Assisted Living

New Must-Read Spring Books for Residents in Assisted Living

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Spring is always a great time of renewal and what better way to celebrate the new season than by reading a new book? Whether you are looking for romantic titles, fictional books, or exploring the non-familiar genre, the changing of seasons is an excuse for additional books in your collection. Whether you are a bookworm or a seasonal reader in assisted living, there are endless options to choose from. So, get that blanket ready and find a comfortable spot to escape into a fictional world waiting to be explored and discovered.

How To Get Back into Reading in Assisted Living

If you cannot recall the last time, you spent reading books, then, you are not alone. It is not an uncommon thing to happen since according to a report by the National Endowment for the Arts, the number of readers for pleasure has declined since 1982.

But the good thing is, there are plenty of ways to get back into reading. Read through and follow these easy steps to help you fall in love with reading again.

  • For starters, it is important to start reading a short book if you have not read it for a while. Find a short book that interests you whether it is romance, self-help book, thriller, or non-fiction, make sure to choose the one that will help you get back on track.
  • Second, set aside time for reading. Set a dedicated time to read each day at least 15 to 30 minutes to fit reading into your lifestyle again.
  • Find a reading buddy. Reading with a friend from assisted living or a family member can be a great way to love reading again. You and your reading buddy can choose a book together and discuss it as you go along.
  • Visit your local library for recommendations. Plus, your local library has a wide variety of books to choose from.
  • Create a comfortable reading environment to make sure you have a cozy place to sit and read away from distractions.

Spring Books for Residents in Assisted Living

 

The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose

Sarah Morgan is a successful defense lawyer married to Adam, a struggling writer who is accused of killing his mistress, Kelly.

Kelly Summers, the mistress was found brutally stabbed to death in Sarah and Adam’s second home. Now Sarah becomes the defender of her own husband accused of murdering Kelly.

Is Adam innocent or guilty?

Things We Hide From The Light by Lucy Score

Nash Morgan is the town’s chief of police recovering but struggling from being shot. But Nash has no plans of letting people know he is struggling and suffering from panic attacks and nightmares. But his new next-door neighbor Lina knows what he’s been hiding.

Unfortunately, Lina has secrets too. Will Nash find out?

On A Quiet Street by Seraphina Nova Glass

The perfect neighborhood of Brighton Hills is filled with secrets. Behind its perfect mix of luxury and beauty conceal small, big, and some deadly secrets waiting to be revealed. What could the residents in Brighton Hill hide?

The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest

Lily Greene is a shy bookworm who fell for her favorite fantasy author when they started connecting through email. Little did Lily know, the person she fell in love with months ago over emails is her new neighbor Nick Brown.

Will Lily know he is the author she’s been corresponding with?

 

Looking for excellent care in assisted living? Click here to check out Oxbow Living!

Oxbow Living offers Assisted Living & Memory Care out of Nebraska and to the Surrounding Cities: Ashland, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Elmwood, Ithaca, Mead

Memory Care Assisted Living

Incorporating Technology into Assisted Living Facilities: The Benefits and Challenges

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There are more than 810,000 Americans residing in assisted living facilities today. That number is expected to go up as more people from the baby boomer era step into late adulthood.

The role that these communities play is crucial to how these seniors enjoy a good quality of life. It’s no secret that those who work in assisted living face challenges in taking care of residents.

This is why a lot of assisted living facilities are now beginning to embrace technology as part of their system.

Technology in assisted living facilities

There has been a huge demand for assisted living facilities over the last few years. While it’s good for business, healthcare providers are becoming overwhelmed with responsibilities.

So, a lot of these facilities are now exploring the possibilities of incorporating smart technology into their operations. Not only to increase their efficiency but also to cut down on operational costs and lessen the weight on employees.

The benefits

One of the biggest benefits of using technology in facilities is automation. Instead of spending a lot of time documenting the daily activities of residents, healthcare providers can now automate these tasks to manage their time well and increase their efficiency.

