Assisted Living Facilities

Summer Activity Ideas for Residents in Assisted Living Facilities

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Residents in assisted living facilities can enhance their well-being and raise a sense of community through summer activities. They can do many things like gardening, nature walks, and picnics, allowing residents to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. They can also organize social events such as ice cream socials, barbecues, and outdoor games to promote interaction and fun.

Creative indoor activities like arts and crafts, music therapy, and movie nights will also provide enjoyable alternatives on hot days. Residents can also attend themed events and excursions to local attractions to stimulate the mind and provide variety. Participating in these activities will help residents stay active, engaged, and connected during the exciting summer months.

Summer Safety Tips for Seniors

It is the perfect time to soak up the sun and rejuvenate while enjoying the fresh air. You must go outside, relax, and do some new hobbies or spend a little time for yourself, particularly in assisted living facilities. But remember that it always comes with some potential risks. So, when you plan to spend some extra time outside this summer, ensure you are safe.

  • Make it a point to check the forecast first
  • Use sunglasses during the hot sunny days
  • Use an umbrella if necessary
  • Prioritize hydration during the summer by bringing a bottle of water with you.
  • Wear the right clothes to keep your body breathing instead of wearing less clothes.
  • Keep your medicines well labeled and keep it away from direct sunlight
  • Know the warning signs of fatigue and heat stroke
  • Carry with your emergency contact numbers

Summer Activities for Residents in Assisted Living Facilities

There are so many fun things to do for residents in assisted living facilities during the summer.

  • Let them participate in ice cream parties.
  • Keep residents hydrated by setting up a few lemonade stands in the facility.
  • Organize fun baseball games for residents to watch in your backyard
  • Fridays can be more fun if you can provide barbecued foods like hotdogs and burgers
  • Indoor outings such as museum excursions for seniors in assisted living facilities are cool ways to keep cool this summer
  • Cool summer evenings are great for stargazing on your backyard patio
  • Baking during the summer is also a fun way to keep seniors involved and engaged

Other summer activities for seniors can also bring significant value, particularly those in assisted living facilities.

  • Gardening
  • Outdoor plays or concerts
  • Water aerobics or swimming
  • Join walking clubs
  • Workshops for arts and crafts
  • Local sightseeing
  • Summer reading clubs
  • Outdoor tai chi or yoga activities
  • Bird watching
  • Go fishing
  • Photography to document their summer experience
  • Board games
  • Dance lessons
  • Movie nights

 

The possibilities are endless for seniors to make summer even more fun in assisted living facilities. Many of these communities understand the importance of active senior living. So, they offer different summer activities to cater to diverse interests and physical capabilities so they can be engaged and happy all summer.

Click here to learn all about Richmont Senior Living!

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

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Recognizing National Osteoporosis Month in Senior Housing

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National Osteoporosis Month, observed every May, is crucial for raising awareness about osteoporosis. This month highlights the importance of early detection, preventive measures, and effective treatment options. Public education campaigns and health screenings, particularly in senior housing facilities, promote bone health and encourage lifestyle changes, such as proper nutrition and regular exercise for seniors.

By emphasizing research and support for those affected, National Osteoporosis Month aims to reduce the prevalence of this silent disease and improve the quality of life of millions of people. Awareness efforts help empower individuals, especially residents, to take proactive steps toward maintaining strong, healthy bones during aging.

What is National Osteoporosis Month?

This special awareness month marks the significance of informing people about the critical importance of bone health and the prevention of osteoporosis. This type of bone disease is characterized by brittle, weak bones. Often, it is called a silent disease since the patient cannot feel his or her bones getting weaker. The truth is that you may not even know you have the disease until you break a bone in your body.

National Osteoporosis Month generates awareness and provides a way to keep bones healthy. Contrary to what most people think, osteoporosis is not a normal symptom of aging. Moreover, it can lead to serious broken bones, life-altering loss of mobility, pain, suffering, and even death.

On the other hand, this disease is preventable through regular calcium and vitamin D intake and even treatable through medications and physical therapy.

Signs and Treatments for Senior Housing Residents

Osteoporosis is also termed a silent disease due to the absence of symptoms until a bone is broken. The symptoms of spine fracture include loss of height, severe back pain, and spine malformations, including hunched or stooped posture.

As a result, the bones may become fragile, leading to spontaneous fractures for the following reasons.

  • Normal stresses like bending, lifting, or coughing
  • Minor falls that include a fall from standing height normally cause a break in a healthy bone.

Some factors can increase the risk for osteoporosis, which include the following.

  • Bone loss can happen much faster as you age, and it becomes slower to grow a new bone.
  • Women are prone to developing osteoporosis because they have lower peak bone mass with smaller bones compared to men.
  • Thin-boned people are also at a greater risk of developing the disease because they have less bone to lose.
  • White men are at a higher risk in comparison to Mexican American and African American men. On the other hand, white and Asian women are at the highest risk, while Mexican American and African American women have a lower risk.
  • Family history is also a factor if one of your parents has a history of osteoporosis or hip fracture.

Osteoporosis Wrap Up

Senior housing residents are prone to osteoporosis, but exercise and treatments can prevent bone density loss. Vitamin and mineral supplements are the most common treatments. Medications, which include hormone therapies, parathyroid hormone analogs, romosozumab, and denosumab, are also used to treat osteoporosis.

