August At Sunshine Is All Wellness And Goodness

Well•ness – noun, the state of being in good health, especially as an actively pursued goal.

If you’ve been following us at Sunshine Retirement Communities for a while, you know that Wellness is more than just a health care buzzword. In fact, we’re so committed to helping our residents achieve an ongoing state of good health, we devote the entire month of August to the active pursuit of Wellness every year.

Sunshine’s 6th Annual Wellness Month began with a Kickoff Party on August 1 at most of our 26 communities. As usual, each community has provided opportunities throughout the month for residents to learn Wellness practices from local professionals based on four different categories – Get Informed, Get Fit, Get Restored and Give Back.

Get Informed

We live in a changing world where information about new ideas, policies, problems and solutions constantly arise. Getting informed and learning about these new things can help us live healthier lives. A few examples of opportunities to Get Informed this month include:

• Seminars on Nutrition, Hydration, Exercise & Joints, Fall Prevention, Eye Care, High Cholesterol and Massage Therapy.
• Blood Pressure Screenings and Hearing Checks.
• Health & Wellness Fairs.

Get Fit

For those who have been watching life from the sidelines for a while, the thought of getting fit may seem daunting. But the payoffs of living a longer, healthier life are well worth it. The first step is to develop a good attitude and set achievable fitness goals. Then keep track of progress and get into a sustainable routine. To make things easier, residents are encouraged to buddy up with a friend to support and challenge each other, then switch things up and try new things together. Some of this month’s Get Fit offerings have included:

• Line Dancing and Arthur Murray Dance School.
• Bocce’ Ball Tournament.
• Chair Yoga.
• Healthy Happy Hours and Smoothie Socials.
• Waterfall Hikes and Walking Challenges.
• Senior Olympics featuring Balloon Volleyball, Bean Bag Baseball and Wii Bowling.

Complete with opening and closing ceremonies, the Senior Olympics is one of the perennial highlights of Wellness Month at both The Continental in Austin, Texas and at Deer Park in Novato, California. The Continental has hosted their friendly crosstown rivals from The Clairmont for the past five years. According to Life Enrichment Director (LED) Olga Rosalez, the competition breeds an amazingly warm and friendly camaraderie, while bringing a lot of enjoyment to their Wellness campaign.

Steven Cartacki, LED at Deer Park concurs: “It was fun! The residents like to be competitive once in a while and have something to play for. But ultimately, they enjoy laughing and being active with their peers.”

Get Restored

Getting physically and mentally restored is essential for your health. With our hectic lives, we are constantly on the move and over time this has caused damage to our quality of life. We need to reclaim balance and give ourselves some much needed peace of mind, body and soul. Some ways Sunshine residents have been Getting Restored this month include:

• Spa Treatments (Massage, Pedicure, Aromatherapy, etc.).
• Essential Oils and Foot Soaks.
• Mary Kay Facials.

Give Back

Volunteering services or donating goods and money are not only beneficial for the recipients, but for the givers as well. Doing good for others and paying it forward does wonders for self-esteem, and having money to donate is not a requirement. This year, Sunshine’s Give Back activities feature:

• Rock-A-Thon Fundraiser.
• Cookie Decorating and Thank You cards for local Police and Fire Departments.
• Rummage Sales.

At the beginning of the month, residents received a special Wellness Calendar and a Wellness Stamp Card. Since then, they have been rewarded with a stamp on their card every time they attend a Wellness event highlighted on the Calendar. As the month ends this Friday, most of the communities will be hosting a Wellness Awards Ceremony where every participant will be recognized and awarded. The resident who receives the most stamps on his or her card at each community will win a customized $50 Visa Gift Card for their efforts.

As you can see, August has been a very active month for Sunshine residents. In fact, Wellness Month has become so popular, many of them are celebrating it all year round.

This blog was first published here: Sunshine Retirement Living, August, 2018.

The post August At Sunshine Is All Wellness And Goodness appeared first on Assisted Living & Independent Living For Seniors.