Envida Develops Transportation Program to Provide Mental Health Rides to Individuals Across Colorado

In the tapestry of life, social connections are the vibrant threads that weave together our experiences, joys and challenges. For seniors, these social connections hold even greater significance, serving as a cornerstone for their overall well-being, contributing to a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life. In this blog, we explore the many benefits of senior friendship and shed light on how these connections truly enrich retirement.The Human Need for ConnectionFrom the moment were born, humans thrive on connection. As we age, this need remains steadfast, if not more crucial than ever. Seniors with strong social networks feel connected, valued and supported, benefiting their overall well-being and health.The companionship of friends serves as a powerful buffer against the challenges that can accompany aging. Maintaining close friendships has even been linked to decreased levels of loneliness and depression in seniors. The simple act of sharing stories, laughter and moments of vulnerability creates an emotional support system that helps seniors navigate lifes ups and downs with resilience and positivity.How Senior Living Fosters FriendshipsAt Anthology Senior Living, daily engagement encourages residents to bond with loved ones, build new friendships and explore new passions. Designed around our core philosophy and using our six dimensions of wellness, the Elements Life Enrichment program truly nurtures full mind, body and spirit. Whether participating in a group fitness class, joining other residents for an off-site excursion or playing a poker game, new experiences keep residents energized and encourage them to make the most of every day.Seniors at Anthology of Burlington Creek can enjoy a variety of events and activities. These aim to spark curiosity, promote engagement and bring happiness to their daily lives, keeping seniors connected.How Social Connections Keep Seniors HealthyScientific research underscores the life-changing impact of social interactions on senior health. Spending time with friends, family and peers links to a range of benefits, including:Mental and emotional well-being: Regular social engagement can help combat feelings of depression and loneliness in seniors, leading to a more positive outlook on life.Cognitive health: Engaging in stimulating conversations, participating in group activities and sharing experiences can help maintain cognitive function and even reduce the risk of cognitive decline. These interactions stimulate cognitive functions, keeping the brain active and sharp. Friendships help us grow mentally and learn new things by discussing current events, sharing memories and exploring new interests. Staying social can lower risk of depression, improve brain health and possibly slow down the progression of dementia, according to the Alzheimers Association.Physical health: Believe it or not, friendships can have a tangible impact on seniors physical health. Engaging in social activities for seniors and spending quality time with friends can reduce stress levels and promote a healthier immune system. Friends motivate each other to be active, do fun things and take care of themselves, which improves their well-being.Longevity: Studies suggest that seniors with active social lives tend to live longer, enjoying a higher quality of life as they age.Embracing Technology for ConnectionIn todays digital age, technology has opened new avenues for seniors to stay connected, even when physical distances separate them. Video calls, social media platforms and online interest groups offer opportunities to forge connections beyond the walls of their immediate surroundings, fostering a sense of unity and shared experiences.How Do I Meet New Friends After Retirement?As we grow older, finding friends and staying socially active doesnt happen on its own. It demands dedication, encouragement and persistent effort to cultivate genuine bonds.Here are several ways seniors can meet new people and reap the health advantages of social engagement:Try volunteering within your local community.Seek the support of community resources, like senior centers and senior living communities.Enroll in classes or workshops, whether for learning new skills or for leisure. This introduces you to people with shared interests, and the setting encourages regular interactions, making it easier to form friendships.Attend local events, fairs, markets and festivals. These gatherings often attract people from the community, providing an opportunity to strike up conversations and make new social connections.Participate in fitness classes, yoga sessions, walking groups or other exercise programs designed for seniors. Where Is the Best Place for Seniors to Make Friends?One of the best places for seniors to establish and nurture meaningful friendships is within a senior living community. These communities are designed to create an environment that promotes companionship and shared experiences, making them the perfect place for seniors to establish new connections.At Anthology, we understand the power of social connections. We create a lively atmosphere where people connect, laugh and form friendships through enjoyable activities like arts and crafts and communal dining. We design our events to spark conversations, forge bonds and provide the nurturing connections that contribute to healthier, happier lives.Whether its a beautiful day out in the park with friends, a festive BBQ or a vibrant dance class, residents at Anthology of Olathe are greeted with connection every day. Anthology of Boynton Beach celebrates seniors with social activities like happy hours and chef demos that foster connections.Creating a Community of ConnectionWe cannot overstate the importance of social connections and how they keep seniors healthy. As we get older, the relationships we build with loved ones and peers are crucial for our overall health and happiness. For older adults looking for these social connections, senior living communities can offer a way to make new friendships and form a consistent support group.

