In these challenging days of the continued COVID-19 pandemic, senior living and health care facilities that have been hit hard by the virus are searching for new ways to connect residents with the outside world.
Karly Zelaska, wellness director for Lifetime Wellness – a leading provider of whole-person wellness programs for senior living communities – is helping to implement a revolutionary digital health initiative that enables resident connection with families and health providers.
Nearly half of all Americans are reporting significant increases in symptoms of depression stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll. Seniors are particularly vulnerable to this pandemic-related depression.
When a person first moves from home to a senior care setting or transitions from one community to another, the change can feel overwhelming. For some seniors, change brings fear and anxiety, and for residents living with dementia, it can trigger agitation and aggression.
Exercise is essential to keeping seniors healthy, active, and motivated. But getting them on board with a well-rounded exercise program can be a challenging task. Senior living providers are looking for fresh approaches to engage residents in fitness – with easy-to-implement group programs that still meet individual needs.
Short-term rehabilitation, or “rehab,” centers provide critical medical follow-up for patients in their first days after a hospital stay. These facilities are key to ensuring a continued high level of care that helps patients regain health, strength, and mobility. They can mean the difference between a frustrating rebound to the hospital and a seamless return to home.
Recovery requires more than just top-tier clinical care. It also involves providing opportunities for purposeful activity and engagement. One best-practice innovation is “Wellness on Wheels,” a mobile concierge program offering a range of portable activities for residents and their families.
Once upon a time, activity and recreation programs in senior communities were typically low priority. Yet as the senior population surges, and seniors seek to stay active as a way of life, today’s senior living providers are rethinking their offerings to include wellness and life enrichment programs. In expanding their focus, many are finding they can’t go it alone. They’re looking for trusted partners to extend in-house resources and design an engaging, person-centered experience.
For the 5.7 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) – and their families – days can be filled with feelings of angst and isolation. We’re working to lessen those feelings and provide a non-pharma approach to memory care.
A groundbreaking program called Music & Memory™ has brought life-changing hope to people who suffer from ADRD, helping to trigger memories, build bridges, and improve quality of life. Launched in 2006 by Dan Cohen, the program took the spotlight with the 2014 documentary, “Alive Inside: A Story of Music & Memory,” and was recently endorsed by legendary singer-songwriter Carole King. With the therapeutic effects of personalized music, many people living with ADRD become more aware, animated, and “alive inside.”