Planning a Visit to an Assisted Living Community

Especially on birthdays and holidays, many of us wish to brighten the day for a loved one in an assisted living community by letting them know they are very special to us. To help make our visit more meaningful, experts provide some tips to keep in mind when we visit.

You may want to plan in advance an activity your loved one would enjoy doing with you during your visit. Examples include bringing along a puzzle to work on, a Scrabble board or a trivia game. You could get prints of current photos of the family made to add to an album or to start a new one. If they are a music lover, bring some new music to enjoy together. If they love listening to stories, get an audiobook to listen to or buy a favorite family movie to watch together. If they love sending greeting cards to family and friends, buy a box of cards and help them get them ready to mail. If they love to be pampered, bring along the supplies to give them a manicure.

If the weather is cooperative, take advantage of the community’s outdoor area to soak up the sun or take your loved one to a local park and plan to share a simple meal of sandwiches and a drink. Bringing your kids along automatically provides a more cheerful energy and will give the resident pleasant memories long after the little ones have gone home. However, do keep in mind that too many visitors at a time can be hectic and it may be better to spread out the visits.

If you do want to bring gifts, remember the person most likely does not have a lot of extra room for anything too big. Gifts of food are generally welcomed and can be shared with others in the community. Other tips include not visiting when you are ill, and be sure to wash your hands when you first come in to avoid spreading germs.

At MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care at River Oaks, we provide lots of activities and programs for our residents, but we know they always look forward to seeing their family. Our new community has beautiful and inviting common areas to enjoy with visiting family and friends. For assisted living Houston seniors can count on, we encourage you to consider MorningStar at River Oaks, the perfect community to comfortably and safely age in place.

MorningStar takes tremendous pride in the reputation we have earned for excellence and authenticity since our inception in 2003. We believe the human capacity to grow, to learn and to contribute is ageless; and we act upon that truth daily, as we care for, inspire, and love the residents under our roof. Contact us for more information about the finest assisted living Houston has to offer.

Comments

Keeping Seniors Safely Mobile

The Mayo Clinic reminds older adults it is important they take proper precautions to prevent falls. Medical conditions, the resulting medications needed, and a more sedentary lifestyle can result in weaker muscles and balance problems that can lead to a fall. Also please keep in mind, a fall for an older adult can cause injuries that are very serious such as a broken hip, head trauma, or in the most severe cases, death. However, the solution to preventing falls is not to stop moving. The medical experts at the Mayo Clinic explain being inactive is bad for our health regardless of how old we are and it is vital that we keep moving. To that end, they suggest a commonsense six-part plan to keep seniors safely mobile. Their first recommendation is to set up an appointment with your doctor. Bring to the visit a list of all your medications, and be prepared to discuss with your doctor any side effects of the drugs that may put you more at risk for a fall such as anti-depressants or

As We Age, Staying Fit is Important to Mobility and Independence

As we age, staying fit is important to both our mobility and our independence; and even if you haven’t spent your life as a serious fitness buff, experts say it doesn’t mean you can’t start now. However, it is important to check with your healthcare provider before beginning any new exercise. The Harvard Medical School recommends several exercises that provide all-around conditioning and don’t require a gym membership. Any one of them can help keep your weight under control, improve balance and range of motion, strengthen bones, protect joints, prevent bladder control problems, and even ward off memory loss. Swimming is recommended for its low impact on the body as the water’s buoyancy supports the body and takes the strain off painful joints. Dr. I-Min Lee, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, explains, “Swimming is good for individuals with arthritis because it’s less weight bearing.” Researchers also report swimming can help improve our mental health. Water aerobics is a

Regular Physical Exercise is Good for Your Bones

Not only is physical exercise good for our heart and cognitive health but it can help older adults stay steady on their feet. Studies show regular physical activity can reduce the risk of falls in older adults at a high risk of falling by nearly one third. Experts explain certain kinds of exercise helps increase muscle mass and bone strength as well as improve balance and coordination, fight off osteoporosis, and reduce the risk for fractures and broken bones. Some of the best exercises are known as weight-bearing, which require a person to carry their weight and work against gravity. Examples include walking, dancing, hiking, climbing stairs, jogging and playing tennis or basketball. Doctors say if you can manage it, increasing your pace during aerobics, jogging and power walking make the exercises even more effective at strengthening bone density. Resistance exercises also work against gravity and help build muscle mass and improve bone strength. Strength training with weights, wei

MorningStar Independent Living Blog

Search This Blog