Fostering a safe, secure and stimulating environment where seniors citizens can roam around freely and independently while remaining completely attentive and safe from harm is a valuable piece to effective senior care. When considering options for yourself or your loved one, an environment that will stimulate the mind, body, and spirit should be near the top of your list. As you age, one of the major causes of decline is social isolation. A stimulating environment helps combat that isolation by offering activities and programs that will keep seniors engaged both mentally and physically in the environment around them. So, how do you create a stimulating environment? In this article, we will review multiple ways to make a stimulating environment in various senior care settings.
Assisted Living Setting
The main focus of assisted living facilities is to ensure that residents are living a healthy, fulfilling life. Seniors are placed into a modern, comfortable setting in an attempt to make them feel like their at home instead of an assisted living facility. According to The Gerontologist, Volume 47, author Lois J. Cutler mentions that “The nature of the space available to residents or tenants as their own and the nature of the surrounding space available to the entire Assisted Living community can enhance or detract from the functioning, emotional well-being, social involvement, and satisfaction of the resident.” With this in mind, caregivers should make sure that the physical living environments are stimulating and pleasing to each resident. Here are some ways caregivers can create an engaging environment for seniors in an assisted living setting:
- Reduce or remove environmental stressors like sudden loud noises, fast-talking or even consistent background noises.
- Invite them to partake in activities like aromatherapy. The use of lotions and scented oils are known to soothe, calm and even reduce blood pressure levels in older adults.
- Make a space for residents to relax. Consider rearranging a room with a window and set up comfortable chairs along with other amenities to ensure the resident is in a cozy and relaxed setting.