There is just something about being around people you really like and love. Having good friends around who listen and lift you up on a daily basis. And modern science concurs that good company is good for your mental, emotional, and physical health. Its one big reason why socialization for seniors is so important and why senior living communities thrive on it.Socialization for seniors - Together is better!The pandemic has reminded us all that isolation is the bad guy, especially when it comes to seniors. In a study by the National Academy of Sciences, lonely and isolated seniors showed higher rates of poor physical and mental health. They were more likely to suffer from hypertension, coronary heart disease, cardiac failure, depression, anxiety, and dementia.    There are so many benefits of socialization for seniors:Plenty of activities and socialization reduces cognitive decline. The Alzheimers Association reports that remaining socially active may support brain health and possibly delay the onset of dementia. One study found that cognitive abilities in seniors declined about 70 percent slower in individuals who had frequent social connections and socialization   compared to those who had little social contact with others. A quality senior living community offers the perfect environment for making connections, sharing ideas, and creating a purposeful, interactive experience that helps keep you engaged and living your best life. The right recipe for creating socialization for seniors.Lowers stress. Ongoing stress can lead to heart disease, depression, obesity, gastrointestinal problems and other unwanted conditions. Socialization increases a hormone that decreases anxiety levels and makes us feel more confident in our ability to cope with stressors. This same hormone encourages us to seek out others and helps bring us closer together. At New Perspective, someone is always close by for conversation and support. This is especially beneficial when older adults often experience loss and changes in health and mobility.     Keeps you active. Socialization for seniors, especially in a senior living community, can be in the form of opportunities to join others for activities and events. Examples are a walking club. Helping other residents decorate a commons area for the holidays. A Zumba class. Getting together to watch a big game. Learning a new hobby together. Being with others stimulates you to move more physically, which is good for your health and helps protect you from a sedentary lifestyle.  Encourages healthy habits. When youre living at home, its a lot easier to have that second piece of pie or skip walking around the block. Thats why socialization for seniors is so good for youliving in a senior living community, youre around a group of like-minded friends and neighbors who can help keep you on the path to wellness. Youre more inclined to join an exercise class, participate in special events, or focus on good nutrition because youre seeing others do just that.Gives you a sense of purpose. Having a reason to get up each morning does wonders for your energy level and your mood. Your feel-good hormones rise and fight off stress when you know youre going to be greeted by friendly faces and spend quality time with friends. Theres even evidence that having this sense of purpose can help you walk faster and have a firmer grip and greater body balance and controlindicators of how fast you are aging. Improves coping skills. Life has its ups and downs. And, as Bette Davis once said, Getting old isnt for sissies. A few more wrinkles and a bit less hair, some new creaks in the knee joints and other challenges are a whole lot easier to deal withand laugh atwhen you can share them over lunch with a friend. Socialization for seniors, particularly in a senior living community gives you ample opportunities to leave worries behind and make the most of what life has to offer.George SmithThe Right Senior Living Solution(941) 705-0293

For many, fall is the very best season of the year. Just the changing feel of the air temperatures can bringback memories and a love for the season. So many wonderful things about fall - the smells, the comfortfood and the football!Dont let your senior loved one miss out on all of the fun that can be had in the fall. From pumpkindecorating to seeing the beauty of the changing seasons, our seniors can do it all. Even if they needsome modifications from the way they used to celebrate fall and all of the fun that goes along with it,there are many options out there for them.Find Our Their FavoritesSpend some time talking to your senior loved one, and find out what their favorite parts of fall are.Its a great time to talk to them about what they did in their younger days during the fall. Did they carvepumpkins or trick or treat? What costumes did they dress up in? Did they even like Halloween? Ask whatsome of their fall traditions were. Did they have to rake the entire yard of falling maple leaves, and dreadthe changing seasons for that reason? Or did they look forward to it with anticipation, because it meantthey could jump into a huge leaf pile? Find out what they love about the season, and what theyd like todo - either a favorite activity or something new. If they have no preferences, come up with some of yourown ideas.Feeling FestiveA great way to get your senior into the fall spirit is to head outside. There you can catch a glimpse of thechanging seasonal colors, feel the change in air temperatures and decreasing humidity levels, and noticea change in the wildlife in the area.Take a drive to a scenic area where you can see the bright yellows of the season blanketing thelandscape. Go for a walk, getting even closer to the fall colors. With decreasing humidity levels, it is anicer time for seniors to walk. When youre out and about, be on the lookout for fall festivals. Theyabound at this time of year, no matter where you live in the country. Some feature scarecrow making,which might be a fun thing to do with your senior loved one. You can always do that at home too. Helpthem stuff some old clothes around the house with straw and make a festive seasonal decoration.Grab some pumpkins at a local festival, or even the local grocery store, to spice up the home for theseason. Carve them, or just make a pretty display at home with