Athulya Assisted Living

Winter, probably, is one of the seasons that demand your attention in order to avoid the probable health issues. The season, apart from being cozy and gloomy, puts your immune system to a test, forcing you to mind what you eat and how you eat. Especially, winter impacts the health of the children and the elders in a negative manner than any other age group. Maintaining a good nutrition during the dusky winter season not only boosts your immune system but also provides the much needed-nutrients and winter-essentials for the body to ward off the ailments that come along with the season. It is common to see the elders and children fell ill during winter and a healthy immune system can help them to keep up their energy levels irrespective of the weather conditions outside. The best part is winter can be considered as also the season for an array of seasonal fruits and vegetables. Below are a few tips that make an excellent combination of a perfect winter diet for the elders. Re

Ever been into a reader’s paradise? If you have, there is no other blissful experience. The images of fantasy, war, family, flowers, scenery, and many more flash by in our mind’s eye while we read. If you have been there once, revisit the pleasant universe. Delve into different realms. Experience the author’s mind. The best part about reading books, even if you have had a gap of many years, you can always get back without any intimidation. As if visiting an old friend.  If you are new to it. Do not ponder. Be mindless about it. Do not be overawed. Select a genre or an author recommended by friends. If not, go by the cover picture. Select the cover that touches your heart and kindles interest in you. Do not look upon it as a task. Take your time reading. But first, let us all look into why one should read. Or rather, how the activity of reading helps all of us. The Activity – Reading Books Reading books may seem insignificant in terms of self-development. But that is not the c

Watching television has been one of the widely followed hobbies to get yourself entertained. Video content has been the torchbearer of the entertainment revolution. Most people on the planet spend their time in front of the TV at least once in a day's time. It is not exaggerating to say that watching TV has become an integral part of our life. With the accessibility of smartphones, there might be a change of device in which we watch videos but the watching habit remains same. TV has been a great companion to keep you occupied. Especially, it is a boon for the people who are living alone! Watching TV is a favorite hobby of almost all age groups, including elders. In fact, senior citizens prefer to watch TV as the enormous time they have post-retirement. Often considered as the window of the world, there are advantages and disadvantages of watching TV. However, if you could find the line between watching once in a while and binge-watching, you could enjoy the benefits of wa

Falling is the primary cause for serious brain and bone injuries in the elderly. Infirmity, poor vision and loss of balance are the reasons for these tri ps and slips. So senior fall prevention must be the prime concern for caregivers at home and assisted living facilities. Falls can be prevented for seniors by adopting a special design for the ageing. Flooring plays a crucial role in senior fall prevention. How? Let us take a look. Do floors really help in senior fall prevention? Yes, they do. A study in a Swedish nursing home revealed that the use of special impact-absorbent flooring reduce s falls by at least 60%. Another study was conducted among 57 female residents of an average age of 85 years in a hospital. It was found that 254 falls occurred on regular flooring while only 77 happened on low-impact flooring. Of this, 30% of the falls on regular flooring led to grave injuries like hip fractures while the falls on soft flooring were relatively harmless with min

Diabetes happens to be a very common health issue prevalent in today’s world and more so in the elderly population. Approximately two-thirds of people suffering from this medical condition is constituted by seniors! Such patients are also likely to be suffering from other related ailments like hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and dyslipidemia (high blood lipid levels). With aging, the degenerating body has additional nutritional needs for repairing tissues. Besides, older people are likely to suffer from age-related issues like low immunity, indigestion, fatigue and fragile bones and muscles. As a result, physical activity levels in elders decrease making them victims of various metabolic disorders. Hence healthy eating for the elderly becomes more important than consuming less food. Formulating a diet plan for seniors can, therefore, be challenging, particularly for those with diabetes. Yet this certainly forms the crux of diabetes management. That is so because the mai

Falling is the leading cause of accidents, injury and even death in the elderly. One-third of the aged people above 65 report a fall annually. In the U.S., approx. 9500 elderly citizens die of falls each year. In India, the prevalence of falls among the elderly has been estimated at 14-53%. Around 75% of the falls of elders occur in and around their home. So it is absolutely essential to fall-proof the area where elders reside, be it their own or senior independent living home . Why is elderly fall prevention so important in assisted living facilities? Home safety for seniors has to be ensured compulsorily in assisted living facilities because falls can cause great damages to senior health like these-  87% of all the fractures in elders are due to falls For elders aged 60-65, one out of every 200 falls ends in a hip fracture. For elders aged 80 and older, one in every 10 falls results in a hip fracture. One-fourth of the elders who suffer a hip fracture due to a fall d

