Blog, Six Dimensions of Wellness

Let’s Get Up and Go: Aging Successfully

Who says aging is a time of decline? With renewed perspective, it can be a time of activity, vitality, and ongoing wellness.

“Aging successfully is much more than looking after our physical health,” says Callie Whitwell, chief operating officer and founding partner at Lifetime Wellness. “It’s about engaging our minds, nurturing our spirits, and developing satisfying relationships.” Whitwell’s company provides whole-person wellness solutions, along with life enrichment and recreational programming, to independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing and rehabilitation, and memory care facilities.

Focusing on the positive

To highlight what it means to age successfully, Lifetime Wellness is a spirited participant in the eighth annual “Active Aging Week,” held this year from October 4 through 10. Launched in 2003 by the International Council on Active Aging®, the weeklong campaign – celebrated in communities around the world – showcases the capabilities of older adults as fully participating members of society.

Lifetime Wellness will be working with its nearly 40 partner communities to help residents realize the positive aspects of aging; pursue healthy, active lifestyles; and adopt a wellness mindset. This year’s theme: “Let’s Get Up & Go.”

Wellness Facts

  • A positive attitude about aging can add 7.5 years to our lives.
  • Exercise reduces the risk of functional limitation and disability by 50 percent.
  • Stimulating mental activities can decrease the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias by 47 percent. 
  • Social wellness has been linked to better physical health, including reduced risk for disease.

Challenging the stereotypes

“Active Aging Week challenges society’s limited view of aging by showing that, regardless of age or health conditions, seniors can live as fully as possible in all areas of life—physical, social, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and vocational,” Whitwell says. “We’ll be providing our partner communities with customizable tools they can use to help residents develop their wellness plans, practice healthy behaviors, and proactively monitor their lifestyle choices.”

Activities for the week include setting goals for personal wellness; moving through a variety of wellness stations and learning new ways to exercise; participating in a “Wellness University”; and exploring the importance of hydration, nutrition, and relaxation. Fun event options, such as trivia contests, prize drawings, “Aging Successfully Jeopardy,” and healthy recipe cook-offs, round out the program.

Improving resident outcomes and satisfaction

Active Aging Week shines the spotlight on the importance of senior wellness programs year-round. As demands on senior living providers accelerate, more and more administrators are choosing to outsource all or part of their wellness programs. Lifetime Wellness provides a variety of offerings, from full-service activity programming and management resources for staff to consulting and training.

For residents, such programs can lead to better health, increased independence, and happier day-to-day interactions. For providers, a dedicated wellness program can improve resident outcomes. It’s also a key differentiator for seniors and families in choosing a senior living community – one that not only provides high-quality care but also promotes wellness as a way of life.