The skin is the largest organ in the body, and as we age, it can show the most visible changes that our bodies go through. While maintaining healthy skin is important at every age, it is especially important in skin care over 60, as the skin starts to wear down with age.November is National Healthy Skin Month, and its time to talk about elderly skin care. These skin care topics of interest can range from protecting and preventing skin cancer to how the skin ages and thins and creating a healthy skin care routine to use daily.The Natural Occurrence of Thinning SkinAs skin grows older, it tends to lose elasticity and functions differently. Common skin concerns for mature skin include wrinkles, sagging skin, dry skin and age spots. In addition, natural wear on the skin includes the suns rays wearing down collagen and elastic fibers in the middle skin layer, known as the dermis, also known as thinning skin.The thickness of men's skin is approximately 20% greater than that of women, primarily attributed to elevated levels of testosterone. While both men and women experience a decline in collagen production as they age, women undergo a more rapid loss, particularly following menopause. The decrease in estrogen during menopause contributes to a thinning of women's skin and collagen layers.As elderly skin thins, it makes the small blood vessels near the surface more delicate, which can lead to easy bruising in the elderly. A minor impact on thinner skin can result in a bruise. As blood seeps from the vessels, it creates a bruise that appears black and blue, through shades of yellow, green and finally brown as it starts to fade. The mark disappears when the body reabsorbs the blood, with the healing process potentially taking longer as one ages.You can reduce the risk of bruising on elderly skin by moisturizing, wearing long pants and sleeves to cover the skin, and avoiding certain medications such as steroids and blood thinners. Before stopping any medication, consult your doctor about bruising and seek their advice on how you can reduce your risk of bruises. If bruising does occur, utilize cold compresses first, and then apply warm compresses to motivate circulation in the skin.Preventing Skin CancerIn addition to the visual benefits of healthy skin, taking care of your skin is important to avoid skin cancer the most diagnosed cancer in the United States but also the most preventable. According to the National Council on Aging, most skin cancer is diagnosed after age 65. Melanoma, which is the deadliest type of skin cancer, is commonly diagnosed between ages 65 and 74. It is estimated that less than half of all older adults wear daily sun protection or take no precautions, especially on sunny days.Protecting your skin from powerful sun rays is very important throughout your lifetime, but daily sunscreen application is especially important as you age and important during all seasons of the year. Used daily in your younger years, daily sunscreen application is the key to prevent premature aging effects on your skin.Here are some ways to reduce your risk of skin cancer and to keep youthful, radiant skin:Wear a daily sunscreen with at least a 30 SPFUtilize sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats while in the sunAvoid the sun during the peak daylight hours (10 am 4 pm)Create a Healthy Skin Care RoutineBuilding a healthy elderly skin care routine starts from within your body. Lifestyle factors and behaviors, along with genetics and daily habits, can help your skin age gracefully. Here are a few:Cleansing: Daily cleansing for the type of skin that you have.A balanced diet: What we eat directly affects our skin. At Anthology Senior Living communities, such as Anthology of Edmonds, our signature Entice Dining program caters to the nutritional needs of seniors and helps promote healthy habits.Hydration: Drink plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated.Moisturizing: In addition to hydrating your body from the inside, make sure to moisturize to keep your skin soft and supple and less at risk for breaking open.Exercise: Even light exercise can promote circulation throughout the body. Exercise activities at Anthology of Novi include walks around the community and in outdoor areas to boost mood and Vitamin D through sunlight.Sleep routine: Getting enough sleep and sticking to an adequate sleep routine can help slow the effects of premature aging.Stress management: Doing your best to control your stress level can help prevent unsightly changes in your skin. Caregivers at Anthology of King of Prussia work to help ease the burden of stress through their amenities and weekly activity calendars to help promote wellness.Skin Care Products to Use on Mature SkinDaytime and nighttime routines with skin care products can help keep mature skin more radiant and youthful looking. Investing in elderly skin care products does not have to be overwhelmingly expensive starting with a basic routine can be affordable. When looking for anti-aging skin care products, pay attention to ingredients that are made especially for mature skin.Best treatments for 60-year-old skin and above include:Vitamin C: This mineral promotes collagen productionRetinoids: This ingredient can maintain smoother skin and work to hide fine lines and wrinkles in the complexionHyaluronic acid: Using this will help boost skin hydration from the outside inPeptides: Keep skin flexible and elastic, allowing it to look and feel plump and youthful Remember, aging is a natural and inevitable process, and adopting a positive mindset can significantly contribute to aging gracefully. At Anthology Senior Living communities like Anthology of King of Prussia, Anthology of Novi, Anthology of Edmonds and Anthology of The Arboretum, resident life is surrounded by positive mindsets and activities such as exercise, socialization with others and more working the mind, body and spirit are all a part of aging beautifully. As part of our Elements Life Enrichment program, both physical and cognitive needs are met through a robust calendar of activities. While aging skin can often be met with a negative connotation about getting old, our skin tells the story of our lifetime and its possible to age gracefully and beautifully by taking care of our skin throughout our lives. Its never too late to start investing in your skin!

