Senior Care Near Me

If you’re looking for senior care “near me,” chances are you’re helping a loved one transition to their next great chapter of life. When it comes to the health and well-being of our elderly loved ones, we want to ensure that they are in the best possible hands. That’s why quality staffing matters so much at senior care facilities. The compassionate staff at these facilities help keep our seniors mentally and physically healthy, as well as provide them with a sense of community and belonging. In this article, we will discuss what a senior care worker is, why quality staffing matters at senior care facilities, the benefits of holistic senior care, and the top 7 ways to stay mentally active.

What Is a Senior Care Worker?

Senior care workers are individuals equipped to aid elderly citizens in areas of daily life spanning from housekeeping and meal planning to hygiene. A good senior care worker will not only be compassionate, mindful of the dignity of their guests, and attentive to changes in behavior or health status, but will also be available to administer medication and potentially even shuttle seniors around the community so they can maintain a sense of autonomy. In short, the primary role of a senior care employee is to strive to ensure that their clients’ golden years are healthy, social, and fun and that their basic needs are met.

Why Senior Care Facility Staffing Matters

Senior care workers must have a medical background so they will be able to assist in the event of a medical emergency—at the very least, most applicants have an associate’s degree in nursing. Not only is it vital to find senior facility staff with the competence and experience to promote the physical wellbeing of their guests, but staff must also keep a watch out for personality changes, mental decline, or feelings of loneliness or isolation in the seniors they care for. This extra layer of compassionate care can dramatically improve an elder’s experience in a senior care facility and can help to keep their retirement happy, healthy, and meaningful.

Benefits of Holistic Senior Care

While tending to a senior’s medical and physical needs should be the absolute baseline for what a care facility looks for in its staff, a good nursing home like Jazba Care will focus on a holistic approach to serving its senior community.

What is holistic care? In essence, holistic senior care monitors not only the immediate physical needs of their community but also the mental, emotional, social, and spiritual needs as well. What this means is that senior care staff will focus on achieving well-rounded health for their guests, not least of all is mental health which can dramatically affect overall physical health as well. For example, depression has been linked to chronic illnesses like diabetes, cancer, and arthritis to name a few—so keeping seniors in a positive state of mind and active amongst their peers can not only improve their lifestyle but may even offer them more years of life.

The “above and beyond” holistic approach to elder care means that retiring to a senior living facility can be an exciting new chapter full of spiritual growth, social programs, exercise opportunities, and even classes for learning new hobbies or trades. When it comes to the care of the elder in your life, why would you settle for anything less?

Top 7 Ways for Seniors to Stay Mentally Active

As we emphasized in the section above, practicing good mental hygiene and working towards a healthy mindset can not only improve the experience of retiring amongst your peers, but can even add years onto your life. Part of keeping healthy as we age is keeping our mind sharp and our thoughts constructive—so here are the top 7 ways to stay mentally active as we age:

1. Write in a journal daily: Whether this is more of a spiritual practice in counting blessings and things we are grateful for or more like a diary, there can be a great benefit to writing regularly at any stage of life, but especially as time wears on. Routine is healthy, and the more you can keep to a schedule, the more likely you are to see positive results in terms of a boosted mood, improved cognition, and clarity of inner voice and intuition.
2. Read as much as you like: If you find you have hours in the day that you’re not sure what to do with, reading is one way that will absolutely keep your mind sharp. Try to mix up genres, authors, and writing styles for the opportunity to expand your horizons, push yourself, or find new, unexpected joys.
3. Practice a musical instrument: The practice of playing an instrument not only requires coordination skills, but can be a great medium for combining mind, body, and spirit. Even if you don’t play a musical instrument, the simple act of listening to music can work wonders for your physical and mental health, from reducing anxiety and lessening the experience of chronic pain to improving sleep quality and lowering blood pressure.
4. Practice sudoku or crossword puzzles: There’s no denying that sudoku and crosswords not only provide an adequate amount of challenge, but may even improve your problem-solving skills, cultural knowledge, and vocabulary as well. Plus, it’s rewarding to complete a puzzle correctly—and it may even boost your mood.
5. Complete a visual puzzle: While it might seem simple on the surface to work on a puzzle in your spare time, you are in charge of choosing the complexity of your puzzle; and doing so protects your visuospatial cognition abilities and keeps your mind sharp. Best of all, this activity can be pursued at any time, in the company of others or on your own!
6. Practice another language: Is there anyone in your retirement facility that speaks a language other than English? Working with your brain in two different languages is not only intellectually stimulating but may improve your vocabulary in both your native tongue and the language you’re learning. If finding a buddy to converse with isn’t your speed, there are multiple apps or computer programs available for picking up another language at your own pace.
7. Take up a new hobby: Ever wanted to learn how to paint, but just never got around to it? Now is the perfect time to take that Mediterranean cooking class you’ve always dreamed of! Challenging yourself to learn new things is critical for mental health and cognition at all stages of life, but can help add meaning, fun, and value to your golden years as well.

Senior Care Near Me

Of course, it is possible for many kinds of people to apply themselves and achieve a degree in nursing—but it takes an extra special kind of someone in order to apply that nursing compassionately and intentionally with the elders in their care. That is why finding a facility for senior care “near me” with a holistic approach to assisted living is not only better for the mental and emotional health of its guests, but may even have physical benefits as well. Even better, find a senior care facility with social programs, group activities, and opportunities for exercise and set your loved one up for success in their retirement.

Looking for compassionate staff that keeps an eye on the quality of life of the seniors in their charge? Contact Jazba Care today for more information, or click here to schedule a visit!