When you think health, often wellness comes to mind. Undeniably, the pairing ‘health and wellness’ is a common linked phrase. Did you know they do not necessarily mean the same thing? The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” It’s important to realize that health is the interaction between various components, while wellness is described as a conscious, self-directed, evolving process of achieving one’s full potential by balancing many aspects of a person’s life. To rephrase, wellness involves action and choice of the individual. Wellness is for everyone. With this in mind, many seniors turn to Assisted Living communities to have easy access to a balance of wellness.
How? You may ask. Let’s take a look at the seven dimensions of wellness and see how these dimensions easily fit into the every day life in an Assisted Living community.
Physical Wellness:
A physically well person will eat, sleep, and move well. It is the condition of optimal well-being. In accordance with these facts, this person will be active – moving twenty to thirty minutes at least three times a week; they will eat fruits, veggies, and whole grains while also avoiding tobacco products; and they will strive to get appropriate amounts of sleep and maintain regular schedule with doctors for preventative measures.
Emotional Wellness:
A person who is emotionally well will exhibit trust, good self-esteem, and self-acceptance. In addition to these traits, they will also have the ability to bounce back after setbacks and failures. Because of emotional maturity, this individual will be able to form and maintain close relationships; accept responsibility for their own actions; and be able to recognize and express their feelings.
Intellectual Wellness:
Someone intellectually well will strive for continued learning experiences and intellectual growth. They will seek out and try new activities as well as keep current with the news. Further, they will look forward to events such as lectures, musical performances, or plays.
Environmental Wellness:
Those who are environmentally well will do things to better their environment and the Earth around them. Unsurprisingly, they will choose to recycle and conserve energy and consciously choose to walk, ride a bike, or carpool. For example, an environmentally well person can be seen volunteering at clean-up projects to help preserve the environment.
Vocational Wellness:
Those who are vocationally well are able to find personal enjoyment and enrichment with their career and lifestyle. This doesn’t mean you need to work a full-time job to have vocational wellness. Vocation is a calling. Markedly, someone can find vocational wellness by contributing their unique talents towards activities they find rewarding. They will find themselves happy with how they spend their time and look forward to their daily and weekly activities ahead.
Spiritual Wellness:
To be spiritually well, a person will have found a set of beliefs or morals that give meaning to life. This individual will feel a connection between personal values and daily actions. Additionally, they will have hope and find life meaningful and purposeful.
Social Wellness:
A socially well person will show good communication skills and the capacity to develop relationships with others. Furthermore, they are able to balance their needs with the needs of others. They choose to be active with family, neighborhood or social gatherings.
The Ginter Hall South’s Balance for Seniors
At Ginter Hall South, we naturally work towards balanced wellness every day for our residents. Our daily activities allow our seniors to try new things and promote intellectual and vocational wellness. Further, we have exercise and movement classes to help us all stay physically active and well. Social and emotional wellness is unquestionably ingrained in our Assisted Living lifestyle. The Ginter Hall South community is just that – a place where people gather and be together.
We invite you to learn more about Ginter Hall South and its Richmond area services for seniors by calling one of our Senior Information Assistants at (804) 794-7770 or contacting us at caring@ginterhall.com.