- The older people get the more stubborn they seem to become about holding on to their independence.
Many start to isolate themselves as the challenges of aging pile on.
Well it doesn't have to be this way.
Here to talk about how engaged seniors lead richer, more satisfying lives and how their
communities are helping older adults age more successfully is Rick Wiggintom from Holiday
Retirement.
Good morning!
Welcome back!
- Hello, thanks for having me back.
- We had such a great conversation about what Holiday offers.
We're going to continue today about how older people really need to get more engaged as
the years start piling on.
Tell me why.
- Yeah, well you know, Olga, since I was here last there's been a ton of research and published
studies about the impact of loneliness and whether you're young or whether you're old
lonely is not a healthy way to live.
- [Olga] It's not.
- And people who find themselves living isolated and shut apart will likely find a lot of other
things start to spiral negatively in their lives.
So yeah, staying engaged.
A very critical and important part of successful aging.
- And I think a lot of people who start aging fear, well they fear so many things, but one
of the biggest ones is memory.
- Sure.
- And losing their memory.
- Well there's a lot of factors, but many physicians, clinicians will tell you that
the routines of healthy living like good nutrition and staying physically active and staying
socially engaged, talking with people and not just your daughter on the telephone once
a week, but being in the space with other human people and laughing and telling stories
and doing stuff can help older people live healthier lives longer.
- There are so many events you offer and there's, look at the list.
Physical events, emotional, spiritual events, intellectual events, creative and social,
vocational.
All of these to help them stay engaged which matters, right?
- Well sure it does.
Our communities are filled with doers.
These aren't people who decided that they're just gonna quit and let the challenges of
aging just pile up on top of them.
But they do wanna live in a place where some of the hard stuff is easier.
So in every one of our communities there's a restaurant right in the middle.
Now these are private apartments.
But it's already paid for in the base rent.
And we also know that a lot of older people, in addition to being fearful of losing their
memory, they're also scared of outliving their money.
- That's right, and sometimes they even go without eating because of that.
- Well they will.
Or they'll try to take shortcuts.
They're so worried about outliving their money that they don't make good decisions of how
they could be living healthier and better right now.
So because the food, three meals a day is already included, it's already paid for, it's
less likely that folks who live in our communities are gonna want to take those shortcuts.
They're just gonna come down and enjoy a great meal with some good friends and neighbors.
- Do you get examples or do you have people that maybe write to you and tell you best
decision I made?
- I had an older fellow send me a note recently that said he fought with his daughter for
months that he did not want to give up his house, he did not want to move, and now he
sent me a note later saying that every morning he will pass a couple of dozen people going
down to the restaurant that he can say hello to.
That he does stuff with people his own age so it was scary to explore but now that they
did it his life is so much better and quite frankly his daughter has her life back.
- So let's turn the table now.
What advice would you give to that daughter or son who's feeling guilty about letting
go?
- Don't feel guilty and put so much pressure on yourself thinking that you can handle all
of this by yourself.
- And it's not a nursing home.
- No.
- It's a great environment.
- Yeah.
- Check it out.
- These are condos and apartments with some great amenities right in the middle.
So explore.
Come see us.
Come visit us.
Come see how older people can live better when they let go of that old house and they
live in a community of friends.
- I'm telling you, my name is there.
Hopefully in about 40 years but I'm gonna have a condo with my best friends, the fab
five.
We're fabulous five from high school.
- I'll hook you up.
Come on over.
- For our viewers who'd like more information where do they go, Rick?
- HolidayTouch.com is a great place to start.
It's our website and from there you'll be able to find a community near you.
- And if you'd like more information on Holiday you can also go to our website and that's
TheBalancingAct.com.