Can Senior Living Help You Stay Healthy During Cold and Flu Season?
Cold and flu season can be especially dangerous for older adults, including those living with respiratory conditions such as COPD or asthma. Can where you live help to protect you from the germs that always arrive this time of year? We think so!
Senior living communities are designed to enhance wellness for the residents who live there. This means that living in the right retirement community might help you feel your best during flu season and year-round. Here’s how senior living can help you stay healthy during cold and flu season.
Consistent Check-Ins with Staff Members
If you live in an assisted living or skilled nursing community, caregivers are there to provide support with activities of daily living which means they are seeing you multiple times per day to observe how you are doing. If you live in an independent living community, you are still seeing staff members daily, whether it is your favorite server in the dining room or the concierge.
In all cases, staff at a senior living community are always paying close attention to your health and mood. They can notice when you might not be acting yourself, which can lead to getting you assistance or follow-up before a small cold turns into something catastrophic.
Seniors living at home alone might not see a family member, neighbor, or friend for days at a time. This can make it more difficult to catch when something is “off” with their health.
A More Active Lifestyle
Physical activity and daily movement can lead to an increased immune system response. However, it can be hard to get up and get moving when you’re living alone. For adults in a retirement community, there are always neighbors who would love to take a morning stroll after breakfast as well as a schedule that includes physical fitness opportunities daily.
Getting up and moving is much easier when you do it with a friend, or when it is available right down the hall. More movement leads to a better immune response, which can decrease the risk of catching the latest cold that is going around.
Healthy Foods
You already know that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, which is just another way of saying that what you put into your body can positively (or negatively) affect your immune response. However, it can be challenging for seniors living at home alone to plan, grocery shop, and prepare healthy foods three times per day.
Senior living communities do all the hard work for their residents, offering chef-prepared meals with fresh and seasonal ingredients in a social dining room setting three times per day. Residents can fuel up with healthy foods that promote well-being, and can always ensure they are receiving nutrient-dense foods delivered to their residence if they do get sick.
Socialization
While being around lots of people can sometimes seem like a good way to catch germs, fostering meaningful relationships with peers has actually been linked to an increased immune response among older adults. Staying connected to friendly neighbors is so much easier in a senior living community, as you are bound to make a friend or two that you can share life with. Not only do you gain a friend, but you also boost your immune system’s response to germs!
At The Glen, we offer a variety of amenities and services all designed to keep you feeling your very best for years to come. We’d love to show you more. Contact us to schedule your tour.