Exploring Connections Between Resilience and Aging
Resilient Seniors Benefit Mentally, Socially, and Physically
At McGregor, we place a strong emphasis on the importance of resilience, particularly fostering resilient nursing professionals. It is equally important to cultivate a culture of resilience among our seniors.
Consider this: A U.S. Census Bureau report in 2014 predicted that adults ages 65 and older would make up nearly 20% of the U.S. population by 2030—and now this approaching “boom” of aging baby boomers is just ten years away. As such a large group of our population approaches old age, it will be critical to help these seniors maintain their physical and mental health and well-being. A key ingredient to a happy and healthy senior is a strong capacity for resilience.
A detailed study that explored the impact of resilience among older adults was published in Geriatric Nursing in 2016. These researchers found that the key characteristics of resilience in older adults could be divided into three categories: mental, social, and physical. Some of their notable findings included:
- Social support, especially before and after times of adversity, is invaluable in increasing high resilience in older adults and is linked to positive emotions.
- Remaining physically active, with healthy nutrition, can promote high resilience.
- High resilience can potentially result in outcomes like higher quality of life, lower depression, and successful aging.
McGregor is committed to building a resilient senior community at our campus in Cleveland. This supports our mission to provide a premium quality of life for seniors who choose to live at McGregor. We know that happy and healthy seniors are generally more resilient and better equipped to handle stress. Our team strives to provide opportunities that promote physical fitness and an active lifestyle, socialization, and mental stimulation and creativity. Essentially, we are targeting the three areas identified in the study by ensuring our programming encompasses mental, social, and physical support.
We invite you to learn more about our award-winning senior living community in Cleveland which includes independent living and assisted living options. Please contact our team at any time.