Michigan is currently home to over two million people over the age of 60.
If you've got a loved one who is showing signs of aging, it might be time to broach the subject of retirement communities. Senior living communities exist to help people deal with the complex changes that aging brings about.
Of course, the transition into senior care can be overwhelming for everyone involved. If you do your due diligence and find the perfect retirement community in Kalamazoo, MI for your loved one's needs, however, it'll come with some amazing benefits.
In today's post, we'll explain some of these benefits in detail. Once you know more about what senior living brings to the table, you can be comfortable choosing one with your loved one. Keep reading and start your journey into senior living in Kalamazoo.
Before you sign your loved one up for the nearest senior community, you need to understand what's on offer. There are a few different types of senior care communities available, each one catering to different needs. Learn what each one offers and match that to your loved one's situation to maximize their senior care experience.
Retirement communities are best for healthy seniors who just want an alternative to aging in place. The communities give them a chance to enjoy a more leisurely lifestyle around other like-minded seniors.
The community itself makes their life low-maintenance. They won't have to worry about chores or errands. Everything they'll need is available to them inside the community, but they'll have the freedom and independence to go out and enjoy the city of Kalamazoo as well.
When your loved one is dealing with some age-related health and mobility issues, you should opt for an assisted living community. In these communities, staff are available 24/7 to help with whatever residents need - dressing, bathing, cleaning, taking medications, etc.
Although assisted living offers more intensive care, residents still enjoy plenty of senior community amenities and activities. The daily activity calendar will ensure that they're socializing with their fellow residents and getting the physical and mental stimulation they need to age well.
Memory care is a more specialized form of assisted living. It's meant for those dealing with the challenging and evolving effects of Alzheimer's and dementia - a condition that affects seven million Americans today.
Each memory care resident will have a unique care plan. Every day might call for something different, so the highly trained staff work on their toes to ensure everyone's getting the care they need. At the same time, residents enjoy the same perks that assisted living and retirement communities provide.
Choosing the right type of care for your loved one is the most important part of the senior care transition. Once you've done that, you can focus on the perks that different communities provide. Here are a few of the biggest benefits of senior living communities:
One of the biggest perks of retirement living is that residents get to relax. It becomes challenging to maintain a household when you're dealing with the effects of aging. Senior living of any kind removes these responsibilities from your loved one's plate.
Instead, they'll be able to focus on what they want to do. They'll get to spend their days partaking in various activities and socializing with their peers. Removing the stressors from their life will give them greater vitality and improve their sense of happiness.
A lot of senior living activities are geared towards socialization. At the same time, however, all residents are given as much independence as they need.
Senior living communities are equipped with apartment-style rooms for residents. Depending on what type of room your loved one wants, they'll have a kitchen and a lounge area to enjoy their peace.
One of the best things about senior living is the amenities and activities on offer daily. Many of the daily activities are geared towards improving the physical health of residents to create more active seniors in Kalamazoo.
Seniors should get around 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week. Doing so can build strength to fend off various health issues, such as obesity, osteoporosis, and diabetes.
As we get older, it becomes harder to get the requisite exercise. In a retirement community, your loved one will have multiple chances each day to reach their health goals. Whether it's Tai Chi, yoga, or walking around the grounds, there's always something healthy going on in the community.
The other thing that the activity calendar promotes is socialization. All daily activities are offered in group settings. Your loved one could be a complete introvert, but they'll constantly have a chance to mingle with their fellow residents.
Social isolation is a huge problem in our society, but it can have adverse health effects on seniors. It can lead directly to feelings of anxiety and depression, but it can have negative physical effects too. Our community promotes a healthy social life for all residents to help them avoid these issues.
Another important aspect of senior health is nutrition. Seniors need to get the right types of vitamins and nutrients from their diet to stave off serious health issues. Sadly, most seniors outside of communities struggle with this aspect of self-care.
This is never the case in a senior community. One of the best senior community amenities is in-house dining. Residents will have daily access to an in-house restaurant that serves up healthy and delicious meals.
Now that you know a bit more about how senior communities work, you can find the perfect retirement community in Kalamazoo, MI. At Lakehouse Kalamazoo, we've helped countless Central Michigan seniors enjoy a healthy and vibrant retirement.
Our community offers all of the benefits discussed here and many more. To learn more about our community, the staff, and the local area here in Kalamazoo, don't hesitate to contact us ASAP to book a tour.