The transition from living in your home all of your life to an assisted living facility or care home can be difficult for many senior folks. Many go from houses with beautiful gardens to shared living spaces with outdoor spaces or a communal garden. The problem with these spaces sometimes is that they aren’t always catered to those who love to spend time outdoors, and this can be a problem for those who want to remain mobile doing exercise or engaging in leisure activities.
For those who aren’t mobile, online entertainment has been a saving grace to their leisure time, because now they can have many mediums of entertainment at their fingertips thanks to the increase of those who have internet connections. This is why these mediums have become so popular among people in their homes.
The Changing Landscape of Tech-Empowered Entertainment
Streaming has created a database of content because of the huge catalog of media. Television channels have moved away from television broadcasts and have created their brand of streaming services with access to shows past and present shown on their channel, creating a feeling of exclusivity among customers.
Online gaming has given birth to a vast range of entertainment. Video games allow players to play both with others and alone with an internet connection and increase the social aspect through voice call and chat box features. At the front of this innovation, is online casinos, which combine accessibility with 24-hr technology and socialization through in-game chatrooms and casino forums. For those gambling online, there are no time limits to when they can play or what games they can play, providing not only physical accessibility but inclusivity as well.
If we apply this to senior citizens in assisted living who have mobility issues, online gaming sites can provide them with digital versions of their favorite old games such as chess or Scrabble. For those who want to move away from digitization and reconnect with nature, YouTube can replace the physical outdoors with the virtual one. The video site has a catalog of videos simulating nature walks, birdwatching, and other outdoor activities. Staff in senior assisted living facilities can solve this accessibility issue by putting on these videos for seniors to watch to help keep them occupied and feel as if they are immersed in nature. With the ambiance of the sounds of nature and the imagery from scenic walks, these videos help to mimic being outside for seniors, which promotes inclusivity among their communities.
As a community is a big part of senior assisted living, inclusivity is important both inside and outside. Creating an accessible garden encourages senior citizens to get outside and reduces the risk of physical injuries in doing so. Because accessibility can be daunting to navigate in senior living centers, we will focus on 3 simple ways to upgrade the outside of your living center and make it more accessible.
1. Plant more trees, flowers, and plants!
An obvious and relatively cheap way to elevate the outdoor gardens of senior assisted living facilities is to plant more flowers, trees, and plants. Research has shown that for seniors, green spaces and nature-filled areas have many benefits such as a decrease in low mood, an increase in cognitive abilities, and for some, longer lives.
To keep it cost-effective, care home staff and gardeners can purchase seeds and plants from Home Depot or Walmart and their garden departments. If you want to increase the benefits for seniors, allow them to plant and take care of certain plants, indoors and outdoors. Creating a versatile and aesthetic garden with new plants facilitates access to nature for those with limited mobility, as they can sit and see the fauna in the same way the others can, without needing to leave their rooms or venture outside.
2. Build benches to increase exposure to nature
Some older people may have limited mobility due to stiff joints or general problems with their movement. In this case, they may not be able to take part in a lot of outdoor physical activities. While we know how these outdoor spaces can enhance the senior living experience, this may not apply to those who find it difficult to move.
Building benches provide accessible garden access and safe seating options for those who cannot move very far, as they can sit and observe nature without needing to walk around in it! They can even help make sure everyone in the facility receives the same quality of life with the increase of sunlight or relaxation while remaining stationary. Of course, these spaces should also include some shade to protect from prolonged sun exposure. We say just build it close to some trees!
3. Purchase outdoor exercise equipment for scheduled exercise
Outdoor exercise equipment is a frequent fixture in local parks and gardens, so why not in the senior living center? As a whole, outdoor exercise can promote accessible and tailored workouts to suit the ages and physical abilities of each senior. Outdoor machinery gives seniors equal access to enhance their mental health through muscle movement and physical stimulation, as these machines require good coordination to keep form and cognitive abilities to understand how to use them. There can even be increased accessibility to social activities as seniors can chat while working out next to each other.
Accessibility: for indoors and outdoors
For seniors, levels of accessibility can affect their ability to enjoy indoor activities, so it is important to bare in this in mind when elevating outdoor and indoor spaces. A general rule of thumb for outside exercises is to apply safe exercise principles that are generally recommended for most seniors. Low-impact exercise is deemed the safest for seniors, and the most recommended way for seniors to exercise effectively. To be inclusive, indoor accessibility to entertainment and exercise should mirror that of activities outside if possible. YouTube videos and online exercise programs can help with this to keep those indoors moving and keep their brains engaged.
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