by Mike Cooper | May 20, 2024 | Activities, Educational, Health and Wellness, Informational
3 Ways You Can be Healthy and Happy in Your Senior Years
By Mike Cooper
Health and happiness – sounds like a great way to spend your senior years. Do you envision your senior years sitting on a boat with a drink in your hand in a warm weather climate? Or in a cabin with a cup of steaming cocoa with a great book watching a pristine snowfall? Whatever your vision, I’m sure it is not one with sickness and misery. No one wishes that for themselves.
What is your plan to achieve that goal? Health and happiness doesn’t just happen (at least not for most of us). You have to work at it throughout your life.
On National Senior Citizens Day, we want to share 3 ways you can be healthy and happy in your senior years:
Check your finances. You’ve heard the old saying, “Money can’t buy happiness,” but it can buy things – and we all need some things. It is never too early to create financial goals based on your needs and wants. There are many financial planners that can help you with those goals. You can stress less as you grow older knowing that you can live the lifestyle you want once you retire.- Check your health. It costs a lot more to be unhealthy that it does to be healthy – doctor’s visits, prescriptions, co-pays, time off of work, etc. If you start taking care of your health at a young age, you may be able to reduce some of the negative effects of getting older such as arthritis, osteoporosis, heart disease, stroke and even dementia. We have talked about healthy nutrition and exercise in prior blogs (such as https://www.napervilleseniorcenter.com/snacking-can-be-healthy/ or
https://www.napervilleseniorcenter.com/5-ways-to-stay-healthy-mentally-and-physically/). These habits need to be started at an early age so you keep you don’t have to play ‘catch up’ when it comes to your health!
- Check your network. Who will help you if something happens to you? Your wife, kids, other family or friends? A lot of this depends on where you are living in your senior years in relationship to people you know. Do you want to live near family or do you want to be somewhere exotic (or just warm)? These things should be taken into consideration as you age.
Whether or not you are near family or friends in your senior years, you can count on Naperville Senior Center to be your “home away from home” when you need it. We treat all of our Members like family (sometimes better than family)! We can help you or your loved one keep physically and mentally active without breaking the bank.
When we hear our Members say they look forward to coming each day, we know we are doing our best. Each week there is something new, different and interesting for them to do or learn; we want our Members to grow!
Call to action: contact us to schedule a FREE 3-hour trial at our facility so you can see what we have to offer and understand the Naperville Senior Center experience, “Home Away From Home.”
ADULT SERVICES FREE TRIAL LIMITED TIME OFFER
Please fill out this form below or call us at (630) 857-3017
Free TRIAL is for new Members and their caregiver.
The trial visit is Monday-Friday from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Tour our adult day services facility.
Observe some fun activities. Join us for lunch. Learn more at our Senior Adult Day Care center FREE TRIAL
Receive Peace of Mind.
*** No obligation! ***
Learn more about Naperville Senior Citizen services and upcoming events.
by Mike Cooper | May 11, 2024 | Activities, Health and Wellness, Informational
5 Ways Fun and Games Can Make Your Brain Healthy
By Mike Cooper
You are actually helping keep your brain healthy just by reading this blog! In a study done by Mayo Clinic of 2,000 men and women 70 and older, they found those who were on the computer at least once a week were 44 percent less likely to develop memory or thinking problems. When those same participants engaged in other activities, they were almost 25 percent less likely to develop those problems. Even participants who did crafts or played games saw a decrease in memory problems.
This shows us that it is important to keep the mind active as we age. Training our brain doesn’t have to be tedious; it can be accomplished by having fun! How can you keep your, or your loved ones, brain healthy?
Here are 5 ways fun and games can make your brain healthy:
- Play a Computer Game. Whether it is on a laptop, tablet or smartphone, there are plenty of games available for you or your senior loved one to play. Do they like Scrabble? Have them play Words with Friends. Do they like old-time video games? They might like Angry Birds. Do they want to keep in touch with their grandchildren? Set them up with a Facebook (or other social media) account. Let them Skype or Facetime with family who live far away.
