IS SENIOR LIVING THE NEW BEST MEDICINE? Socialization-encouraging activities at
Alumia include working in teams to solve brain teasers and daily education classes, not only from staff , but from each other: Members teach peers about subjects impor- tant to them, such as travel or food.
Immediate impact Directors at communities participating in the Age Well Study said it gave them needed information to design programming. And residents, O’Brien says, “enjoyed being part of a major study with relevance to them.” But when the researchers presented the
results, O’Brien says, residents had an in- teresting reaction: “Of course we’re doing better. We knew that,” they said. “Some talked about how their lives were
enriched by what they wouldn’t normally run across, but now were around naturally.” But these are fi rst-year results of a fi ve-
year study. By the end, the study will have involved roughly 5,500 individual partici- pants from 122 Life Plan Communities in 31 states (it’s now closed to new participants). New areas of study include examining
the role of personality—is it a personal trait that leads some people to choose Life Plan Communities over living alone? They’re also seeking information about amenities,
SOCIAL CONTACT Meet Up Phone Write/Email Social Media 0 1.0 5.05 4.19 5.08 4.37 4.65 2.50 2.61 1.59 2.0 Life Plan Community 3.0 4.0 5.0 Community at Large
The Mather LifeWays Age Well Study showed older adults in Life Plan Communities did better in fi ve wellness areas. On a scale of six, their average numbers of social contacts were more frequent than those in the community at large. Also, 69 percent of residents reported that moving to a Life Plan Community “somewhat” or “greatly” improved their social wellness.
regions of the country, and wellness out- comes from staff . “We hope ultimately people can look at
this and learn things they can use in their own communities,” O’Brien says.
MatherLifeWaysInstituteOnAging.com
has posted a first-year report of the Age Well Study. For more information about the Alumia Institute and Kynemics, visit
alumiainstitute.com.
6.0
BEING ALONE CAN BE GOOD FOR YOU, TOO
There’s a big diff erence between loneliness and solitude. Everyone, no matter their age, needs time alone—in fact, denial of privacy is a form of abuse. Some people may need more alone time than others. Here are some clues to when that’s healthy.
• They may be a creative person. The connection between solitude and creativity in arts and sciences has been explored in depth by San Jose University psychology professor Gregory Feist, PhD. To practice their crafts, creative people need time to refl ect and observe, without distractions. They tend to be independent and confi dent, which may also give a preference for being alone. The big diff erence is in the quality of “openness,” which means receptivity to new thoughts and experiences. In creative people, openness is usually high. For people who are lonely, openness can be low.
• They may be a natural introvert. Quiet author Susan Cain writes and speaks about “The Power of Introverts” and points out that being an introvert simply means one has a preference for “quiet, minimally stimulating environments.” Introverts can have strengths including the ability to truly, actively listen and concentrate, or to do one thing at a time. They might need time alone to “refuel.” It’s easy to confuse introversion with shyness, Cain writes; the diff erence is that being alone out of shyness is painful to the person or happens out of fear.
• Taking an occasional solitude break can even improve your relationships. Attention restoration theory, or ART, a theory developed by psychologists Rachel and Stephen Kaplan, contends that being alone in nature can restore a person psychologically. It gives your mind and your attention a rest, helping reduce mental fatigue and stress and bring greater clarity. Even a view of nature through a window or looking at pictures of nature works--until you’re ready to get back in the social game.
8 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE MAY/JUNE 2019
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