The Origin Blog:
Senior Health, Wellness, News, & More

This month, Origin Active Lifestyle Communities is excited to feature our Whitehorn Village community member, Elizabeth, in our Community Member Spotlight!

Elizabeth grew up in Germany and at 5 years old, remembers going through the struggles and hardships of WWII in Berlin. She recalls how difficult it was once the war ended – “everyone was starting from nothing and had access to very little food.” Once Americans were allowed to fly food into Germany, Elizabeth says “the food didn’t taste good at all; freeze dried eggs and canned corned beef, but it was better than nothing!”

Origin designs, developments, and operates innovative, industry-leading, active lifestyle communities throughout Canada. Our goal is to always stay up-to-date with the changes and new technologies introduced to the senior living industry to continually improve our level of senior care. 

Healthy eating promotes healthy aging, but you must to understand that, as we age, the body’s nutrition needs change. Origin Active Lifestyle Communities understands the importance of senior nutrition which means the need for calories decreases while the demand for nutrients increases.

At Origin Active Lifestyle Communities, we love having the opportunity to learn about the lives of each of our community members. This month, Origin is excited to highlight our Swan Evergreen Village community member, Audrey, who has resided at Swan Evergreen Village since the location opened its doors!

No matter the circumstances, moving can be an overwhelming project. For seniors who are moving to a senior living community, moving can be even more stressful. Many seniors have to sort through a lifetime’s worth of belongings and memories.

Exercise and physical activity are vital for everyone – whatever your age. Exercise maintains your health, supports weight loss, prevents injuries, and can even lower the risk of heart disease. At Origin Active Lifestyle Communities, we know that staying active can dramatically increase the quality of life as we age. However, staying active can also become more challenging the older we become.

Recent studies show that “only 1/3 of Canadians eat plant-based proteins like legumes, nuts and seeds.” At Origin Active Lifestyle Communities, we are changing that statistic for our community members. There is extensive research that shows that eating un-processed, nutrient dense foods, such as plant-based proteins, improves overall health. Whole foods can help to decrease the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, as well as certain types of cancer.

Self-confidence is the level of belief that one has in their own abilities, judgement, appearance, etc. The first step to building self-confidence is to understand and evaluate any situation that may have had an impact on self-confidence such as divorce or family crisis. This is especially important for seniors as low self-esteem can lead to health issues, isolation and in severe cases, depression.

Animal-assisted therapy is a type of treatment that incorporates animals, such as dogs or horses, to enhance and complement the benefits of traditional therapy. According to Psychology Today, “animals can provide a sense of calm, comfort, or safety and divert attention away from a stressful situation and toward one that provides pleasure.”

As we age, the idea of active living or maintaining an active lifestyle may seem “exhausting” or “overwhelming,” especially if our friends or family members do not motivate or encourage us to try new things or participate in activities.