A Day In The Life: How Residential Assisted Living Could Improve Your Lifestyle In 2023
While most people understand that residential assisted living offers professional senior care, there’s a lot more to senior living than meets the eye. With excellent community spirit, exciting new social opportunities, and enriching activities, senior living can be a wonderful option for many of today’s retirees. To fully demonstrate the range of daily benefits of residential assisted living, let’s walk through what a day in your retirement might look like in a senior living community.
Morning
8:00 am: Get up and ready for the day
Maintaining a healthy morning routine often becomes more difficult as we age, but properly preparing for the day can do wonders for mental health and confidence. Whatever your preferred morning routine, residential assisted living caregivers will be on hand to offer the tailored level of assistance you need to feel both supported and empowered.
8:30 am: Eat breakfast
Life in residential assisted living should feel like home, and having a choice at mealtimes is a great way to facilitate this. Senior living communities typically provide residents three tasty and nutritious meals daily. Whether your go-to is oatmeal, eggs, or granola and yogurt, there will usually be various options.
9:30 am: Take a walk
Some residential assisted living communities sit within beautiful grounds. If you live alone and need help with reduced mobility, you might not have the opportunity to enjoy the fresh air like you used to. In a senior living community, you can enjoy a walk and talk with fellow residents and friendly caregivers who can offer the physical support you need. If you enjoy the outdoors, ask to take a stroll around the grounds during your tour.
10:00 am: Morning coffee with friends
One of the most significant benefits of residential assisted living is the vast opportunities to socialize that naturally present themselves each day. Retirement is all about slowing down and enjoying life’s simple pleasures – a senior living community can help you do so with ease and with friends.
Afternoon
12:30 pm: Have lunch
Menus are formulated with residents’ nutritional needs and preferences in mind and are often overseen by a dietician. If you’re concerned about nutrition or special dietary requirements, ask about this on your tour.
1:30 pm: Relax
You can enjoy the quiet time you deserve with no home maintenance, housekeeping, or laundry to take care of. Whether you want to socialize with fellow residents and caregivers, enjoy a visit from family, or take an afternoon nap, you can do so guilt-free.
2:30 pm: Afternoon Activity
Most residential assisted living communities run a range of physical, educational, spiritual, or creative classes and groups for residents to enjoy on-site. If you have a beloved hobby you’d like to reconnect with or fancy trying your hand at something new, be sure to inquire about the activities a community offers.
4:00 pm: Attend appointment
Depending on your senior living community’s amenities and services, you can attend medical, therapeutic, or even beauty appointments on-site. Alternatively, many facilities can help with transportation to appointments in the local area.
Evening
6:00 pm: Enjoy dinner
Dinner options in residential assisted living often incorporate hearty favorites and comfort foods (and desserts, of course!) If you have an all-time favorite dish, most senior living communities will make every effort to cater menus to the likes of residents.
7:00 pm: Evening activity
Most senior care homes host an array of special events and activities for residents to enjoy during the evening. These may include seasonal events, visiting comedians or musicians, and timeless classics like bingo nights. Evening get-togethers are an excellent opportunity for residents and caregivers to connect and build a strong sense of community.
8:30 pm: Get ready for bed
Professional caregivers will help you prepare for sleep in a way that works for you – assisting with personal care tasks like brushing your teeth, taking a shower, and getting changed into nightwear on an ‘as you need’ basis.
9:00 pm: Relax in privacy
In residential senior care, you will likely have a private bedroom or a bedroom shared with another resident. This room can serve as a quiet place to retreat to for evening relaxation. Snuggle up with a good book, chat with family online or listen to music as you prepare for a great night’s sleep.
10:00 pm: Sleep
Residential assisted living facilities are typically staffed around the clock, so you can receive any support you need throughout the night. Your caregivers will be on hand to help you get into bed if required. Should you need to use the bathroom or grab a drink, caregivers can help you meet your needs swiftly and safely. And with staff on-site 24/7, you can rest easier knowing there is always someone to assist in the case of a medical emergency.
When visiting residential assisted living facilities on your shortlist, think about and write down your ideal day. Consider the questions you need to ask to determine how well each community can fit your vision.
To find out more about how a facility could benefit you, you may wish to consider the following:
- What activities do they have on offer?
- What does their typical menu look like?
- What services do they provide on-site?
- Can they help with transportation?
- Will I have a private bedroom or bathroom?
- What are the grounds like?
If you’re interested in discovering what your days could look like in our residential assisted living communities in Pueblo West or Colorado Springs, get in touch with our friendly team today to arrange a guided tour.