If you are the primary caregiver of a loved one, you would understand that you need to be responsible for many things. That includes assisting your loved ones with daily tasks, planning their finances, ensuring that their physical health needs are met, and more. This also means that you will need to ensure that their mental health is taken care of. It may be a lot to juggle, especially if your loved one is living alone or in isolation. If you are not sure how to cope with everything, you can consider finding an independent or assisted living community for your loved one. Being a part of an independent or assisted living community can have positive impacts on aging adults’ mental health, and help them stay happy and healthy.
Helps with Anxiety Disorders
One of the most common mental issues that older adults face is anxiety, and this is characterized as having a constant and excessive worry that affects their daily life. Some symptoms of an anxiety disorder include always feeling nervous or irritable, an increased heart rate, difficulty concentrating, insomnia, hyperventilating, sweating, and more.
An independent or assisted living community is designed to help residents feel safe- this includes support rails, fewer stairs, adequate lighting, and wider hallways. This helps residents move freely and independently. Furthermore, residents have access to exercise classes and physical therapy to help them improve the strength in their muscles. This physical activity can reduce the stress residents experience, leading to lower levels of anxiety. The community also offers spiritual and mental support, and people can find other individuals that can connect and understand them.
Helps with Depression
Many older adults are also at risk of developing depression, and this could be a result of grief, social isolation, health problems, and more. Some symptoms include a perpetual lack of energy or fatigue, feelings of hopelessness and sadness, withdrawal, change in appetite, headaches, and digestive problems.
With the wide range of activities independent and assisted living communities offer, there are plenty of opportunities for social connection, and residents will be able to befriend people that have similar interests as them. Furthermore, there are communal dining venues where individuals will be able to eat together and make new friends. Physical activities arranged by the independent living community can also help to improve depression. As residents have access to good quality professional care in these living communities, it can help to improve their mental health condition as well.
If you are looking for an independent or assisted living community for yourself or a loved one, look no further than Mariposa. Here, we prioritize our residents, and our professionals do our best to help ensure that all residents are happy, healthy, and doing well. We also offer a wide range of exciting programs that make our residents’ stay here fulfilling and meaningful. Feel free to contact us or schedule a tour with us if you would like to find out more about what we have to offer today.