Raise your hand if you enjoy being stressed. No? No one? Stress is one of those things that nobody enjoys, but everyone experiences in some form or another. According to the most recent study from American Institute of Stress, 77 percent of people regularly experience physical symptoms caused by stress. Since “job pressure” is far and away the biggest cause of stress for most Americans, you would think that retirees would be some of the least stressed individuals out there.
“Actually, retirement can be an extremely stressful time for seniors,” says Michael Rambarose, President and CEO of Whitney Center, a Life Care Community in Hamden, CT. “While seniors may no longer be stressed out by job-related pressures, many other stressors remain like money worries, health issues, relationship issues and others. You end up trading one stressor for another, which many seniors may not be prepared for.”
Fortunately, Michael says, seniors have a unique opportunity when it comes to managing their stress and their lifestyle moving forward. “Since seniors are no longer beholden to a job or family obligations, they are free to make smart choices about their future with regards to security, health care and other factors that could cause them stress. One excellent prescription for developing and living a stress-free lifestyle is to move to a senior living community like Whitney Center.”
While moving to a Life Care Community may not the first thing seniors think of when it comes to reducing stress, Michael says that it can help solve many issues that are affecting a senior’s quality of life. “Keeping a home is stressful, especially as we get older and may not be able to do as much around the house. Even living in your own home securely is stressful, due to mobility issues or other factors. Oftentimes, getting older in general is stressful, because we’re unable to get out and be as social as we once were, or it’s too much effort to take care of tasks like cooking and cleaning. At a senior living community, all these items and more are taken care of for you, allowing you to relax, focus on yourself and find ways to create a healthy, happy retirement lifestyle for yourself.”
Here are some of the ways that a senior living community can help older adults achieve a stress-free retirement lifestyle.
Opportunities to stay physically active.
Regular exercise does more than keep your joints limber and your body in shape. Anything that gets your blood pumping can help you knock out stress in a productive way – after all, there’s a reason why some people take a walk to “cool down” when they’re angry or stressed out. Whitney Center places a high priority on health and wellness, which can be seen in the amenities available at our state-of-the-art fitness center:
- A heated indoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi®
- Kaiser weight-training equipment, cardio and free weights
- Group classes like yoga and tai chi, perfect for stress reduction
- A personal trainer and aquatics instructor
- Holistic health programs, including massage and aromatherapy
Discovering new (or old) hobbies and activities.
One way to reduce stress is to do a pleasurable activity. One of the dimensions of our Seven Dimensions of Wellness is “vocational,” which translates to “Adding value through meaningful activities, learning new skills and developing new interests.” In your retirement, you have all the time in the world to discover what’s important and interesting to you, whether that’s getting back into a hobby that you once loved to do but let fall by the wayside or starting up a new interest that you’ve always wanted to do. Whether your passion is painting, knitting, learning languages, cooking or anything else, Whitney Center will help you find the opportunity and ability to pursue it.
Providing healthy dining options.
When we eat right, we feel better, which reduces stress and allows us to do all the things we want to do. On the flip side, eating an unhealthy diet makes us lethargic, grouchy and can even lead to depression. A Life Care Community like Whitney Center makes eating healthy a snap because all you have to do is belly up to the table. No more grocery shopping or doing dishes. We make healthy eating fun with locally sourced ingredients, a varied menu prepared by our professional chefs and dishes ranging from fine dining to casual. Every item on our menu has been crafted with assistance from our dietary staff, and our chefs can accommodate any special needs or tastes. Food may be fuel, but dining is an experience, and you’ll find wonderful ones at Whitney Center.
Giving up tasks that cause you stress.
A “to-do” list can be incredibly stressful, especially if it involves fixing things around the house – something you might not be able to do anymore. Living at a senior living community takes care of all those little and big chores, from landscaping to laundry to so much more. Residents at Whitney Center never have to worry about broken furnaces, shoveling snow or other catastrophic home events that cost thousands of dollars and days of stress.
Finding financial peace of mind.
While you may hear the words “senior living” and automatically see dollar signs, the fact is that moving to a Life Care Community like Whitney Center can actually help reduce your expenses, as well as provide financial security for the future. Living at Life Care Community means that you’ll pay the same amount of money for the rest of your life, even if you end up needing extensive care in the future. It also means that you’ll be able to stay in your home no matter what, because the care you need will always be available on-campus.
If you’d like to learn more about Whitney Center and how we can help you live a stress-free retirement lifestyle, contact us today. We look forward to discussing how you can begin enjoying the benefits of our Life Care Community.
Discover Excellence in Senior Living.
At Whitney Center, you’ll find a distinguished senior living community where residents do what they love. Located in Hamden, Connecticut, Whitney Center combines all the cultural, educational and historical charms of the Greater New Haven area with the intricate details of daily life for active seniors. Whitney Center is a Life Care community, offering not just an unparalleled independent living lifestyle, but a full continuum of care services as well, including assisted living, rehabilitation, skilled nursing care and memory care. Whitney Center even offers a home-based long-term care program, Thrive at Home, which connects seniors to the services they need to live well in their own home.
Choice. Freedom. Opportunity.
We believe that remaining engaged and striving for excellence builds a more meaningful life. That’s why residents experience a host of services and amenities, events and cultural opportunities and wellness programs designed to foster endless growth and personalized living. Backed by our first-rate hospitality and philosophy of continuous improvement, our residents are free to travel, learn, volunteer, set new goals and create the life they want to live.
Come Here to Thrive.
At Whitney Center, residents live in the midst of cultural arts and education and dignified connections to the greater community. Seniors thrive in pursuit of what brings them joy, with unlimited opportunities to create and contribute. And, with the confidence in quality care services available on site if health needs ever change, Whitney Center makes it possible for seniors to continue enjoying the freedom to embrace life at its fullest.
