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

The modern retirement age has evolved, and this change has caused many older adults to shift their retirement plans and start to reimagine their retirement. Senior living communities, like Origin Active Lifestyle Communities, have shifted, as well; providing high-quality services and amenities, and upping the quality of life for their residents by encouraging an active lifestyle. 

With summer upon us, you will likely be spending more time outdoors than usual. As summer brings great, clear weather, it also brings higher temperatures. An active lifestyle during the summer can be a bit harder to maintain due to heatwaves, but that shouldn’t stop you! 

If you live an active lifestyle, it is safe to assume you still love to travel or drive. Senior transportation is a hot topic right now as more transportation options become available. While the tradition of getting in your car and driving is still strong, driving is changing. An active lifestyle sometimes requires active changes in how you operate, and driving a car is no different.

When caring for a senior, caregivers deal with unique experiences and situations that define an extensive journey. Between working full-time, balancing family life, and caregiving, it’s common for family caregivers to become overwhelmed with their situation.

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!”

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!

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.

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.