When you retire, hopefully, you get to relax and enjoy your golden years without any responsibilities. You need not wait until the weekend to play golf, you can go out to town any night of the week, and you can get some extra sleep or get up early to have breakfast with the grandkids. Loss of sight, hearing, or taste, all of which can occur naturally with age, might dampen the enjoyment of otherwise exciting events. The goal of assisted living in Atlantis, FL is to let the elderly age in place in a setting that is friendly to those with sensory impairments. Relax knowing that retirement communities always do what they can to give residents as much comfort as possible.
Aging and Its Impact on Senses
Maybe your senses of sight, sound, taste, and smell have changed. The same thing happens to everyone. Here are some of the transitions you might face as an aging adult:
- Vision: As you advance in age, you will notice a decline in visual sharpness. The likelihood of developing cataracts, glaucoma, or macular degeneration increases with age and other risk factors.
- Sound: You may have trouble picking up on high-pitched sounds. Hearing impairments might lead to instability in your gait and posture.
- Taste/Smell: Saliva reduction might impair your sense of taste and smell. It is possible that your sense of smell will decline as you become older. Because of diminished taste and scent, you may experience a loss in appetite.
Moving to Assisted Living to Preserve the Senses
Even if you are not able to halt the passage of time, there are several things assisted living can help sharpen your senses and delay the onset of old age impairments:
- Caregivers document any changes they notice in your senses and discuss them with a health practitioner. Routine medical checks are at times scheduled either on-site at the community or nearby clinic.
- Assisted living senior catered dining lets you consume foods high in nutrients that will help your senses. Certain foods, like blueberries, can strengthen eyesight that is deteriorating.
- You can try quitting smoking if you are, to prevent implicating your senses.
- Wear sunglasses whenever outdoors to protect your sense of sight.
- Every 15 minutes, give your ears a rest from the sound of the TV or music by turning down the volume level.
- Assisted living communities have beautifully landscaped gardens and greenery. Practice smelling four to six different scents by going outdoors. Breathe in scents such as clove, lemon, and eucalyptus every day to improve your sense of smell.
- The increased blood flow from regular exercise can help maintain a healthy heart and perhaps improve your eyesight. Participate in the wide array of senior living activities available in the community calendar.
- It is important to keep your head and sinuses safe if you do not want to lose your sense of smell. Get medical attention from caregivers for any wounds or infections right away to reduce the risk of permanent sensory impairment.