pumpkins and gords. Listen to somemusic at Oktoberfest celebrations. Even if your senior isnt up for dancing the polka, the atmosphere isfun to sit and watch and listen to.If its football they love, see what the fan access is like at their favorite teams home stadium. Do theyhave special accessible-seating for seniors? Can you pull right up to the gates and drop them off? If itstoo much for them, plan a Saturday afternoon with your senior loved one to watch the game. Wear theteam colors, make some snacks and make sure you catch kickoff.There are so many ideas. Find out what they want to do, and make a plan that goes along with theirdesires and their ability level.Food FunOne of the mainstays of fall fun is all of the fall flavors and comfort food that goes along with the season.Maybe youre senior loved picking apples from the tree as a child each fall, and baking somethingdelightful with the bushels. Even if you cant go on an apple picking adventure this year, you sure cantake pleasure in eating them, either fresh and crisp or baked into something good. A fun way to dress upraw fall apples in the fall is to pour caramel over them. You can also slice them onto their oatmeal in themorning, bake them into an apple crisp or try baking hot apple cider donuts for the first time.If theyre not up for baking themselves, fall festivals abound, and are filled with cider donuts and otherbaked goods to purchase. Another apple favorite is apple cider, which is especially good when warmed inthe fall on a colder night. To warm you up on fall nights, chili is a great seasonal option.. You also can trybaked squash and more seasonal foods to celebrate fall with your senior.We Can HelpIf you are looking for help ensuring your senior has some safe fun this fall, and every season of the year,our professionals at Visiting Angels Punta Gorda are here to help. We provide a variety of home careservices, including companion care, fall prevention and more.Our expert team of caregivers serves clients in Punta Gorda, North Fort Myers, Boca Granda, Cape Coral,Sanibel, Captiva, Arcadia and surrounding areas. To learn more about our services, call us at941-347-8288, or fill out an online form here

As children, we are encouraged to be creative to play instruments, craft, paint and dance. But as the pressures of adult life begin to pile up, many find themselves gradually letting go of their creative side. Once in retirement, seniors have ample free time and an opportunity to rediscover their artistic nature, reaping the benefits of exploring their natural talents.Ongoing research suggests that creativity may be key to healthy aging. Studies have shown that participating in activities such as singing, theater performance and artistry can support the well-being of older adults, and that creativity can lead to greater longevity.At Hawthorn Senior Living, our teams are always dreaming up ways to inspire creativity, engage minds within our communities and provide unique activities for seniors.Every day offers a variety of activities and events to choose from that promote physical activity, lifelong learning, social connection and overall wellness. Our intellectual and cultural activities like art projects, writing classes and discussion groups offer stimulating socialization and help residents get in touch with their creative side.Benefits of Creative Activities for SeniorsCreative activities have been shown to have a positive effect on both physical and mental health. Research has found that creative expression gives seniors a sense of purpose, maintains their coordination and concentration, and improves their mental health. And for those seniors with dementia, Parkinsons disease and other chronic degenerative diseases, participating in creative activities can reduce anxiety and depression.Living a creative life can help older adults in multiple ways, including being part of the six aspects of successful aging that researchers have identified:Having a sense of purposeInteracting with othersPersonal growthSelf-acceptanceBeing independent and retaining autonomyOverall health Activities at Hawthorn communities incorporate all six aspects of successful aging through creative and other types of pursuits. Residents are provided a well-rounded and robust wellness plan to ensure an engaging and fulfilled retirement.Creative Expression at Hawthorn Senior Living CommunitiesAt all 79 Hawthorn Senior Living communities, residents can explore the diverse activities calendars, which change monthly and are curated based on resident feedback. Examples of activities include painting, sketching, photography, clay modeling, mosaics, ceramics, jewelry making, knitting, crocheting, quilting, flower arranging, wreath making and scrapbooking, just to name a few. These activities are also used in several outreach projects at Hawthornmaking wreaths for local firefighters, decorating and filling Christmas boxes for children in need around the world, and hand-sewing masks for community residents and team members.While some programs are available at all Hawthorn communities, others may currently be available at only those locations where residents have expressed interest. The Hawthorn Senior Living teams survey residents as well as organize resident-led committees to inspire and drive the activity choices we offer.For example, at Summit Glen in Colorado Springs, Colorado, residents have been busy making jewelry, stained glass art and their very own paper spring flower bouquets. This months activity calendar gives residents the opportunity to plant spring flowers, join the community choir and make cards.Residents at Olympus Ranch in Murray, Utah, have been learning about Chinese culture and painted Chinese calligraphy on canvas a perfect example of combining mind-stimulating activities and creative arts. This month, residents can bake challah with the head chef, create personalized fragrances, and write and share their own poetry.Get Creative at a Hawthorn Senior Living Near YouCreative activities help us discover new strengths because of our age, not despite it. They bring a sense of meaning, purpose and joy to our lives. And Hawthorn Senior Living communities provide an unmatched array of creative activities for seniors. In fact, creativity and lifelong learning are woven into the tapestry of Hawthorn life.