If you think that environmental wellness is simply a matter of planting a nice garden and building a playground, it’s time to start thinking differently. Environmental wellness in senior living communities in Van Buren, AR, is about creating a safe, comfortable, and welcoming environment for everyone. It means providing social spaces where older adults can gather with peers or family members, letting light into the buildings so residents can get outside whenever they want (and not just on their way to breakfast), and ensuring that everything in the community works as well as possible—not just because it looks nice but because it helps people stay healthy. And one way to do that is by selecting a senior living community with environmental wellness in mind—and understanding what that means.
What Is Environmental Wellness?
Environmental wellness is an approach to health care that focuses on a person’s world’s physical, social, and spiritual aspects. It involves understanding how your life situation interacts with your body’s functions, including emotions and behaviors.
Environmental wellness can be applied to any age group but may be especially important for older adults because they’re more likely to experience chronic conditions such as arthritis or diabetes; live alone; have limited mobility; have difficulty caring for themselves due to vision loss or hearing loss; be isolated socially due to long-term care needs (such as being bedridden).
How Do Senior Living Communities Adopt A Wellness Model?
Natural Light: Natural light is a crucial part of environmental wellness. It helps keep us awake and alert and can improve moods by reducing feelings of depression and anxiety. In addition to providing natural light, senior living communities should also ensure that their residents have access to windows that overlook green spaces or gardens, so they can enjoy the sights and sounds while they are inside.
Social Spaces: Social spaces are important when choosing a senior living community. Think about the types of activities you enjoy with your loved one, and ask if there is a space available for those types of activities.
If you are looking for more than just a room with a bed and bath, consider what else is offered in terms of social spaces. These could include:
- A lounge area where residents can meet up during meal times or after work hours to chat with friends over coffee or tea;
- A library filled with books on all sorts of topics;
- An indoor pool where residents can swim laps or relax in the hot tub after a long day at work;
- An outdoor garden where people can grow their vegetables or flowers-many communities even hold gardening classes!
Safety And Security Measures: Safety and security measures are important to any community. At some senior living communities, you’ll find that safety guards patrol the grounds 24 hours a day to keep residents safe from harm. Other communities may have safety equipment installed throughout the building, such as fire alarms and sprinkler systems, in case of emergencies. Some communities even offer wellness programs that teach residents to identify potential hazards in their homes or apartments to stay out of danger’s way. It’s important to know that your loved one is always safe, so it’s important to find out what kind of safety features the community has in place.
