Keys to Aging Successfully

Companionship within a community is an essential ingredient for successful aging.

At Encore we believe that activities are key in providing the highest quality of life by creating a stimulating environment for our residents.  According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, older adults that stay socially active and maintain healthy friendships are able to maintain better physical and emotional health and cognitive function, and live longer than those who become isolated.*  Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago recently did a study that showed highly social seniors had a 70 percent lower rate of cognitive decline than their less social peers.***

What activities does Encore offer?

Whether we are heading out on a scenic bus trip or a trip to the Coast for some great seafood, there is always something happening at Encore!  Each month two new activity calendars (Memory Care and Assisted Living) are put together to keep our residents moving and engaged.

1st and 2nd Floor Memory Care Activities

With summer in full swing, we have tons of great activities planned indoors this month!  This month we added a new toy, a Karaoke Machine and it’s a HUGE success.  It is now regularly on the schedule, along with other favorites, like Spa/Aromatherapy Time, Devotions, Happy Hour and Daily Exercises.  The full resident activity calendar can be viewed by clicking here.

3rd Floor Assisted Living Activities

Lunch outings are one of our favorite activities and this month we are going to Dixie Crossroads in Titusville and Bahama Breeze.  There is even a special Men’s Lunch outing scheduled to celebrate Father’s Day and our favorite men at Encore!  You can find a full list of activities by clicking here under the Resident Activity Calendar.

How can you benefit from social healthy activity if you are not a resident at Encore?

There are four key elements to staying active as an older adult.

Exercise:**

Regular Exercise can help build strong muscles, which helps with stability and preventing falls.  It also helps ward off illness and energizes your brain and body.

Social Interaction:***

Social interaction is key to keeping the mind stimulated.  Here are few ways you can keep socially engaged:  join a club, play games and do puzzles, volunteer, take a class, learn something new.

Nutrition:****

Eating a healthy diet can contribute to increased productivity, enhanced mood, and can help you live longer.

Music:*****

Listening to music can elevate your mood, relieve stress, increase creativity and energy.

At Encore, another way that you can benefit from our Activity schedule is by participating in our Adult Day Care Services.  We understand that all older adults will choose to live with us, however, we do want the older adults in the East Orlando community to be able to benefit from the activities that we offer to our residents.  This program allows participants from the community to join us for daily activities, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., 7 days a week and participate in all activities that Encore has to offer.

We are always looking for more ways to partners with members of the community, so if your organization would like to schedule an activity, whether at your place or ours, we would love to talk with you about it:  Stephanie@EncoreAtAvalonPark.com.  We also have several volunteer opportunities, interested volunteers can apply online here:   https://encoreatavalonpark.com/contact/volunteer-at-encore/.  If you have any  additional questions regarding the programs, please reach out with the links below:

    
Shannon Manning         Ron St. John
Director of Activities      Director of Memory Care

Resources:

*University of Rochester Medical Center:  https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=4513

**http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20909808,00.html

***http://www.everydayhealth.com/senior-health/enhancing-your-life.aspx

****https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/health/benefits-of-eating-healthy/

*****http://funmusicco.com/how-does-music-stimulate-left-and-right-brain-function-and-why-is-this-important-in-music-teaching/