- Play a Dice Game. Bunco is very popular here at Naperville Senior Center. It is a social dice game involving
100% luck and no skill (there are no decisions to be made), Everyone can pick up the dice and toss ‘em. Our Director of Fun keeps the pace flowing and the members throwing. “What’s the name of the game, Ray?” “BUNCO!” Prizes for all.
- Put a Puzzle Together. Do you take each piece, one at a time, and try to get it in the general area you think it should go? Or are you an ‘outside first’ type of puzzle maker? Either way, you have to put some thought into the colors and shape of the piece. Depending on the size of the puzzle, it can take a short while or a couple days.
- Play Cards. Anyone for Gin Rummy? Garbage? Bridge? Or a simple game of Slap Jack? Your loved one has probably played them all over the years. With each game you have to remember the rules, what cards have been thrown down, and sometimes what your partner has done. Even if you need a little refresher course (which you can get on the internet – see first way to have fun!) you could be playing together quickly.
- Color. This is no longer a childish activity. Research shows coloring decreases agitation and anxiety. Possibly because the participant is concentrating they may ‘forget’ their troubles and become more relaxed. Members at NSC love to color and it has become a daily activity.
Our Members have fun every day!
At Naperville Senior Center we have all of these activities available for our Members every day. Some of our Members have even communicated with their grandchildren across the world from our computer station. There are opportunities to colorize, harmonize, hypothesize, verbalize, improvise, evangelize, socialize, exercise, have fun, and plenty of activities to provide mental and physical stimulation.
Call to action: contact us to schedule a FREE 3-hour trial at our facility so you can see what we have to offer and understand the Naperville Senior Center experience. It’s like “Home Away From Home,” but with a nurse and therapists in your living room.
ADULT SERVICES FREE TRIAL LIMITED TIME OFFER
Please fill out this form below or call us at (630) 857-3017
Free TRIAL is for new Members and their caregiver.
The trial visit is Monday-Friday from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Tour our adult day services facility.
Observe some fun activities. Join us for lunch. Learn more at our Senior Adult Day Care center FREE TRIAL
Receive Peace of Mind.
*** No obligation! ***
Learn more about Naperville Senior Citizen services and upcoming events.
by Mike Cooper | May 10, 2024 | Activities, Informational
3 Ways to Get Your Loved One Excited About the Olympic Games
Getting Excited about the Olympic Games
The 2016 Summer Olympic Games officially began on Friday, August 5th. I expected the opening ceremonies would be a grandiose spectacle, as they usually are. There were fireworks, dancers, singers, bike riders carrying signs for each country, children carrying plants, pageantry and the parade of athletes. Then the work began. Swimming, diving, gymnastics, running, jumping, shooting (guns and hoops), tossing (volleyballs, basketballs, etc), biking, fencing and so much more!
If you’re like me, you generally have a couple favorite sports you like to watch. The swimmers including Katie and Michael. The USA women gymnasts trouncing the competition. Some viewers can’t get enough of the Olympics; they position themselves to watch as much of the 19 day spectacle as they can. With 36 athletes from Illinois competing in the Summer Olympics, there is reason to be excited for athletes with local ties. Keep an eye out for Morolake Akinosun of Itasca, in a track and field relay event. Both Pam and Theresa worked with her mother, Foluke, at Manor Care! Go Morolake! Woo-Hoo. U – S – A !!
How will you watch some of the 6,755 hours of programming for the Olympic Games? The NBC platforms will cover the Olympic Games live during the day, as well as during primetime and late night. With so much coverage, here are 3 ways to get your loved one excited about these events:
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Member Ray works on his short game
Watch their favorite sporting event with them. When they were younger, did they swim, run, or play tennis or golf? Whatever summer sport they like, you may find it at the Olympic Games. Watch it live with them or record it and watch it later.
- Learn about local athletes online. There are 36 athletes from Illinois competing in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. You can easily search to find the names and sports those athletes are competing in or click here. If you are not in the Chicago area, you can do the same in order to see who is competing from your neck of the woods. Let your loved one know the background of some of these athletes; many local news outlets have interviewed them, so there is likely a story somewhere. That will make the events even more personal as you watch these athletes compete.
- Host an Olympic Games viewing party or take your loved one to a viewing event. Whether you do something in house or out, let your loved one be part of the celebration we will all feel over the next few weeks. Many local sports bars and other venues will be showing coverage of the Olympic Games. When the USA athletes win, the crowd around you will cheer and your loved one will really be involved!
