What does active aging mean? According to the International Council of Active Aging® (ICAA), active aging is a promotion of an individual – regardless of age, health or socioeconomic status – engaging fully in all the dimensions of wellness. These seven dimensions are: environmental, physical, emotional, vocational, spiritual, social and intellectual.
At CESLC, we understand intrinsically the importance of these seven dimensions and the essential part that active aging plays in a fulfilling lifestyle for older adults. Wellness is woven throughout all aspects of life in our community, and residents have many options when it comes to fulfilling and enriching their own seven dimensions of wellness.
One of the ways residents stay active at CESLC is through our fitness centers and exercise classes. We offer a wide variety of classes such as chair yoga, dance lessons and balance. Our recreational activities are another way in which residents stay active and engaged. Gardening club, game club, cooking lessons and music appreciation classes are just a few examples. Activities are run by both team members with input from our residents, and we encourage those with an interest to become reactive members on committees and in groups.
Our onsite physician care is another way we help independent living residents remain active. Having health services onsite means that residents living in our community can get checkups, medication refills and care for minor issues without having to leave our campus. This makes it incredibly easy to remain healthy, which in turn makes it easier to stay active. Services are offered on-site at Hirsh Health Center and include primary geriatric care as well as appointments with visiting specialists in podiatry, dermatology, cardiology, gynecology, ophthalmology and audiology.
Of course, our onsite care services, such as skilled nursing and rehabilitation, are also ways we help residents remain active and aging in a healthy manner. Being able to rest and recuperate in an environment you know, with professionals you know and trust, adds to residents’ comfort healing.
Active aging and staying active aren’t limited to the physical realm, however. Active aging also includes mental and emotional health, both of which are very important to us at CESLC. We offer lifelong learning opportunities, meditation classes, religious services, volunteer opportunities and a connection to our immediate community as well as the greater community in which we live.
What does active aging mean for older adults? At CESLC, it means connecting, celebrating and coming together to be a part of a community … a community of caring and commitment.