6 Ways to Celebrate Mother’s Day in a CCRC

 

Mother’s Day is coming up quick on May 9th! If your mother is in a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) or retirement community, this is a great opportunity to treat her to something special, enjoy the warm spring weather and just spend quality time together.

Depending on COVID-19 protocols, here are some ideas on how to celebrate with your mother this year, from United Methodist Communities at Bristol Glen, our CCRC in Newton, NJ. Check with Bristol Glen for the latest information.

1.  Bring Mother’s Day to her. If you are concerned about COVID-19 or your mother has a medical condition that makes it difficult for her to leave the CCRC, then bring the celebrations to her! Order take out from her favorite restaurant, pack gifts and family members into the car and you’re all set for a special day together. It’s also a good idea to bring some entertainment too, like cards, board games, or movies, especially if you’re bringing the grandkids along.

2.  A nice family meal. Over the last year or so, none of us have been able to celebrate with our families the way we’d like to. Mother’s Day is the perfect time to get everyone together for a home cooked family meal. It’s a chance to make something really special, so plan a menu of her favorite foods, dress the table up with beautiful centerpieces and décor, and celebrate together in style.

3.  A relaxing day at the nail salon or spa. Who doesn’t enjoy being pampered? As we all get older, it becomes a little bit more challenging to keep up with manicures and pedicures, so why not treat your mom to a little bit of luxury? Remember to look around at local spas to see if they have senior specials or Mother’s Day packages, and you can even get a specialist to do a home visit if you feel more comfortable not going out.

4.  Visit a local farm, park or garden. We’re all very happy to see spring has finally arrived, and what better way to enjoy it than outdoors among the flowers? Take a day trip out to botanical gardens, like the New Jersey Botanical Garden, or the Van Vleck House and Gardens to enjoy the blossoms, fresh air and sunshine together. Another good idea is to visit a local park or farm like Windy Brow Farms to get out into the countryside and pick up some farm-fresh produce and goodies for a picnic.

5.  Go “hunting for treasure.” If you and your mother love to browse antiques and look for hidden treasures, then Mother’s Day is the perfect day for a little shopping trip! Plan a route through some of the best antique stores near Newton, complete with stops for lunch and snacks, and enjoy a day of bargain hunting together. You’ll be sure to find the perfect gift for her along the way!

6.  Plan a remote celebration. If you don’t live nearby and can’t get to your mother to celebrate together, you can still make the day very special for her. Send a care package full of all her favorite goodies, including chocolates, flowers, favorite treats, a soft robe and slippers. Set up a Skype or Zoom session with her and have the whole family join in. Near or far, there is always a safe way to connect with Mom.

Independent living at our continuing care retirement community in Newton, NJ

Bristol Glen is part of the United Methodist Community network, a collection of senior living and assisted living communities in New Jersey dedicated to supporting abundant, independent living.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re not only working hard to keep your loved ones safe and healthy, but we’re also doing our best to keep families connected. If you would like to treat your loved one this Mother’s Day or would like to inquire further about our care services, just give us a call and we’ll do everything we can to help! You can also find out more about UMC at Bristol Glen by visiting our website at https://bristolglen.umcommunities.org/

Original content posted on https://bristolglen.umcommunities.org/bristol-glen/6-ways-to-celebrate-mothers-day-in-a-ccrc/

5 Ways Seniors Can Manage Stress

 

Whether we like it or not, stress happens at every stage of life. Stress even affects older adults who are entering their retirement years. For instance, some seniors worry about a possible decline in their health, mobility, and independence. It is also a common source of stress to worry about who will take care of them. This is made more challenging because as we age, the way our bodies handle stress can change, impacting concentration, sleep quality, physical health and illnesses. As a result, good stress management is important for anyone, especially seniors. Here are some ways that seniors can effectively manage stress levels, from the team at our Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in New Jersey.

How stress affects health and quality of life

Stress isn’t an emotional state or mood, it’s a safety mechanism. When something happens that is negative or upsetting, our brain reacts as if threatened. It releases cortisol, the stress hormone, that floods through the body’s nervous system, muscles and organs to ready you to fight off the threat. This hormone increases heart rhythm and blood pressure, releases glucose into the bloodstream, and shuts down your digestive system so that the body can make muscles ready for fight or flight, and reduce the immune response.

This reaction is all well and good when you’re facing a potential threat, like coming across a grizzly on a nature trail – but it’s a lot less helpful when the source of your stress is concern for a loved one, health condition, or financial burden. Our bodies and brains just can’t tell the difference.

As a result of the many pressures and concerns of daily life, many people are living with constant stress. Such an intense reaction that is supposed to help us survive in dangerous situations and only last a few minutes is something we live with for days, weeks, and months instead.

This has a big impact on our health and quality of life. Consistently elevated cortisol levels can trigger anxiety, depression, mood swings, problems with digestion, weight gain, insomnia and more. So, what can seniors do?