The usual misconception is that assisted living facilities cause solitary whole keeping barriers between the society and the seniors who are residing in the assisted living facilities. On the note that contradicts this concept, assisted living facilities, in fact, provide the elders with an opportunity to stay connected that too with the like-minded people. The assisted living centers in India, these days, could be perceived as the cultural centers with all its engaging and holistic living experience. As a result, the number of senior citizens who are opting for the assisted living facilities as their havens for a better senior living experience, post-retirement. The assisted living concept has its own perks as the life at these senior living centers is well organized, maintaining a balance between the personal and social life. These facilities provide an opportunity to mingle with the fellow residents, at the same time, protecting the privacy of the elders who

As one grows older, a lot of physiological changes occur in the body. One of the vital organs impacted most by this are the eyes. Hence visual impairments are inevitable with ageing. The steadiness of sight deteriorates drastically as compared to young age. Additionally, elders around 75 years need lighting levels almost twice as much as normal standards recommend or even more. So it is crucial to meet the needs of growing ageing population and number of patients with vision problems. Hence senior care facilities should have proper lighting for the elderly to ensure physical safety and well-being. Adequate and comfortable lighting makes a huge difference to elders who face deteriorating vision problems. This is so as the amount of light reaching in the retina is lesser in elders than youngsters. Also, the eye lens which is normally clear in a young people tends to thicken and turn yellow with age. Further, there is a weakening of the muscles that control the pupil thereby m

Infections are common in all age groups but you need to take certain precautions to make them uncommon in your life. More than any other age group, seniors who are above 60 need to take good care of personal wellbeing and hygiene levels in order to skip the common infections that occur during the matured adulthood.  As an active person, it would be easy for the people who fall in below 40 age group. However, for matured adults who are above 50 and 60 and have become dependent on a caregiver, performing these tasks would be a difficult task.  Adding to that, this is the age where the curing process would become extremely difficult if they are diagnosed with any kind of infection. There is a significant need to take care of seniors in the best way possible while avoiding the common infections.  Here is a list of 5 common infections that are considered as a major threat for seniors to be affected with.  1) Skin Infections – Anything that itches continuously over a pe

The hot scorching days of summer have arrived and temperatures are at the peak already. Certainly, it is this time of the year which most people eagerly look forward to enjoyment and outdoor activities. The warmth of sunshine and idea of spending long vacations with family and friends is indeed attractive. Yet, this perceived concept of fun in the sun can cause serious health issues, particularly for the elderly. With aging, one must essentially be aware of the probable health risks which are related to age and changing seasons. While people of all ages are prone to such issues, seniors are more susceptible. This is more so, because of the following risk factors: The body of elders does not adapt itself quickly to sudden temperature variations. This happens due to poor circulation, inefficient sweat glands and changes in the skin caused by the aging process. Elders are more likely to have chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney diseases or high sugar and

How do you treat a 5- year- old child? By paying attention to him, talking to him in the way he likes, spending time with him, satisfying his cravings, allowing him to express himself… Well this is the same approach you have to use when it comes to a 70 year plus senior. Yes, old age is childhood revisited and we must treat elders like children, giving them individual attention and focus. There has been a paradigm shift in elder-care from old age assistance to "patient centred care" and this is what excellent assisted living facilities offer these days. What is patient-centred care? The Person-centredness care is all about what we do WITH elders and NOT what we do TO them. Patient-centred care focuses on the geriatric individual, his nature and disposition, his socio-cultural background, his health priorities, his likes and dislikes etc and provides elderly care based on these factors. It is a highly individualized or personalized approach tailor-made t

Stress is an inevitable part of everyone’s life, at some phase. Ideally, retired life is perceived to be a peaceful one. As a senior, you should have plenty of time for relaxation, leisure and personal interests. This was certainly missed out in the hustle and bustle of work life. Sadly, however, with aging come new concerns and challenges that cause anxiousness and stress. This is more prevalent in elders living alone. Some common causes of stress in seniors are Loss of a loved one Getting adjusted to a new environment Newly diagnosed ailments  Physical injuries Dealing with retirement itself Financial concerns Taking up another employment opportunity (full time or part time) Facing any drastic changes in existing lifestyle Impact of Stress Due to aging, the body immune system becomes weaker thereby making elders more susceptible to infection and illnesses. This condition can further deteriorate due to stress. The body’s ability to safeguard itself from inflammati

Today’s changing lifestyles and technology interventions has a profound impact on senior citizens. Consequently, Senior Care is facing a different reality with sophisticated demands on both the healthcare and the accommodation aspects. There are several promising options available due to Preventive Health Maintenance and Healthcare Innovations. This enables senior citizens to have a better quality of life. These options provide the required support systems for fulfilling their daily living and medical needs. Thereby, seniors can lead an independent and more comfortable life with dignity. Does the location of Assisted Living Facility play an important role in decision making? Of late, Assisted Living (AL) is growing increasingly popular as a Senior Care option in the context of both housing and daily living requirements. Location of AL significantly impacts following aspects – Proximity to medical facilities – Elderly citizens are likely to face health issues due to th