This is a Gold Medal Hug!
While we rarely watch TV at Naperville Senior Center, we may have the Olympic Games available, especially late afternoon. If you are in the neighborhood after 3pm, join us as we cheer on Team USA! Our Members are all Olympians! They go for the gold every day by socializing, verbalizing, improvising, evangelizing, visualizing, exercising, having fun, and a host of other activities to provide mental and physical stimulation.
Call to action: learn more about how NSC can provide a respite for you and a great social environment for your loved one, contact our Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, Theresa, at 630.857.3017. You can also schedule a tour to see what we have to offer and understand the Naperville Senior Center experience, “Home Away From Home.”
ADULT SERVICES FREE TRIAL LIMITED TIME OFFER
Please fill out this form below or call us at (630) 857-3017
Free TRIAL is for new Members and their caregiver.
The trial visit is Monday-Friday from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Tour our adult day services facility.
Observe some fun activities. Join us for lunch. Learn more at our Senior Adult Day Care center FREE TRIAL
Receive Peace of Mind.
*** No obligation! ***
Learn more about Naperville Senior Citizen services and upcoming events.
by Mike Cooper | May 2, 2024 | Activities, Educational, Health and Wellness, Informational
Make believe is good at any age
By Mike Cooper
Do you remember playing cowboys and Indians with your friends when you were little? Or maybe you played doctor and your dog was the patient. You were able to think about things differently because it didn’t have to be real. Teddy bear as a nurse? Sure why not! An upside down garbage can as the mountain you climbed to scout the Indians? Sounds just fine!
Why did we stop playing make believe? Other things got in our way – girls (or boys, as the case may be), cars, other friends who didn’t ‘believe’ like we did.
There are many benefits from playing make believe, regardless of your age. Here are 3 benefits for older adults:
Improved Mood: When you played make-believe as a child, weren’t you happy and carefree? As an adult, you will have those same feelings. It’s fun to not have structure sometimes and just be free to act how you want (well, within reason…). A little make-believe and your older loved one will feel better and maybe, for a little while, forget about other things that might be aching.- Socialization: Although you could play make-believe by yourself, it is more fun in a group. At Naperville Senior Center, our Members celebrated Talk Like a Pirate day last fall by dressing up and acting like pirates. We all had a great time! Think of the great memories your children would have of their grandparents if you go them to play make believe with their grandparents! It is something they will look back on fondly.
- Improved Memory: With the role-playing that comes with make believe, an older adult has to remember his/her character, that of the other players and interact with them. Whether a cowboy, pirate, or astronaut, an older adult will draw from history to act the part. They may try to sound like John Wayne, throw in an ‘Ahoy, matie’ or remember, ‘one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.’ Keeping an older adult thinking and engaged mentally is so beneficial to their ongoing mental health.
Whether your loved one is a NSC Member, visiting with their grandchildren or just looking for something fun and different to do, encourage them to play make believe. The benefits are great and the memories will be lasting.
Make believe your loved one is a NSC Member… there are a Physical Therapist, an Occupational Therapy Assistant and a Registered Nurse in the living room… there’s a hot delicious meal at noon… there are opportunities to socialize, verbalize, improvise, evangelize, visualize, exercise, have fun, and plenty of activities to provide mental and physical stimulation. Aarrr! Ye should be signin’ up fer the free grub!
Call to action: contact us to schedule a FREE 3-hour trial at our facility so you can see what we have to offer and understand the Naperville Senior Center experience, “Home Away From Home.”
ADULT SERVICES FREE TRIAL LIMITED TIME OFFER
Please fill out this form below or call us at (630) 857-3017
Free TRIAL is for new Members and their caregiver.
The trial visit is Monday-Friday from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Tour our adult day services facility.
Observe some fun activities. Join us for lunch. Learn more at our Senior Adult Day Care center FREE TRIAL
Receive Peace of Mind.
