the various needs that different residents have and their expertise is such that they can offer personalized care for each person.
When your loved one transitions into assisted living, the community will make every effort to understand their situation. In a short time, your loved one will be getting the type of care that best benefits them. There’s no homogeneity in senior living, it’s all up to your loved one’s needs.
Outings
A lot of people fear senior living because they don’t want to lose their independence or freedom. This couldn’t be further from the truth, as great communities make independent living easier than ever.
One of the assisted living features that’s often overlooked is transportation. A great community will offer regular transportation to get residents to appointments or out for recreational outings.
Peace of Mind for Loved Ones
Your aging loved one isn’t the only person who benefits from assisted living. Family members benefit too, in that they get the peace of mind knowing that their loved one is being cared for.
If you’re finding that you can’t meet your loved one’s evolving needs, assisted living is the right choice. You’ll be able to visit them whenever you want, but you won’t be relied upon for everything.
Experience the Benefits of Assisted Living for Seniors
These are just a selection of the wide range of benefits of assisted living for seniors. If your loved one is showing signs of slowing down, there’s no need to wait to improve their lifestyle.
At Baker Place Assisted Living, we’re Vineland’s best option for senior living. Our highly trained staff is on-site 24/7 to help with whatever your loved one needs and we offer a wide range of amenities and activities to help ease the transition.
To book your tour of our community, contact us today.
