Safeguarding Our Need To Feel Connected
How senior living communities can help residents safely socialize
Today, we’re all faced with an increased number of new challenges that make social interaction a more complicated endeavor. For older adults living on their own, those challenges can be difficult obstacles to overcome and quickly lead to feelings of isolation. However, under these same circumstances, senior living communities have risen to the occasion and helped residents feel cared for and connected. And with the same effort and attention to detail they applied to keeping people safe under more stringent lockdowns and quarantines, communities are able to create new social opportunities that still adhere to all the right health and safety protocols.
Nourishing meals and chances to safely gather
Getting groceries and cooking can sometimes become tall tasks for seniors, and that’s under normal circumstances. So it comes as no surprise that having a fully staffed kitchen on hand to provide fresh and nutritious options morning, noon and night is now more than ever a huge benefit.
Special programs and activities
Senior living communities have always surrounded seniors with an enriched lifestyle full of rewarding things to do. And even though programming may be taking shape a little differently at the moment, many communities still have full-time lifestyle directors on staff working hard to ensure residents have a well-rounded range of safe activities at their fingertips.
A focus on all-around wellness
Communities often also have on-staff wellness directors who can create regular opportunities for residents to stay healthy in all aspects of their lives. While they’ve had to modify their methods, their presence alone is a boon to resident well-being. These team members take the time to check in. They encourage seniors to find ways to stay safely active and avoid the perils of being shut off and sedentary.
A partner to help you keep in touch with outside family and friends
Another way communities are facilitating meaningful connection is by helping residents navigate the technology powering virtual visits with loved ones. Whether it’s sharing tips and tutorials on the best ways to stay in touch or helping troubleshoot when things aren’t working quite right, staff members are going the extra mile to keep residents in touch with the people they may not be able to see in person.
Thoughtful moments of surprise and delight
Perhaps the most reassuring aspect of calling a senior living community home during these turbulent times is the sense of genuine care and compassion. For residents, it’s the feeling that comes from always having people to lean on, friends and neighbors to keep spirits high, and the resources available to cover nearly any need imaginable. For families, it means knowing their concern for Mom or Dad’s well-being is not theirs alone.