How to manage stress as a senior

1. Know your stress triggers.  First, identify what is stressing you out. It may not be what you think – your anxiety over bills, for example, may disguise itself as frustration with others. The only way to deal with stress is to understand the root cause.
2. Speak up. Different types of therapies work for different people, so try to find one that works for you. Talking to a therapist about what is causing your stress is the first step in managing it, and releasing it.
3. Get moving.  Physical exercise cannot resolve the issue that is causing your stress, but it can be very effective at alleviating negative emotions. Getting your heart rate up for about 30 minutes a day by walking, doing yoga, swimming, or dancing is a real mood booster.
4. Lean on someone.  Stress doesn’t have to be something you deal with alone. Talking to a friend or loved one can help a lot – whether you are talking about your stress directly or not. Closely knit social bonds help make us feel stronger, more purposeful and less lonely.
5. Have a laugh.  Laughter may not be the best medicine, but it sure comes pretty close! Laughing with a friend, or at a TV show/novel has immediate and impressive effects on our physical and mental health. It stimulates good oxygen circulation through the body, relieves the stress response, soothes tension and even helps with pain relief and immune system function.

Safe and easygoing community for seniors in Newton, NJ

Bristol Glen is a CCRC in Newton, NJ, with beautiful grounds, apartments and plenty of amenities that support independent living for seniors. It’s a great place for seniors to stay healthy, active and stress-free, and the COVID-19 protocols ensure that everyone gets the assistance they need in their daily life while staying safe. If you are looking for a welcoming, safe community for yourself or a senior loved one, contact us today or visit our website at: https://bristolglen.umcommunities.org/

Original content posted on https://bristolglen.umcommunities.org/bristol-glen/5-ways-seniors-can-manage-stress/

5 Tips for Touring a CCRC Virtually

 

While touring a potential senior community in-person has always been the norm, the rise of COVID-19 has led to a new way of visiting – virtual tours. We expect video conferencing visits to continue beyond the pandemic, since it is more convenient and possible as technology becomes more and more advanced. However, touring virtually can be very different than in-person tours.

With that said, here is our guide of invaluable tips when touring a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) virtually.

1 – Make a date. It’s important to put a dedicated amount of time aside to do your virtual tour, just as you would for an in-person visit. Luckily, there’s so much flexibility that comes with this technology, so you can work it the time of day that works best for you. Choose a time when you aren’t feeling rushed, under pressure or stressed out.
Watch the tour on your computer or stream it to your TV, so you can really see all the details. Take notes, do extra research on the community’s website, and – above all – keep in mind your priorities when choosing a CCRC. These tours are very high quality and well made, but it’s important to always focus on how practical and well-suited this space is, especially if you are selecting a community for a loved one.

2 – Look at the layout. The first thing to focus on is the physical environment of the community – is the building clean, in good repair, and attractive? Will they be able to accommodate seniors with mobility issues easily? Look at common areas, gardens and the space where you or your loved one will live, checking for safety issues, privacy and convenience, as well as the atmosphere of the environment. Are they in a room or apartment? Is there space for couples to live together? Is there a pleasant view from the windows?

3 – Consider the services. There are as many different types of CCRC as there are fish in the sea, and they vary by location, structure, cost and services. While all these factors are important, services are one of the most critical factors in choosing the right community. Ideally, your virtual tour should include the different services available, with the best options giving you a choice of what services will form part of your or your loved one’s package.
Many people don’t want to move often, so it’s good to look for a community that can add services on as they are needed. This can range from very basic assistance for independent seniors right up to full-time nursing and memory care for residents with dementia. CCRCs allow you or your loved one to age in place when care needs change.

4 – Write down questions and concerns. One great thing about virtual tours is that you can view them as many times as you want. Write down questions or concerns as you go through the tour, and try to watch it a few times to see what catches your eye and what may be an issue. This way, when you join a virtual conference to discuss your move, you can get more details and a clearer idea of how the CCRC works.

5 – Don’t stop at one. Virtual tours are free and hosted on many CCRC websites, so there’s no limit to how many you can go on. It’s a good idea to do some basic research on each community’s website to see if it sounds like something you or your loved one would like. This can include things like whether or not it is close to family and friends, if it has a good location in a senior-friendly town/coastal area, if it is faith-based or not, if they offer rooms or entire apartments, and so forth. This will help you initially narrow down your options. By going on several virtual tours and keeping notes, you can compare how the communities are different, and what really matters most in this decision-making process.

At Bristol Glen, our CCRC in Sussex County, New Jersey, emphasizes an independent senior lifestyle that offers security, medical and non-medical assistance, and abundant socialization opportunities with other seniors.

If you want to find out more about our NJ Continuing Care Retirement Community, you can watch a virtual tour, read about our senior care services and more all on our website at: https://bristolglen.umcommunities.org/

Original blog posted on https://bristolglen.umcommunities.org/bristol-glen/5-tips-for-touring-a-ccrc-virtually/