National Wellness Month: How Our Communities Practice Wellness

Happy National Wellness Month!

We believe wellness is important all year round, but with August being dedicated to wellness, this month we’re highlighting a few ways our communities practice wellness. Due to the communal environment, senior living communities like ours are the perfect setting for a collective effort toward being healthier, feeling happier and living better.

Take a look at ways our communities practice wellness for some inspiration on this season:

Meditation & Mindfulness

Residents of Greencastle of Garfield enjoying a mindfulness and meditation session with Inseus.

As a society, we often place more value on physical health than mental, emotional or spiritual wellbeing. Health and wellness are interdependent, therefore one cannot be in optimal physical health if they’re in feeling distressed in other areas of life. We understand the value of wellness and there are efforts to practice this across our communities such as through guided meditation and journaling, as pictured above at our Greencastle of Garfield community in Chicago, Illinois.

Try journaling – Whether it’s with guided prompts or through one’s own inspiration, getting thoughts and emotions out on paper is a grounding activity that can bring clarity, closure and even gratitude.

Pet Therapy

Honey, a therapy pet of Embrace Living Communities team members David and Tara McClenthen, bringing smiles to residents.

Depending on their training, therapy pets can bring relief to a variety of different groups from mental health issues, to physical disorders and even just everyday stress, therapy pets can bring much-needed comfort and healing. As exemplified by Honey, the beloved therapy dog to our Rockford communities, the presence of a therapy dog not only brings peace to those who’re troubled, but also brings people together to interact with the animal.

Visit with an emotional support animal – One can take a free assessment to see if they qualify for a support animal. Those in senior living environments can contact their social service coordinators to suggest developing a partner with visiting therapy pet organizations.

Preparing Healthy Meals 

Demetri from Crystal Home Health leading residents in nutrition class.

The popular phrase “you are what you eat” rings true, therefore, it’s more important than ever to be mindful of the things one allows into the body. Healthy eating not only helps older adults thwart the possibility of serious health conditions that a poor diet can cause (such as diabetes), but also can help people feel better by providing more energy.

Discover new recipes – Preparing nutritious meals is a fun approach to taking charge of one’s health. Mindful eating can be more enjoyable and more effective with a friend – invite friends loved ones over to try out new healthy recipes or develop some of your own together

Regardless of the time of year or one’s living situation, these are three great areas for older adults to focus on in order to improve wellness.