In addition, healthcare providers can provide help if you notice any changes in your body that you suspect to be warning signs. You can refer to your provider about any other symptoms you are experiencing, particularly if you have bone pain or have trouble moving.

 

Click here to learn more about Richmont Senior Living!

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

Memory Assisted Living Ashland NE

Honoring Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month in Memory Assisted Living | Ashland NE

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It is essential to raise awareness and support residents of memory assisted living Ashland NE affected by Alzheimer’s. June is Alzheimer’s and brain awareness month, emphasizing the importance of brain health, early detection, and innovative research. Activities like educational seminars, memory-boosting exercises, and support group sessions provide valuable resources for residents and their families.

Some commemorative events and fundraisers promote solidarity and contribute to ongoing research efforts. By highlighting the challenges of Alzheimer’s and encouraging community involvement, these facilities foster a kindhearted environment, enhance resident care, and advocate for advancements in treatment and understanding of brain health.

What is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month?

Dementia was first discovered by ancient Egyptians in 2000 B.C. when they became aware that memory declines with age. However, the first case of Alzheimer’s was in 1906 when a German physicist identified a patient with profound memory loss.

In 1983, US President Reagan initiated the observance of Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. This is for raising awareness regarding Alzheimer’s so that people can get involved in its recognition.

This is an opportunity to spread the word about the disease and other dementias. Throughout this month, people are encouraged to support this movement by wearing purple and teaching their brains to fight the disease.

Brain Health for Seniors in Memory Assisted Living Ashland NE

It is very important to maintain a healthy brain because age and genetics are risk factors out fo our control. Fortunately, though, the effects of these risk factors can be managed through the following techniques.

  • Exercise regularly
  • Become socially active
  • Follow a healthy diet that you can enjoy
  • Make safe and conscious choices
  • Manage stress properly
  • Challenge your brain

Apart from that, you should know that your brain is a complex structure with billions of cells in motion to control movement, memories, speech, and emotions. That said, you should not take your brain for granted by taking steps to keep it healthy and reduce the risk of developing dementia as you age.

It is important to note that a healthy human brain has tens of billions of neurons specialized to process and transmit information through chemical and electrical signals. Alzheimer’s disease will disrupt communication and result in the widespread loss of brain function.

Alzheimer’s can affect the brain because many neurons will stop functioning properly, lose connections with other neurons, and eventually die. At the same time, this disease can disrupt the processes vital to the neurons and their networks, which include metabolism, repair, and speech.

The detection of dementia in the early 2000s was possible only after death to view molecular and cellular changes in brain tissue using a microscope. It is good that modern research could use advances in diagnostics such as brain PET scan imaging and blood tests so that doctors and researchers can come up with more precise and earlier diagnoses of a living person.

Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month Wrap Up

The observance of Alzheimer’s and brain awareness month in memory assisted living Ashland, NE, enables people to support the needs of residents and their families during this challenging stage of life.

Are you looking for excellent care in Nebraska? Click here to learn more about Richmont Senior Living!

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

Senior Housing Ashland NE

Ways to Celebrate Father’s Day in Memory Assisted Living

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There are many ways to celebrate Father’s Day, such as honoring the fathers and those who stood for the role. But it is no different when celebrating Father’s Day in memory assisted living. There are activities like family visits, shared meals, and giving personal gifts to create a warm and friendly atmosphere for the residents.

Alternatively, family members can organize storytelling sessions, where residents share their favorite memories, help build connections, and keep minds active. Residents can also enjoy making handmade cards or decorations. By focusing on love and appreciation, these activities help residents feel special and connected on this important day.

 

Activities for Dads in Memory Assisted Living

If you have a dad or granddad in memory assisted living facilities, then it is important to understand that it can be quite challenging for you and your family. Your father with dementia may fail to know your family, and it can be hard to celebrate occasions together as a family.

But that doesn’t mean you must give up the idea of spending quality time with your dad. Here are wonderful activities you can try with your father.

  • Watch a classic film with Dad.
  • Play board games
  • Play cards
  • Coloring books for the occasion
  • Go on a road trip

Even if Dad has dementia, there are still so many things that you can do with him on Father’s Day. You can begin by reliving childhood memories or pastimes together. That is because he might forget what he had for breakfast but still recall his distant past with his long-term memory.

But if your father doesn’t respond to such activities, it is not a cause for discouragement. Being with someone with dementia can be difficult, which is why it is very important to practice self-care and get support from others.

Easy Gift Ideas

If you haven’t decided what to give your father on Father’s Day, perhaps it is time to think about the possible gifts he will cherish. That is because dads love thoughtful and useful gifts.

  • Customized gift baskets filled with things he can use and enjoy
  • A gift that can help him relax and unwind
  • Send a heartfelt letter or card
  • Keep him connected with some technology gifts
  • Custom photo album, blanket, calendar, or puzzle
  • Pretty creative jigsaw puzzles
  • Coloring books with illustrations
  • Easy-to-use CD player

Note that dementia is characterized by the loss of memory. If your father is among the 7% of seniors with this condition, then it can be hard for you to cope with. But you shouldn’t despair because there are always remedies that will make life easier for your dad and your family.

If you are going to celebrate this occasion with your main man and other father figures in your life, then you must be with him and make him feel special. Remember that celebrating Father’s Day in memory assisted living doesn’t mean it must be lavish because even the smallest gesture can make a dad smile.

 

Looking for excellent memory care in Nebraska? Click here to learn more about Richmont Senior Living!

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