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Old age should not stop you from making new friends. Moving into memory assisted living can be a perfect opportunity to meet new friends since you have more time to socialize.

Friendship can give positive impacts on your health and well-being. Friends can give you moral and emotional support during bad times. Friends are also there to cheer for you in success and happiness.

While moving into memory assisted living can trigger stress, anxiety, and loneliness, it is also an opportunity to build new and meaningful connections.

Benefits of Social Life

The thought of moving into a senior housing facility can be intimidating. Giving away your other belongings and packing only what’s essential for you can be depressing.

Starting in a new place with no acquaintance at all can be intimidating. This may be true, but only for the first few months. Moving to a new place can also be fun and exciting. In the long run, the move can be a meaningful experience once you start making new friends.

• Friendship can reduce stress
• It boosts happiness
• It gives you a sense of belonging
• Support from friends help you recover from personal issues like chronic illnesses, loneliness, depression, divorce, or death of a loved one
• Friends can help you realize the risks of an unhealthy lifestyle. Friends encourage you to try different lifestyle approaches towards a healthier well-being.
• With more support, friendships tend to give you longer and meaningful life, improved physical and mental health.

Forming New Friends in Memory Assisted Living

Attend Events

Most memory and senior living communities have a dynamic calendar of activities and events almost every day for their residents. Look for groups, clubs, or activities that interest you.

Make it a point to be at these events regularly. This way, you will meet new friends of the same interest.

Mingle With New Residents

There may be a new resident every day. So, make it a point to meet new residents or those that moved in after you.

Seeking out new residents like you will help you both in terms of coping in the new environment, learning the ropes in your new home at the same time joining activities together.

Bring a Friend

You can ask for your son or daughter’s time to join you in your chosen activities. Doing so helps you get comfortable while they can help you initiate the conversation with other residents.

Go Out and Socialize

Go out and say hello to other residents in the memory assisted living facility that you are in. Visit the lounge and ask other residents to play board or card games.

Be Patient

Do not stress yourself out in making new friends. It may take time but it will happen eventually. For now, just relax as you adjust to your new environment.

But do not forget to stop and say hello. Greet other residents and smile.  Other residents will recognize and like you in the long run. The simple hellos will then become conversations. Before you know it, you now have new friends.

Looking for a welcoming and friendly environment to make your independent living dreams come true? Click here!

Richmont Senior Living is proud to serve Ashland, NE and the surrounding cities: Memphis, Springfield, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Waverly, Murdock, Ithaca, and Chalco

There’s a lot of questions about independent living for seniors today, especially with the growing elderly population in the country.

Whether it’s a loved one trying to research nursing care options or a family who want to move a loved one to independent living, we answer some of your most asked questions about independent living for seniors:

What is independent living for seniors?

When it comes to choosing housing options for seniors, assisted living, nursing homes, and memory care are the more popular choices. But independent living for seniors is also a smart choice if you or a loved one wishes to live independently while having access to conveniences like dining, housekeeping, and transportation.

If you can do your activities of daily living and you just want to live somewhere safe and convenient, this would be the perfect choice for you.

How do I choose the right community?

Your choice for an independent living community will depend on your needs, preferences, and budget. Before you can decide on the right community, you need to evaluate your needs first. You should also think about the lifestyle that you’d want once you’re in independent living.

Do you want to be in an apartment rental, or do you prefer to be in a typical home setting? Would you want a community with many sports and fitness activities? Will you need a place that will serve you scheduled meals? Make a list of your needs and wants to help you find the right community to choose.

How do I get started with my journey?

We encourage you to visit our facility at Richmont Senior Living first. This will give you a glimpse of our community and we can also explain to you the features that you’ll get to enjoy when you choose to live with us. Book your time for the visit and we’ll be glad to answer your inquiries about our independent living for seniors.

Am I required to participate in all the activities?

No, you’re not. Here at Richmont Senior Living, we give full independence to our residents on whether they will participate in the activities or not.