*** No obligation! ***
Learn more about Naperville Senior Citizen services and upcoming events.
by Jerry Hall | Apr 30, 2024 | Activities, Health and Wellness
Adult daycare centers are essential in promoting seniors’ well-being because they allow them to engage in structured activities and get some socialization and personalized care. Such centers are often a lifeline for many older adults, as some offer a safe environment where seniors can continue an active lifestyle and get the necessary assistance.
Naperville, a village in the midland of Illinois, is famous for its strong commitment to older adults. Because Naperville has its best adult day care centers across the city, the senior citizens in the community are getting the highest standard of care customized to their unique needs. These centers are actively involved in safeguarding the well-being of seniors both physically and mentally, and at the same time, they instill a sense of belonging within the community.
Adult daycare is a facility that offers daytime care and supervision to elderly individuals who require monitoring during the day due to physical or cognitive impairments. These centers are central to delivering support and assistance services to seniors who would otherwise have to move away from their homes to their communities’ residential facilities. By providing social activities, nutritional support, and health care services, daycare centers for adults help seniors gain more independence and improve the overall quality of their lives.
Adult daycare centers deliver a profound service to the community focused on addressing the particular needs of the attendants. These services include:
- Caregiver Respite: Adult daycare facilities are all about respite. It helps caregivers tend to their errands and rest while their loved ones stay in a safe and reliable place.
- Socialization: Social interaction is fundamental to seniors’ mental and emotional health. Adult daycare centers plan group outings and organize social activities and group games to encourage communication among the participants, create connections, and reduce feelings of loneliness.
- Specialized Care Programs: Numerous senior day care facilities offer customized care programs to meet the unique needs of their participants. These programs can include assistance with everyday activities, medication management, therapy services from trained specialists, and health observation by professionals. Through establishing care plans customized for every senior, adult day care centers strive to guarantee that each resident gets the special care and attention they deserve.
Adult day centers (ADS) generally serve seniors and their caregivers by offering various services, including comprehensive care, socialization opportunities, and specific programs promoting independence and better life quality.
Exploring Adult Day Care Centers in Naperville
Naperville enjoys many excellent adult daycare facilities, each dedicated to providing top-shelf care and support to seniors in North Naperville. Such facilities focus on participants’ welfare and ambiance, providing them with facilities and programs to improve their quality of life.
Description of Leading Centers:
- Naperville Senior Center: The facility, Naperville Senior Center, has excelled in providing caregiver respite as well as programs catering to the needs of elderly individuals, hence making it the premier place for adult day care services. Each senior receives a unique approach to direct personal support, tailored to their specific needs, from their group of skilled practitioners.
- Elderly Care Center of Naperville: Distinguished by a prudent senior care strategy, the Center of Victors now boasts a disparity of amenities and programs that address the issue of independence and high living among users. Not only healing activities but also health monitoring are available. In this center, the purpose is to provide holistic care to older adults.
Overview of Amenities and Activities
These centers encompass different services and activities to challenge seniors’ specifications and desires. These may include:
- Caregiver Respite: Relief for caregiver at the same time as quality care, support, and supervision of senior citizens during the day.
- Socialization Opportunities: Developing group projects, outings, and events where participants can be in touch and forge relationships with others.
- Specialized Care Programs: Providing support with daily life activities, drug regime management, therapy, and health monitoring by specialized care providers.
- Recreational Activities: Providing high-interest fitness activities through creative and music therapy and physical exercises to promote excellent physical and cognitive condition.
The advantages of adult daycare
Social programs for senior citizens, such as adult day care services (ADCS), play a vital role in improving their general welfare in the Naperville neighborhood and the community. Seniors greatly benefit from these services, improving their physical, mental, and spiritual health and giving them a sense of control.
Positive Impact on Seniors:
- Physical Well-being: Being in an adult day care program is itself an exercise because it increases the use of one’s muscles as they move, helping seniors remain flexible, strong, and highly mobile.
- Mental Well-being: Those who participate in stimulating activities and social interactions at adult daycare centers will remain alert, reducing their chances of becoming cognitively impaired.
- Emotional Well-being: Adult daycare centers significantly contribute to the emotional well-being of the elderly because they provide a sense of community. In this place, one can get close to fellow people, reduce feelings of loneliness, and embrace the feeling of belonging.
