If you look at the evolution of the different concepts of health, it started with a biomedical approach.
In this, only the physical aspect of health was given a lot of importance. It was followed by a psychosocial and environmental approach that said that the mind and the surrounding environment also play a vital role in maintaining health as well. The next step included the integration of all the approaches mentioned above into one, which led to the birth of a holistic approach.
It combines everything into one and says that a person can be deemed to be healthy if he or she has a healthy body, mind, and spirit and resides in a healthy environment. This becomes even more important for the geriatric population as they become susceptible to depart from the normality of health.
Assisted living
is a concept which mainly concentrates on providing positive help to the elderly in whatever way possible. It can be done using a holistic approach, as well.
What is the Holistic Approach?
If you look at the origin of the word holistic,
it is derived from a Greek word called holism, which translates to a natural method of living.
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There have been numerous scientific evidence suggesting that being disturbed in mind can lead to overall well-being. The true indicator for it is the rise in hypertension and blood sugar levels in people who have a lot of stress, either at work or personally. This becomes all the more challenging for older people as they tend to contract certain disabilities faster.
According to a
study
, there are going to be more than
20 million people belonging to the age group of 85 and above in America
itself. Thus, you can understand that they form a significant part of the total population. It is important to assist them in whatever way possible, with the holistic approach being the most accepted one.
According to it, physical, emotional, and mental health needs to be given equal importance for the well-being of the senior citizens of a country. Assisted living can help a lot in this aspect. It can include certain types of leisure activities as well. A study was conducted in 2010, which proved that this approach could help in the stimulation of the brain cells and also improve their skills related to cognition.
The best part about assisted living is the fact that it
benefits the overall person as a whole and not just concentrates on physical well-being. This is in accordance with the holistic approach that is being talked about.
Things to put in Holistic Way
Three essential tenets need to be understood in the best manner possible in order to relate the holistic approach properly and assisted living. These include:
Mind
As long as an individual's mind is sharp, there is no limit to what they can achieve. Education is one of the best methods of keeping the mind sharp for as long as possible. Therefore, older people should be given the option to pursue knowledge in different fields for as long as they want.
A holistic approach includes identifying the capabilities and conditions of a person by relating it to their systemic conditions and tailoring a program that is most suitable to them.
For example, people with
Alzheimer's Disease
can be told to perform memory-based functions that will help their cause. The role of the community will also be crucial here.
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They should not be clubbed with the incapable ones in society and should be given a chance to represent themselves politically. Once they remain in the administrative section, they can keep themselves involved and collaborate in the best manner possible.
Another important method of staying astute and healthy mentally is by practicing autonomy. What this basically includes are businesses or some work that they can pursue independently. All of the points mentioned above can go a long way toward preserving older people's mental health.
Body
You might not be surprised to know that one of the most important ways of maintaining the vitality of the body with old age is by keeping the body healthy. In a community, healthy living can be embraced adequately. The staff who are employed for an assisted living should help in achieving this proper health.
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This includes daily exercise as well as taking rest for the right amount of time. Their training mainly includes giving the medications on time, keeping the older people mobile periodically and to look after any chronic conditions that they may be suffering from.
These activities can be in the form of spirit walks, slow jogs around the park, practicing yoga, and even dancing. The main idea behind it is to keep them moving. Providing proper medical services is also very important. This can mainly be done by appointing a resident doctor who will take care of many older people in a community.
Spirit
The spirit of an individual is actually closely related to the contributions of the community in this particular aspect. It has both an emotional as well as a social angle. The relation it must assist living is to allow individuals to understand their role in a community so that they can harbor healthy relationships. A proper nurturing will ensure that the elderly have a positive mindset and a sense of being secure as well.
Spiritual
In this approach, no particular religion is given any precedence. A spiritual aspect generally becomes important for people of old age. Thus, services can be sought with respect to it from the staff of assisted living. The main aim of
faith-based senior living
is to ease up the process and make the people have a relaxed spiritual state of mind.
What can you do every day?
Looking at it from the perspective of the elderly, you can make some effort like going for long walks, taking classes of something that interests you, enlist in a book club, or even volunteer for something fulfilling. This will help you incorporate focus and wellness.
Holistic Assisted Living Communities
According to the assisted living approach, an older person's daily schedule is made in such a way that they remain busy and occupied throughout.
They do not remain neglected in the community but become an important part of it by taking part in different decision-making. A holistic approach means that everything is looked at from a 360 degrees angle and covers the mind, body, and spirit appropriately.
An individual can keep growing continuously using this approach as the care is regulated in such a way that there is continuous development as well as progression. This is the least that the older people deserve and should be entitled to.
Wellness Programs Offered by Senior Living Communities
The wellness program coordinators ensure that all aspects are given enough importance. Delivery of nutritious food,
training for body
, expansion of the social interaction, and feeling spiritually connected and content are a few of the inclusions in the program architected for the senior citizens exclusively.
It must have become clear now how a holistic approach can help in assisted living. You can take the help of any of it to make the lives of the elderly at home better.
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Author Bio
Holly is a pet lover who owns a dog and loves to write about everything related to pets. She is a frequent writer and contributor to top online pet publications and blogs, including
Faith-Based Assisted Living
.