You may have first experienced our nonprofit organization as a provider of paratransit services to the elderly and people with temporary or permanent disabilities. Or perhaps you became familiar with Via without even knowing who we are as you rode on the City of Boulder HOP bus route. This service has been operated and maintained by Via since 1994. Initially envisioned by the City and Via, the route makes it possible to get from the University of Colorado campus to the historic Pearl Street shopping district, and the 29th Street shopping and entertainment area without getting into a car. Via has also operated FlexRide, formerly Call-n-Ride, and Access-a-Ride services for RTD for many years. We also operate well-loved commuter micro transit routes such as the Lyons Flyer, HOP to Chautauqua, RideFree Lafayette, and the Omnibus for the City of Littleton. While initially headquartered and focused in Boulder County, Via has grown into Broomfield, Larimer, Weld Counties, and in 2020, on short notice, we took over from a Wheat Ridge based nonprofit that provided services to the mobility handicapped throughout the Denver metro area that had decided to end its paratransit service. This brought Vias signature door-through-door service to the four-county Denver area. When local government contracts with Via for shuttles or other public transit, there are several unique benefits that we provide at no additional cost.These include:1. REINVESTMENT IN COMMUNITY PARATRANSITVia directs the earned income from our contracts into affordable paratransit services for that community. This revenue, combined with other funding, is used to leverage additional federal and state grants, vastly increasing the services provided to our communities. This is unique to Via, as no other service provider reinvests its earned income to increase and expand necessary mobility services to our most vulnerable community members.2. PUBLIC DOLLARS REMAIN IN THE COMMUNITYAs a community-based nonprofit organization, Via works hard to be an efficient and cost-effective operation. We invest over 85 percent of our resources on direct program support; our revenues are reinvested in our communities, our employees, our facilities, and our sustainability programs and are not diverted to remote shareholders.3. CRISIS RESPONSE & COMMUNITY SAFETYWhen local government contracts with Via we offer our First and Second Crisis Response services. Via provided emergency response evacuations to residents during the 2013 floods and multiple wildfire events over the years, including the Marshall Fire in 2022. Via has been recognized by the Boulder County Sheriffs Office as a heroic and vital component of the Office of Disaster Management. Via is not paid for these services, but we underwrite the costs as a community reinvestment.4. PUBLIC ACCESS PARTNERSHIPSA further community benefit of working with Via includes access to our facilities: our 12-acre east Boulder campus is available to be used as a crisis center and public meeting space. In the aftermath of the horrific King Soopers killings, Via quickly organized our facility into a crisis response center where families could meet privately with law enforcement, counselling, and other critical resourcesVia is there for the community.5. ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIPVia has been a leader in and is committed to Environmental Sustainability and will be fully converting our fleet to zero emission vehicles. We are also partnering with the City of Boulder and Boulder County to continue to build out our on-site solar microgrid. We coordinate closely with our local government partners to ensure that we represent their policies and priorities in the services we offer and the way we conduct our business.6. WORKFORCE TRAINING & DEVELOPMENTVia recently launched a relationship with CareerWise Colorado to begin our first auto mechanic apprenticeship program in 2024 with student employees. It is our goal to mentor and train young people in the newest emerging battery electric and hydrogen technologies, and then be able to offer a full-time, market-based position following graduation.Why Partner with Via Mobility Services?Via Mobility Services is a vital partner for your local government.Despite our many strengths, it would be increasingly difficult for Via Mobility Services to compete head-to-head with national and international for-profit companies intent on entering the market with a strategy of losing money but gaining market share. This is a reality that we face, but when local and county governments fully understand our business model and policy direction, the advantages of a partnership with Via Mobility Services are clear. Thank you for choosing to work with us!