We respect your preferences and the kind of lifestyle that you want for yourself. We’ll be here to assist you if you need anything. We also offer activities to help keep you active during your stay with us.

What are the activities that you offer for independent living?

Here at Richmont Senior Living, we always give our residents the freedom to choose the activities that they can enjoy. We create personalized activities that cover the five primary areas of wellbeing including physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual aspects.

At Richmont, we’ll make sure you have activities that promote a better lifestyle. We want you to enjoy the best years of your life with us.

Richmont Senior Living is proud to serve Ashland, NE and the surrounding cities: Memphis, Springfield, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Waverly, Murdock, Ithaca, and Chalco

Since there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease yet, prevention is the only way for people to reduce the risk. Fortunately, people who are suffering from this condition can prolong and improve their overall quality of life by committing to some brain-healthy activities in memory assisted living.

Engaging your loved ones in the following daytime activities may be beneficial not only for them but for caregivers as well. Seniors may consider some daily activities to be more challenging which can also gradually erode communication skills, personalities, and relationships.

That is why it is essential to help them stay active to slow down the progression of the disease. Find out how seniors can improve their quality of life and reduce emotional challenges like anxiety and depression with the following daytime activities they can share at memory assisted living.

1. Exercise.

You might think that exercise can only benefit your physical health. On the contrary, it can also help boost the brain’s function. Spending just 30 minutes of cardio 3 times per week can decrease your chances of memory loss due to Alzheimer’s.

2. Gardening.

This type of activity can help you create a peaceful and stress-free environment. Thus, you can alleviate the majority of the mental discomfort linked with Alzheimer’s disease. However, doing some heavy lifting around the garden must not be done by a senior. Instead, it is more favorable to hire someone to do it.

3. Meditation and yoga.

Anybody can benefit from meditation and yoga, particularly those with Alzheimer’s disease. Meditating 15-30 minutes daily, can improve the connectivity in a part of the brain that never shuts down. At the same time, it slows down the shrinkage of the hippocampus responsible for learning and memory.

4. Cooking.

The function of the brain can improve with help of foods having high levels of omega-3 fatty acids that are quite beneficial to your brain’s health. You may consider cooking herring, salmon, and tuna as they are high in the supply of omega-3. Eating these foods 2-3 times per week is preferable.

5. Old skills.

Many seniors retain their old skills and memories. This is amid the fact that they struggle to form new memories. In this case, seniors living in memory assisted living can take advantage of readopting an old skill.

You can encourage them to try dancing or playing the piano if these are old skills that they love doing when they were younger.

Stimulating seniors to try a wide range of activities and events is important to keep them active, engaged, and socially connected. It can also help if you assist them in socializing so that they become part of a community and have an excellent life.

Note that memory care is all about getting back to the normal life of people. This includes those who have Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or memory loss living in memory assisted living. You can contact an assisted home today to find out how your loved ones can get more help and find more meaning in their life.

Richmont Senior Living is proud to serve Ashland, NE and the surrounding cities: Memphis, Springfield, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Waverly, Murdock, Ithaca, and Chalco

Everyone’s favorite season is almost here and you are probably one of those who are excited to go out and have some much-needed time under the sun. The summer is also a perfect time to move to senior housing because you’ll have time to bond with your family, pack your things, and get settled in, all while the weather is at its best.

To make things easier, here are two checklists that you can follow when spending time outdoors and finally moving into your new senior housing home.

The Ultimate Summer Checklist For Senior Housing Residents:

Keep your sunscreen close.

• Although having some vitamin D is great, too much sun exposure can also be dangerous to your skin, which is why it’s important to wear sunscreen all the time.

Keep yourself hydrated.

• Whether it’s going out to the beach or just spending time in the backyard with family before moving, you need to drink water regularly to prevent dehydration that could be dangerous for your health.

Wear those sunglasses.

• It is very important to protect your eyes from the harmful UV rays by always wearing sunglasses whenever you’re out.

