By definition, ‘wellness’ is the state of being in good health, especially as an actively pursued goal. Senior living communities promote the components of wellness for seniors in many environments and the staff is poised to raise the social, physical and emotional wellness quotient of their residents. Many of the components of wellness coalesce in senior living dining environments. When seniors gather to dine, they create social and emotional connections with their fellow seniors and caregivers.
Resident-centered Offerings in Senior Living Dining
Seniors are playing a large role in what they eat and how they eat. That is to say, the environment in which they choose to dine. While some seniors prefer the setting of a dining room and traditional meal times in that setting, others like to have some meals mixed in with their active life styles. Senior living communities are accommodating with cafes, grab and go options, delis, salad bars and specialty restaurants.
Dining and Activity Promote Wellness
With an increased demand for wellness-based nutrition communities are leading the charge with healthy eating for seniors, providing fresh over frozen, greater choice and education. Communities are preparing meals as the seniors make their requests. There are meatless and vegan options. Seniors learn the nutritional value of their dietary choices. Some communities are connecting the dots between varied diets, good nutrition and fitness combinations to lead to good health.
Dining is a Social and Emotional Connection
Loneliness is anti-wellness. As we age, loneliness becomes more prevalent. (https://www.kwalu.com/seniors-loneliness-caring-solutions/) Dining is a great way to combat loneliness. By combining dining and wellness in assisted living communities, seniors discover or rediscover how important it is to be social. The senior living dining locales can be very social environments. The furniture here should be like the food, fresh and comfortable. It should promote conversation and create opportunities for social events.
