Wellness Activities for Seniors at Discovery Village Stuart
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With a view of Stuart's beautiful woodlands behind it, Discovery Village Stuart is an ideal environment for experiencing the outdoors through exercise and other wellness activities. After all, the Guardian recently reported on how simply walking more could be linked to significantly lower depression and dementia risks.
How does one discover such activities, though, and incorporate them into their lives to create healthy aging routines?
Below, we outline several ways in which we develop activities for our senior lifestyle programs, providing emotional wellness support and memory care enrichment through both solo and group activities for seniors. By the end of the article, you should understand how what we offer can transform wellness-focused routines into an enjoyable daily activity for both retirees and their peers.
Gentle Wellness Activities to Boost Joint Health
Each day, seniors should engage in simple, low-impact activities. Many classes exist, for example, which are designed by fitness specialists and intend to reduce joint stiffness, boosting a senior's mobility. For example:
- Warm salt-baths
- Pool aerobics
- Swimming
- Chair yoga
For the simplest activity, one could try relaxing in a warm salt bath to relax their muscles. While the water allows for total relaxation, the saltwater provides buoyancy, reducing the pressure on the person's knees and hips. This reduction is even stronger than one would find on a regular mattress and also allows for greater levels of socialization while one floats.
If you find a bath or pool with non-slip flooring and grip rails, these can boost the confidence of anyone trying the activity for the first time, allowing for easier use of the equipment.
For those who want to do a little more, pool water aerobics exists as a form of low-impact cardio. Instead of running or cycling, this allows people to combine gentle kicks, arm sweeps, or full swimming with the buoyancy of the pool. The cooling nature of the water can also help alleviate overheating. At the same time, music can spark enthusiasm for additional movement and keep the activity either relaxing or exciting, depending on the chosen tunes.
For evenings or for those who cannot travel as far, chair yoga is an increasingly popular activity. Seated exercises, such as spinal twists and stretches, can help lubricate the joints and expand one's range of motion. Guided breathing enables individuals to lower their blood pressure, promoting mindfulness and a more positive mindset.
Sensations Dining and Nutritional Support for Seniors
The CDC reinforces the idea that wellness in aging includes focusing on a healthy nutritional regimen, which Discovery Village Stuart can provide through our dedicated chefs who supply our dining rooms with meals several times a day.
Within our Sensations kitchen, we develop chef-prepared menus that feature everything one might need, including:
- Lean proteins
- Whole grains
- Leafy greens
- Fresh, seasonal produce
Should individuals have specific dietary requirements, we can work with them to help manage issues such as diabetes or hypertension. Alternatively, we could aim to create heart-healthy dishes, relying on citrus, herbs, or mild local spices to craft delicious meals that help people boost their capabilities. For others, we can also offer texture support. Those who may not be able to chew or enjoy a difficult-to-digest meal can discuss their needs with us to see what modifications we can make to most dishes.
When seniors sit down in our dining room, we also encourage them to engage with one another more seriously. Many social engagements can occur over a simple meal, even if it starts with simply talking about how much they enjoy the food. It is normal for people to expand their social interactions within the community, which helps them avoid loneliness and fosters better mental health through such interactions.
In many cases, these chats can even help stave off issues such as dementia, which are exacerbated by extreme loneliness and social isolation.
Directed Memory Care Activities
Inside our Discovery Village Stuart community, we run a Memory Care program with familiar routines that allow people to reduce their anxiety and other issues that may result from the mental wellness effects of aging. Our activities focus on reinforcing and preserving individuals' key abilities while avoiding situations that may cause frustration due to a lack of capability, especially as people age.
For example, multi-sensory experiences can often help create situations where someone can fully enjoy the present moment, rather than focusing on achieving a future goal. For example:
- Aromatherapy
- Enjoying the feeling of tactile fabrics
- Listening or singing along to nostalgic music
- Looking at single-image stories
Each of these can spark cognition in those we care for, encouraging them to discuss their activity or engage more with them, bringing joy to their day.
If you are looking for examples to share with a loved one, the Alzheimer's Association recommends activities that one cannot fail at, such as viewing photo albums or listening to music. Many simple games, especially those marketed for children, are also ideal for helping seniors who might otherwise struggle to maintain focus on a complex game.
Small Group Projects
For groups of 4-6, it can be helpful to break a task into smaller pieces that each person can focus on. For example, allowing a group to put together a puzzle can help by providing them with a single task at a time to complete, even if it's part of a larger group effort. Using puzzles with larger pieces can also help improve hand-eye coordination, without the need for people to worry about dexterity-based frustrations.
Alternatively, creating simple no-bake treats together allows people to engage in an activity that triggers all the senses and provides them with a reward afterward.
Staying Active in Senior Years
Combining wellness activities, such as gentle exercise and balanced meals, can help boost a person's physical health. Meanwhile, memory care events can foster a robust wellness regimen that enables individuals to continue growing and thriving in their senior years.
To learn more about how we do this or to discover what we can do for you or a loved one, please contact our team. We can schedule a tour to show you exactly what our community does every day.