Smart lighting, security systems, and other devices can also help providers keep track of the movements of residents and proactively intervene if they notice anything out of the usual but without the need to dedicate one staff to watch over a resident all the time. This helps with staffing problems that are hampering the industry today.

Smart technology can also be used as a preventive measure to help seniors address their medical conditions before they get worse and require the help of assisted living facilities. This will not only give them a better quality of life, but it will also help ease the overwhelming demand for these facilities.

For instance, people who have been diagnosed with diabetes can use different digital tools to monitor blood sugar levels and adopt a healthier lifestyle, so they don’t have to deal with serious complications that would require them to be in assisted living facilities down the line.

The potential challenges

Of course, adapting technology to assisted living facilities will not come without any challenges. Funding is one of the biggest challenges. These facilities also need to train their staff and go through a transition period, which can be challenging.

At the end of the day, adapting technology into an assisted living setup will be beneficial to both healthcare providers and residents.

It’s just a matter of finding the right funding, going through that transition, and slowly incorporating technology into assisted living facilities to make them more efficient.

 

Looking for an excellent senior living facility in Nebraska? Click here to learn more about Oxbow Living.

Oxbow Living offers Assisted Living & Memory Care out of Nebraska and to the Surrounding Cities: Ashland, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Elmwood, Ithaca, Mead

Senior Housing

How to Beat the January Blues in Memory Care Assisted Living

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While many are happy to celebrate and welcome the New Year, senior adults including those in memory care assisted living communities find the month of January difficult. The cold winter months can be challenging and can affect the elderly’s mood, low motivation, and other changes in behavior.

Called the “Monday of months”, January is when everything switches back to normal after days of food, fun, music, and celebration for the holiday season. Cold temperatures, cold and shorter days make it less exciting for adults to go on with their daily activities.

But the good thing is that there are plenty of ways to change and manage the symptoms of January blues. Find out how and make the most of the colder months until the sun shines again.

S.A.D. & Memory Care Assisted Living

After the holidays, it is now back to reality and seniors need to deal with wintery weather again, away from family. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is common but should not be ignored.

January blues can lead to depression, loss of interest, isolation, changes in sleeping patterns and appetite, irritability, or addiction. But just like other forms of depression, SAD is treatable.

Memory care assisted living facilities are equipped with the knowledge and experience to address this issue as SAD is common in seniors who are housebound.

Bright therapy is a non-pharmaceutical treatment commonly used to alleviate symptoms of SAD. Senior adults with SAD may be asked by their doctors to go through bright light therapy.

Increasing Vitamin D levels is another solution since exposure to sunlight is not possible during the winter months. Vitamin D supplements taken before the winter months are said to prevent the onset of SAD symptoms.

But if you believe your loved one is experiencing January blues, it is best to see a doctor for a proper diagnosis. Your doctor is the best person to determine if it is SAD or just Vitamin D deficiency. This will also determine the best treatment available as non-pharma options like the one mentioned above is safe for everyone, particularly, those with existing medical conditions.

Beating the January Blues

In addition to seeking medical help, there are lifestyle and home remedies that you can do to help your loved ones in memory care assisted living.

First, make their rooms sunnier and brighter. Trim branches of trees that might be blocking the windows. Or you may add skylights or brighter lights in the room.

Create a simple exercise routine to release stress and anxiety. Regular daily activities can help one feel better.

Even on cold days, encourage your loved ones to get up in the morning and spend some time outside their room. Socializing with fellow residents or simply sitting near the window can help.

Set a schedule for waking up and going to bed every day. This will reduce oversleeping or get rid of unhealthy sleeping patterns.

Above all, support them to stick to their treatment plans, educate them on the importance of taking good care of themselves, and learn how to manage the stress that can lead to depression and other unhealthy thoughts and behaviors.

 

Looking for great care for yourself or a family member? Click here to learn more about Oxbow Living.

Oxbow Living offers Assisted Living & Memory Care out of Nebraska and to the Surrounding Cities: Ashland, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Elmwood, Ithaca, Mead