Wear the right clothes.

• Since the weather is hotter than usual, it is best to go for light clothes that allow you to stay comfortable when you’re out under the sun.

The ultimate senior housing moving checklist:

Pack your essentials for Senior Housing.

• Moving in the summer means that you will have time to enjoy some outdoor activities in your new senior housing home. Therefore it’s best to pack some essentials like towels, sunscreen, a water bottle, and even a good book to read while you’re getting that tan.

Bring in your own house plant.

• Moving into senior housing does not mean living in a boring space. In fact, you have the freedom to personalize your room so that it still looks and feels like home.

If you are moving in the summer, it’s best to bring your own house plant to make your room feel cozy and warm. You can choose from plants like kalanchoe, aloe vera, jade plant, and garden croton that are great for both indoors and outdoors.

Pack some snacks and beverages.

• Moving into senior housing does not mean parting with your favorite snacks and beverages. If you’re moving during the summertime, it’s very important to pack all your favorites so you have something to enjoy when relaxing outdoors. You can also ask your family to bring you fruits to add to your diet during the summer.

Finally, you cannot forget to pack all the items that remind you of home. While you will be living in a completely different environment, you can still make your room feel like home by bringing things that remind you of your own living space.

On the hunt for the perfect senior housing in Bellevue, NE? Click here to check out our information page and see if Richmont is the right place for you!

Summer is a time for travel, family, and fun for many Americans. Following the COVID-19 travel bans, people have had to alter many of their usual summer activities, including those in independent living for seniors.

This year as restrictions are slowly lifting, many people are looking forward to enjoying the summer and make up for the time lost. But since the pandemic is far from over yet, people are always reminded to stay safe and be mindful of the guidelines when planning their summer this year.

Residents can spend the summer outdoors

Going outside will encourage light exercise and promote socialization. It is in fact important to maintain a healthy senior lifestyle. Thus, seniors can pick from a handful of great outdoor activities that should be easy for caregivers to arrange.

But seniors need to be consulted if they are comfortable going outside because some of them might suffer from allergies that need to be given extra care. Since travel is not possible for seniors, spending time outdoors must be done according to COVID-19 protocols.

Seniors can go outdoors safely during pandemic

It is actually beneficial for everyone to spend time outdoors to boost the mental and physical health. If elders in independent living for seniors are going outdoors for a healthy routine, they need to follow the basic safety guidelines as specified by the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention to make the time outdoors even more fun and responsible.

• Always follow daily sanitation and safety measures
• Practice physical distancing and stay close to independent living for seniors
• Choose safe outdoor activities seniors can do during the pandemic

Outdoor activities seniors can do during pandemic

Going outdoors is vital to improve your physical and mental well-being. Here are possible outdoor activities that independent living for seniors can manage to provide their residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Explore the surroundings and discover the natural beauty in the area
• Take a nature walk
• Spend time for a bike ride
• Camp at a nearby space such as the backyard
• Go out for a run
• Visit a local park to unwind

Tips for residents to follow when going outside

Above all else, older adults are at greater risk of dying or requiring hospitalization if diagnosed with the COVID-19 disease. Moreover, the risk for severe illness with COVID-19 increases with age and older adults are at a much higher risk.

It is also important to note that certain medical conditions can also heighten the risk for severe illness. At the same time, people who come in contact, live, or visit them in independent living for seniors need to take precautions to get protection against transmission.

Here are reminders for seniors to make the summer even more fun and exciting outdoors:

• Practice social distancing
• Wear a face mask
• Visit recreation facility or park close to independent living for seniors
• Bring hand sanitizer
• Do not touch any outdoor equipment or surface
• Review the local guidelines and rules about going out for the summer

On the market for a comfortable and reliable senior living facility? Click here to visit our information page on assisted living floor plans!

Richmont Senior Living is proud to serve Ashland, NE and the surrounding cities: Memphis, Springfield, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Waverly, Murdock, Ithaca, and Chalco