Garden Views - Our Assisted Living Blog
Blog Post - August 1, 2024
NUTRITION IS ESSENTIAL!
“Sorry, there’s no magic bullet. You gotta eat healthy and live healthy to be healthy and look healthy. End of story.”
~ Morgan Spurlock, documentarian, filmmaker and producer
Nutrition plays a critical role throughout our lives. From encouraging our children to eat their vegetables and drink their milk to monitoring our own calorie, carbohydrate, and red meat intake as adults, healthy eating habits are a cornerstone of well-being. Yet, despite these efforts, many seniors struggle with poor dietary habits, which often becomes a point of concern for families seeking new living arrangements for their loved ones.
It’s not uncommon for family members to express frustration over their loved ones’ eating habits. “I make meals to bring to Mom. When I call her, she says she ate, but later, I find out that she barely took a bite.” Or, “Mom and Dad are always having fast food delivered.” These stories highlight a significant issue: seniors often grapple with eating too much salt or sugar, or, in some cases, not eating enough at all.
At Garden View, we understand the pivotal role that proper nutrition plays in maintaining the health and happiness of our residents. One of the initial steps we take when admitting a new resident is to obtain a comprehensive Plan of Care from their physician. This plan includes not only medical information but also dietary needs—whether it’s a low-sodium diet, a diabetic diet, a mechanical soft diet, etc. Our goal is to ensure that each resident receives the appropriate nutrition to support their well-being.
Our menu is crafted with care, featuring well-balanced meals that are both nutritious and delicious. Each meal is approved by a dietician to meet the specific dietary needs of our residents. We are proud to report that residents who may have had difficulty eating at home often thrive here. For example, one resident who had not been eating regularly at home began to enjoy three balanced meals a day in our dining room, which is included in their rent. This positive change helped them regain much-needed weight.
Some residents, especially in our Memory Care neighborhood, are often more inclined to eat when they see others doing so. We provide assistance with eating for those who need it and ensure that mealtimes are a supportive and social experience. Additionally, we recognize that some residents enjoy snacks between meals. To accommodate this, we keep a bowl of fresh fruit and a fruit-flavored water du jour and coffees available in the dining room. We also offer fresh-baked regular and sugar-free cookies and themed snack days for occasions like National Vanilla Milkshake Day, Valentine’s Day, and our monthly birthday celebrations.
Mealtimes at Garden View are more than just a chance to enjoy good food; it is a vital part of our community life. It fosters a sense of togetherness and provides an opportunity for residents to build and strengthen friendships. We take great joy in seeing our residents engage in conversations and form meaningful connections over meals.
In essence, the nutrition we provide at Garden View goes beyond simply feeding the body—it nourishes the soul as well. Through our commitment to balanced, tasty meals and a vibrant dining environment, we strive to enhance the quality of life for every resident.
Blog Post - July 1, 2024
LAUGHTER TRULY IS THE BEST MEDICINE!
“You don’t stop laughing when you grow old, you grow old when you stop laughing.” – George Bernard Shaw
A lot of people have misconceptions about assisted living and memory care facilities. They may picture a dark dreary place where the residents are sad, lonely, and bored. At Garden View, that could not be farther from the truth! First of all, Garden View is bright and airy – lots of natural light throughout the building. The most common comment that we get from visitors is how much they love the home-like feel. When the weather is nice, residents can enjoy the breeze on the back porch, rock on the front porch, or on a cold day, hang out by the fireplace in the living room with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate.
There is never an excuse for being bored at Garden View! Our Life Enrichment Coordinator puts out a calendar chock full of activities each month – from live entertainment each week to chair exercises, word games to golf, cornhole, and bowling (in the living room!), parties for any occasion, and of course bingo! Whatever we do, we laugh a lot!
Almost any party will result in dancing – the residents dance fairly well, but the staff members’ dancing can produce a few giggles. Many games turn into a joke session based on the theme of the game. And at least one of the staff loves corny jokes and puns (and googly eyes) that result in both laughs and a few groans (or maybe it’s the other way around!).
It doesn’t hurt that we have a lot of characters living at Garden View – they definitely brighten our day! It’s hard to be too serious when one resident “faux boxes” with you, another tells you that you need to go to confession because you told her how cute her craft was, and yet another tells you – jokingly – that he finally let his wife out of the closet, it’s hard to keep a straight face.
Our residents – and staff – love to laugh. We laugh during Hangman, especially since one resident wants to see him hang! We laugh during bowling when a stray ball goes straight for a dining server. We laugh during Pictionary when everyone sees something other than what the drawing is supposed to be. We laugh when potting plants when one lady tells us that she didn’t want to get her hands dirty – that her husband did that kind of thing for her. We laugh during Pokeno when residents squabble over the rules, and during Spades when the resident teasingly accuse each of cheating.
“It’s better to laugh than cry,” is not just a cliché – it’s almost a motto that we live every day.
Blog Post - June 1, 2024
COMPANIONSHIP – A HUGE BENEFIT OF ASSISTED LIVING
“How we need another soul to cling to.” ~ Sylvia Plath
There are many reasons that families seek out Assisted Living for a loved one. Of course, having care and assistance close by 24/7 is usually at the top of the list. Freeing a family member from the burden of household chores such as cooking, cleaning, and laundry is another. In many cases, companionship is sadly lacking..
During Covid, so many of us became hermits. This time was especially hard on seniors who lived alone. They might see a loved one now and then, but spend day after day alone. No man is an island. Having interaction with others, especially those of a similar age and with similar experiences makes life more pleasurable.
Even if parents or grandparents live with family, they can still be lonely. Their children or grandchildren may work and have children. It is very stressful to be a part of the sandwich generation, trying to look after aging parents while spending time with spouses, children, and grandchildren. By the time the kids are home from work and done with dinner, their parents may be ready for bed.
In Assisted Living, residents are not forced to interact with others but are encouraged to do so. Most residents – even the less social ones – will at least come out for meals. This is good in two ways. First, our Wellness Team “gets eyes on” the resident. Seeing the resident day after day, they can gauge how the resident is doing both physically and mentally. Second, the social interaction between residents is a good thing. Even the more introverted residents can be at the table for conversation, even if he or she only listens.
We love it when residents – and usually a staff member or two – hang out and chat after an activity. We get to learn so much about the residents – where they are from, what sports they played, how they met their spouse, what they did for a living, etc. Most people enjoy talking about themselves. And everyone else enjoys seeing inside their younger selves.
There are also a number of small world connections – one woman found that she worked for the same company as another resident and another resident’s husband. Two residents discovered that they were at the same high school at the same time in another part of the state. Residents find out that they know other residents from church. Family members of residents realize that they also have something in common. It’s those connections that make us say, “It was meant to be!”
