Active Aging is the New Cool Word in Town

Did you know that, based on current trends, 1.5 billion people around the world will be aged 65 or older? That’s one in every six people! However, our world is not just getting older thanks to people living longer, we’re also living better.

Making the most of our retirement years has led to some fantastic movements to help keep people young-at-heart and young-in-health. One of these trends is known as active aging – and yes, seniors are just as good at setting cool trends, too! Here’s some insight into why this is taking off among seniors and within their senior living communities, from the specialists in assisted living in Cape May County, New Jersey.

What is Active Aging?

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines active aging as a process of “optimizing opportunities for health, participation, and security to enhance the quality of life as people age.” It means there are creative, innovative ways that we can make our senior years healthier and more enjoyable – and we should absolutely make the most of these opportunities!

Many senior living communities have jumped on board with this concept, creating spaces that offer a variety of active aging opportunities to suit different interests and aspects of health-focused senior living. Common areas that are prioritized include:

• Dining – Nutrition plays a very important part in overall health, helping to fight disease as well as mental and physical decline. By creating interesting healthy, creative, and tasty menus, senior and assisted living communities to add to residents’ joy and wellbeing. After all, food is not just sustenance – it’s connected to our best memories, strengthens social connections, and promotes our sense of adventure.
• Activities – Today, senior living communities have embraced the, making it almost unrecognizable from previous decades. Today, many communities prioritize independence and rich living through active aging, creating vibrant, interesting social calendars full of activities and events.
  Many feature robust, state of the art fitness centers offering yoga and Zumba®, foreign language classes, games nights, barbecues, day trips, theatre events, mentoring, garden and book clubs, and dance classes.
  If there’s something you’ve always wanted to do but never had the time, your retirement years present the perfect opportunity. Even though COVID-19, these communities are actively implementing restrictions that allow seniors to stay fit, engaged and healthy while keeping safe from infection.
• Socializing – Thanks to an increased awareness of how important social connections are to preventing isolation, illness, depression and anxiety, senior living communities actively support community spirit. Clubs, group activities and classes may have been temporarily suspended for COVID-19, but that doesn’t mean seniors are prevented from keeping these essential connections alive. Thanks to digital technology, when face-to-face contact is not possible, virtual meetups, increase safe interactions and companionship among family, friends, caregivers and others. These connections promote mental health and happiness.

Make Your Retirement Years Some of Your Best Years with Assisted Living in Cape May, County New Jersey

At The Shores, United Methodist Communities’ assisted living facility in South Jersey, we take a holistic approach to caregiving that supports a full, healthy and independent life in a professional yet compassionate and fun community.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have implemented strict protocols that, as always, but the health and wellbeing of our residents and staff first, ensuring that our frontline teams and patients are properly supported. We care deeply about each person in our care, balancing the need for strict protocols with our focus on active aging, helping families and friends stay in touch and engaged, and helping seniors stay active, healthy and enjoying life – all while distancing.

For more information on our protocols during COVID-19 and the active aging opportunities we offer at our assisted living community in South Jersey, please contact us today.