Posted on August 28, 2020 by Mari Evans
COVID-19 has forced all of us to rethink how we interact with the world and each other. Still, staying connected remains vital to our well-being.
At Atria Senior Living, we believe people belong together. By making adjustments to Atria’s Engage Life® events program, team members continue to offer residents creative new ways to learn, engage and connect, safely.
Connecting across generations
Through a phone-based “reflecting and sharing” program, residents are sharing their unique wisdom with younger generations. Each week, they reflect on a current topic affecting society then share their collective insights over the phone.
In one recent example, residents who worked as teachers offered advice to parents teaching their children at home and professional teachers instructing students online during the pandemic. Soon, residents will reflect on the importance of voting and why younger generations should be encouraged to exercise their right in the upcoming elections.
A second wisdom-sharing program coming soon is a phone pal partnership with the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), where high-achieving students will be matched with older adults who have professional experience in their fields of interest.
These partnerships present valuable opportunities for diverse generations to connect from a distance over similar interests and benefit from each other’s perspectives.
Innovating to engage
At the onset of the pandemic, Atria communities were equipped with conferencing phone lines. The ability to dial in from the safety of their apartments has enabled residents to join neighbors for group sing-alongs, book clubs, art appreciation programs, word games, lectures and Broadway performances, to name a few. Many communities provide handouts to serve as visual aids.
Since residents aren’t gathering for group classes and events, Atria is bringing those experiences to them. Doorway and mobile cart events have inspired endless creativity. Staff have organized guided “paint and sip” workshops, container gardening and travel adventures via video, food samples and music. The popular Positivi-Tea program encourages residents to explore topics in the field of positive psychology while they sip a nice cup of tea.
Staying strong
With many gyms closed and exercise classes canceled, it’s no secret staying fit has been a challenge for many of us.
While Atria staff offer regular hallway workouts and outdoor walks at communities where local and state regulations permit, many will soon launch a new fitness challenge to further motivate residents. Small clusters of communities will compete against other groups to achieve their exercise goals and earn rewards and recognition.
“Exercise has been the most important, and probably the hardest, program to develop overall,” said Atria’s Vice President of Resident Engagement, Christy Phillips. “We’ve gotten really creative with helping residents maintain their physical strength.”
Celebrating resilience
Speaking of strength, Atria residents have persevered through world wars, economic depressions and personal challenges. They have so much to teach others and their resilience is a tool Catherine Schneider, Atria’s Director of Resident Well-Being Curriculum, hopes residents are willing to share.
“We’ve developed a program to collect the wisdom behind the ways residents have learned to cope during difficult times,” said Schneider. “After all, we’re going through this together. It’s an opportunity to share stories and learn from each other.”
To learn more about how Atria Senior Living is helping residents and families stay connected, visit AtriaSafeTogether.com.
Related Post
Apr
How You Can Beat the Odds by Getting Screened for Lung Cancer?
Cellular breakdown in the lungs is by a wide margin the deadliest malignant growth for people. The American Malignant growth Society predicts in excess of 230,000 Americans will be analyzed for the current year. Almost 130,000 will bite the dust.
Read MoreApr
Top 10 Health Benefits of Reflexology
Did you realize reflexology is a back rub method that can be followed back to Old Egypt? Here of back rub, the strain is applied in unambiguous regions or zones in the hands and feet that associate to various pieces.
Read MoreMar
The Health Benefits of Deep Breathing (and 4 Easy Techniques!)
Breathing is a characteristic and compulsory activity that occurs for our bodies to take in and discharge air. A necessary activity assists our bodies with working through day to day existence. Breathing assists our respiratory framework with moving oxygen in.
Read MoreMar
10 Yoga Poses to Boost the Immune System
As the days get more limited and temperatures decrease, we might have seen our schedules are advising us that the Christmas season is quick drawing nearer. That additionally implies that cold and influenza season is back! Yet again sadly for.
Read More