Did you know that more than 810,000 people live in senior living facilities? Whether they live there for memory care or need help physically, this is a way for seniors to still feel independent. However, they will also get help doing normal everyday activities. But when a senior goes into a senior living facility, it is a necessity that they create relationships within the facility. Not only does this make their time at the senior living community better, but it also has a lot of other benefits. Keep reading to learn more about the importance of building relationships.
Promote Emotional Well-Being
Having relationships with others, in general, is necessary. However, it is extremely important to create relationships with others as a senior in an assisted living facility. If a senior doesn’t create the relationships that they should, this can lead to social isolation. In turn, this can lead to depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues while in the senior living community. However, as seniors create those relationships, there will be more emotional well-being within the community. This creates less likelihood of dealing with isolation or mental health issues.
Foster a Sense of Community
Building relationships in a senior living facility also fosters a sense of community. This is important because a community is a way to generate more support from others. It creates a sense of belonging that individuals don’t feel without relationship support in a community. This helps individuals feel less isolated. Additionally, the community is a great way of having others celebrate successes and joys in life. For instance, if a senior in a facility knows their grandchild just got married, they are going to want to celebrate. Having the community there to celebrate with is what will make that moment so much better. This is especially true if the senior couldn’t attend the wedding.
A community also offers connection and an opportunity for growth. Senior living members can learn from one another to gain new skills, knowledge, and experiences. On top of growth, connection, and celebrating success, a sense of community creates more opportunities. It allows seniors to gain different perspectives and learn more about various cultures from the people in the facility.
Better Quality of Care
When you take the time as a senior to build relationships with the caregivers and the nurses in the facility, this helps them to better understand their needs. As a senior, you want to make sure that those who are caring for you know your needs and wants. They can personalize it to you so that you feel supported and cared for just as you would from a family member or loved one.
Forming relationships between seniors and caregivers is also a great way to make it feel like they have a team rooting for them. This means they have people inside the facility that can for them and not just from family outside. When a nurse knows a senior to their core, their caregiving extends beyond just the care they need and becomes more about the emotional and mental aspects of care as well. When a senior gets better care, they will be healthier and happier in the facility.
More Opportunities for Socialization and Engagement
In a senior living facility, there are a lot of opportunities for activities. There are social events that help seniors to engage with one another more often such as Bingo, word games, and card games. They also may create larger events like birthday parties or other events to keep the seniors engaged with one another. When seniors participate in these activities with one another, they are being more social and engaging with one another. This helps them to feel more part of the community, which can benefit their health.
Improved Physical Health
Although forming relationships may not automatically make you think of improved physical health, having better emotional and mental health can directly correlate with better physical health. For instance, having social intentions can be a brain exercise. This challenges the mind to help maintain necessary cognitive abilities, which is one way to prevent dementia.
Additionally, having relationships and support from others can reduce stress as well. If someone has too much stress, this can lead to an increased likelihood of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s. Having caring relationships with others can give someone the support they need to reduce stress, especially in hard times. In addition to helping with brain health, positive relationships can also contribute to more overall positive behaviors. For instance, better relationships can cause someone to exercise more, eat healthier, and get more sleep. Having healthier relationships is liked to a reduction in the risk of developing dementia.
Forming Relationships in Senior Living Facilities
Forming relationships in senior living facilities is one of the most important things that seniors can do. Not only does this make them happier during their time in the facility, but it also has many other advantages while living in the facility. For instance, there is more opportunity for socialization and activities in the facility. There is also improved physical health, and the formed relationships can promote overall emotional well-being. Are you curious about moving a senior that you love into a senior living facility? Then you can check out the living options that we have at Inspired Senior Living Communities. We pride ourselves on empowering our senior members to live their best life in our facility.