Benefits of Socialization:
- Companionship: Personally, seniors could enjoy socializing with friends and making deep relationships with them, which, on the other hand, will help them avoid loneliness and may raise their quality of life.
- Personalized Care: Adult day care centers tend to individuals according to the customized care plan for every senior to meet all their needs and ensure their happiness.
- Engaging Activities: While exploring the dimensions and depths of activities such as arts and crafts, music, and physical education, seniors promote mental stimulation and a sense of fulfillment and happiness.
Choosing the right adult daycare center is crucial.
Picking the best adult daycare center in Naperville is no simple task; seniors and their caregivers must look at a whole list of issues. Here are some tips to guide you in making the best decision:
- Location: Choose a center that is conveniently located near your home or where your loved one lives. Being accessible and close will make reaching and leaving the center easier, and they will let you travel without any issues.
- Services Offered: Look for a center that provides broad-based assistance likely conducive to seniors. Whether you choose an associates center with particular areas, the wellness center should have programs to improve wellness.
- Staff Expertise: Evaluate the personnel members’ proficiencies and previous careers. Search for institutions with educated and empathic staff that can deliver executable and high-quality contributions to clients.
- Atmosphere: Any good professor would advise visiting the place in person and seeing the environment. You should watch details, including cleanliness, safety procedures, and the relaxing atmosphere, to make the setting suitable for the seniors to be comfortable and willing to live there.
Seniors and their families can decide on a suitable option for an adult day care center in Naperville that will not only facilitate and enrich the engagement process but also promote the involvement of all participants.
Conclusion
However, as has already been mentioned, adult daycare centers are of great importance to Naperville and the lives of elderly people because they provide essential services such as socialization and individualized care. We remind senior citizens and their relatives to thoroughly research the various centers before selecting the one that best suits their needs and preferences. Through their commitment to providing these services, they can ensure a friendly and helpful atmosphere that offers senior citizens an invaluable place to be.
Send us your contact information below and what your interested in.
by Jerry Hall | Apr 30, 2024 | Activities
As soon as people reach the age of seniority, it becomes vital for them to stay active to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Elderly adults regularly promote hands-on activities related to physical health, mental alertness, and emotional satisfaction. Seniors in Naperville, Illinois, enjoy living in a diverse community that caters to their needs. Naperville provides a rich mosaic of specially oriented activities to keep seniors mentally and physically fit so they will not feel lonely and discover new interests. Whether you are considering scenic walks, cultural experiences, or any other activity, Naperville is an ideal place for seniors to have fun and do their retirement in this supportive environment.
Senior activity centers in Naperville are crucial among social places and other activities focusing on seniors who need such places for socialization and enrichment. These centers provide a supportive and inclusive space where the elderly will find friends to relate with, have some engaging activities, and gain from the available resources. As a student, from group discussions to classes, you can get opportunities for various aspects of your social life, including intellectual, emotional, and personal growth.
These senior activity centers in Naperville significantly contribute to life improvement and nurturing the feeling of belonging of the elderly population by providing an enormously large variety of services and activities, from recreation and education to wellness programs. With the activities they provide, they offer residents of senior communities the chance to socialize and, through the self-fulfillment that comes with it, contribute to the serene atmosphere of such a community.
Diverse Activities for Seniors
Naperville has programs designed for seniors to ensure a healthy, full-time life for the town’s elderly citizens. Naperville offers activities guaranteed to bring joy to all groups of individuals, from arts and crafts to fitness classes, cultural outings, and social gatherings. Let’s explore the variety of activities available and the benefits they bring:
- Arts and Crafts: By adjusting activities, e.g., painting, pottery, and crafting, seniors can not only self-express but also improve their cognitive function.
- Fitness Classes: Naperville provides individualized fitness training through programs such as yoga, tai chi, and aerobics, designed by experts to help seniors strengthen their bodies accordingly.
- Cultural Outings: Planning visits to senior-friendly museums, theaters, and landmarks provides excellent opportunities for social interaction, intellectual stimulation, and a deeper connection to Naperville’s rich heritage.
- Social Gatherings: The senior luncheons, game nights, and leisure trips provide opportunities for new friendships, shared experiences, and fighting loneliness.
Each of these activities offers unique benefits for seniors.
