Senior Living Community Benefits: Enhance Quality of Life for the Elderly

According to a Central Indiana Senior Fund report, as of 2022, nearly half a million adults aged 55 and over call Central Indiana home. The report further stated that one in three older adults lives alone.

If you have a loved one who belongs to the elderly group and lives alone in New Castle, IN, it may be in their best interest to move to a senior living community. In these communities, the top priority is the health and well-being of senior residents. Your older family member would be in the company of highly experienced and compassionate care staff and other people their age.

To that end, the expert staff at Addison Place created this guide exploring the many benefits of senior living in New Castle, IN. So please read on, as what you learn here can help you better understand how community living can be an excellent choice for your loved one.

Combats Isolation and Loneliness

Two primary issues arising from living alone, especially in older adults, are social isolation and loneliness. Social isolation occurs when a person lacks contact and connection with others. Loneliness is a perceived state of being alone, often causing distressing, horrible feelings.

Both states of mind are already unpleasant on their own, but according to the CDC, they're more than that: they're public health risks, especially to older adults. The organization says that studies have found links between social isolation and loneliness and the following consequences:

• Increased dementia risk
• Elevated heart disease and stroke risks
• Higher rate of mental health problems such as anxiety and depression
• Increased likelihood of hospitalization and emergency department visits

Senior living communities can help mitigate those risks by making enjoyable and engaging social activities more accessible.

For example, in our assisted living community, Addison Place, some of our best amenities and services include daily social and recreational programs. Here are just a few examples of the engaging events we offer and encourage our residents to participate in:

• Board and card games, bingo, Jeopardy, and bowling
• Group quizzes and puzzles
• Gardening and walking clubs
• Cooking and baking days
• Group entertainment with movies, TV programs, and music

Our dedicated staff also organizes social trips and outings for our residents. We take them to local landmarks and restaurants, and our residents can also shop during these excursions.

Compassionate Elder Care Services

While many older adults can still do many things independently, they may need extra help for activities of daily living (ADLs). Indeed, as reported by The Century Foundation, about seven in ten American adults 60 or older require a helping hand for at least one ADL.

Some examples of ADLs seniors often need help with include:

• Bathing or showering
• Getting to and from the bathroom, using the toilet, and cleaning up afterward
• Personal grooming, such as brushing teeth, cutting nails, and styling the hair
• Getting dressed and choosing appropriate clothes
• Managing medications
• Doing the laundry and housekeeping chores

If your older loved one needs help with those day-to-day tasks, they can benefit from the quality senior care services that assisted living communities provide. For instance, at Addison Place, we have a highly qualified and experienced team of compassionate and understanding care providers, including a full-time licensed practical nurse who coordinates care and provides clinical oversight.

Privacy and Independence

Although assisted living community residents need help with day-to-day tasks, they don't require 24-hour supervision. They can still enjoy privacy, and many maintain some independence for tasks like light cooking or meal prep, folding clothes, and playing with their pets.

At Addison Place in New Castle, IN, we encourage our older residents to engage in activities that can help them feel and be independent. Our caring staff handles housekeeping, maintenance, and laundry, but our carefully thought-of apartment floorplans also have the following features:

• Private suite or one-bedroom apartments
• Kitchenette with refrigerator/freezer
• Ample closet and storage space
• Window treatments for increased privacy
• Pet-friendly

Our residents can also decorate their apartment homes with personal treasures and belongings to make their living spaces more personalized.

Priority on Health With Senior Wellness Programs

Older adults, especially those who live alone, may not be as physically active as they once were. The problem is that being sedentary puts a heavier toll on their health.

According to Medical News Today, a study found that sedentary behaviors can raise seniors' risks of developing all-cause dementia. There's also a link between a lack of physical activity, unhealthy blood pressure levels, and poor heart health. On the other hand, being physically active may lower dementia risk by reducing insulin resistance and inflammation.

Besides, numerous other studies have long since established the head-to-toe health benefits of physical activity. For example, Healthline says exercise brings the following mental and physical health perks:

• Make people feel happier and boost their mood
• Strengthen bones and muscles (a must, especially for seniors)
• Help with pain conditions
• Enhance brain and memory functions
• Minimize chronic disease risks

For those reasons, the best senior living communities make it a point to offer daily events or programs designed to put more pep into your older loved one's step. For example, at Addison Place, our residents can:

• Play sports like basketball, tennis, and bowling
• Enjoy walks and strolls in our beautiful courtyard and green spaces
• Have fun sweating it out while playing Wii Sports with fellow residents
• Do some stretching and yoga
• Participate in seated workouts like chair belly dance and hula

With our community's long list of physical, recreational, and social activities, your older loved one will likely find many options that best suit their taste.

Visit Our Senior Living Community Today

As you learned in this guide, a senior living community can provide a warm, caring, supportive, and healthier environment for your older loved one. Speaking to your elderly family member about all these benefits can encourage them to consider making the big move.

Our warm and caring staff at Addison Place looks forward to meeting you and your elderly loved one (and their pet, if they have one!). So, contact us today to schedule your visit, and we'll be more than happy to take you on a tour of our beautiful, pet-welcoming community in New Castle, IN.