- Promoting Physical Health: Fitness classes and trips are an effective tool for preventing mobility problems, as well as flexibility and strength exercises, and helping seniors cope with chronic conditions like heart disease and osteoporosis. Regular physical activity leads to higher energy levels and helps control weight.
- Cognitive Stimulation: Through art, sports, cultural excursions, and social events, the cognitive function, which includes memory, learning, thinking, problem-solving, and language, is stimulated, keeping seniors mentally sharp and alert. The activities prevent declining mental activity by promoting problem-solving, creativity, and memory retention.
- Emotional Well-being: Enjoining joyful activities and socializing uplifts older people’s hearts and emotional well-being. Arts and crafts are influential in generating achievements, and social events regarding interrelationships and attachment are auspicious. Cultural activities bring joy and muse, and these add spice to seniors’ lives.
Through multiple involvement in activities they desire to be a part of, seniors in Naperville can lead lively, meaningful lives and maintain a powerful sense of vigor and purpose.
In Naperville, seniors can enjoy a vibrant activity calendar provided by senior centers all over the area. This calendar listing is small and selective, reflecting seniors’ interests and preferences. We organize fitness classes and educational workshops. Social gatherings and cultural outings are events in which everyone can participate. People who are seniors are invited to look through the schedule and join the activities that are most appropriate for their personalities, thus helping them stay fit and mentally active and interact with others. The seniors enjoy the fruit of their involvement in the activity calendar, finding new hobbies, and making crucial relationships while at it.
Benefits of Senior Day Care Activities
Activities in the senior day care center always bring sparkles of joy to the lives of older people and promote positive emotions. These activities provide various benefits, including:
- Maintains Mental and Emotional Well-being: The examples of art therapy and social connections bring seniors mental alertness and physical strength, preventing them from getting ill, amongst others with depression or loneliness.
- Reduces Isolation: Senior daycare provides a means of participation that lessens the effects of being lonely, thereby affecting the bonding process.
- Stimulates Cognitive Function: Engaging in memory games and interactions advertently slows cognitive decline and keeps the mind incomparably active.
- Promotes Overall Apart from physical activities, mental health benefits, and overall well-being are areas to improve. These relationships help give purpose to and make sense of the Senior’s lives.
Finding the Right Senior Activity Center
In choosing the best senior center for seniors in Naperville, seniors and their caregivers should take heed of several vital features. Here are some tips to help you make an informed decision:
- Location: Find the nearest senior activity center that is easily commutable from where you or your loved one stays. This arrangement, in turn, ensures that the center is easily accessible, reducing the obstacles to becoming a part of it.
- Facilities: Investigate the facilities that the senior activity center offers. Search for centers that ensure a suitable and friendly atmosphere with recreational areas, dining halls, and helpful restrooms.
- Staff Expertise: Consider the qualified and experienced senior activity center staff members. Target the centers with qualified and empathetic staff who undergo intensive training on managing the unique needs of older clients. It includes the following professionals: social workers, nurses, and activity coordinators.
- Available Activities: Assess the activities and programs available at the senior center. Select a venue that provides diverse programs to suit the preferences and capabilities of the elderly population. It might be fitness classes, arts and crafts workshops, educational classes, or social events.
Considering these issues, the seniors and their caregivers can find a senior activity center in Naperville that fits their needs and wants, thus forming a solid base for healthy and positive aging.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Naperville is home to a wide variety of activities that cater to seniors. This leads to a lively community that allows seniors to lead an active life. Caregivers will work towards finding activities that hold a meaningful place dear to them, allowing seniors to stay active and integrate into the community.
We invite all seniors and their caregivers to examine the senior activity centers in Naperville and participate in various programs. From fitness classes to arts and crafts workshops, educational seminars, community events, and social gatherings, residents of every age, shape, and size can find activities they like. Walk into the experience of your senior community with the chance to connect, acquire, and share ideas in the comfort of a conducive atmosphere.
Limited Time Offer!
Please fill out this form below or call us at (630) 857-3017 to schedule your Free Trial Offer.
See what we have to offer and understand the Naperville Senior Center experience, Home Away From Home. (Free Trial is for new Members and one caregiver.)
