There are many things to love about winter: new-fallen snow, hot cocoa, cozy fires, holidays with family … but there are lots of things that make winter a pain, too – particularly for older adults.
“What was fun and exciting as a kid loses its luster as we approach our senior years,” says Lynda Marino, Marketing Director at Canterbury Woods Williamsville, a Life Care Community in Williamsville, NY. “And winter weather is one of those things. It’s one of the longest seasons of the year for us in New York state, and for seniors, it can cause a dramatic shift in how life plays out.”
The shorter days and snowy roads can mean that many seniors choose to stay indoors. Although this can keep a physical body safe, it can also cause social isolation, which gets exacerbated during the winter months anyway.
“Winter can make it hard to get enough exercise, eat right, stay social and stay engaged,” says Lynda. “It’s no wonder many older adults dread the onset of the ice and snow.”
All the downfalls that winter brings do have an upside – they make it the perfect season for seniors to live in a senior living community.
“Living in a community like Canterbury Woods Williamsville has many benefits during the year and especially during the winter months,” she says. “If you or a loved one have been considering moving to senior living, this may be the perfect time to get settled in before the cold winds blow.”
The Benefits of a Life Care Community in Winter
Many seniors choose to move to a Life Care Community – a senior living community that offers all levels of health care services on campus – for convenience and peace of mind. That peace of mind increases during the winter months because seniors are able to continue their daily routines with very little disruption. Here are just some of the reasons why seniors don’t dread the ice and snow when they live at Canterbury Woods Williamsville:
Delicious and nutritious dining
Ice, sleet, hail and snow can make roads and sidewalks treacherous. Going outside to get the mail is hard enough. Grocery shopping can sometimes seem like an insurmountable task. You may think it’s a lot easier to order food in, eat a pre-packaged meal or just not eat at all. But that’s not a good option for seniors, who need to maintain nutrition in order to age well and avoid health issues. At a Life Care Community, residents enjoy delicious, chef-prepared meals three times a day with menus that are carefully designed for optimum nutrition and taste. Residents don’t have to worry about braving the roads to grocery shop, or even deal with cooking and cleaning up. All they have to do is sit back and be served.
Besides getting good nutrition, residents get a huge social and emotional boost. Eating with friends is a wonderful way to improve mood, feel more connected and increase our happiness. This can be hard to do in the winter months if gathering is difficult. But at a Life Care Community, connectivity is simply part of the everyday existence.
Convenient transportation
As we’ve mentioned, icy roads and cold temperatures can make driving difficult in the winter. But residents don’t need to worry about navigating the roads or brushing snow off their car at a Life Care Community. Scheduled transportation is available on a regular basis (and can even be requested by appointment), meaning that doctor’s appointments, activities and events and shopping can be done safely and easily.
Maintenance-free life
The last thing you want to have to worry about as an older adult is shoveling snow, dealing with faulty furnaces, power outages and other winter-related issues. Residents stay safe and warm in a Life Care Community because complete maintenance is provided each and every day. A professional maintenance crew shovels and salts the walkways, keeps the heat on and the lights working, and makes sure that life is as easy as possible for the residents who call the community home.
Peace of mind for emergencies
Many seniors and their adult children lie awake worrying what will happen if there’s a natural disaster or some sort of accident occurs. How quickly can medical services get there? What happens if the power goes out and the city can’t restore it for a week? Since a Life Care Community is basically a little city, residents and their families can breathe a sigh of relief during the winter months. For starters, most communities are equipped with back-up generators and other emergency protocols that ensure residents remain safe and warm (with power). If a huge snowstorm blocks the roads, staff members will make sure that food, medicine and other services are provided. Best of all, medical services are either on site or very close by, meaning that if accidents happen, residents get top quality care as quickly as possible.
So much to do
Residents never have to worry about boredom and cabin fever when they live at a Life Care Community. There is always something going on with multiple entertainment, educational and social opportunities. Join your friends for a happy hour at the on-site pub (or in your private patio home). Head out to enjoy a Christmas Pops concert at the symphony hall. Take part in holiday festivities, learn a new craft, discuss the latest New York Times bestseller at book club – whatever you want to do, it’s available to you.
Continuum of Care
As a Life Care Community Canterbury Woods Communities provide a comfortable environment and first-rate services to support every level of need. Assisted living apartments allow Williamsville residents to benefit from additional support while maintaining their independent lifestyle. If skilled nursing, rehabilitation or memory care is ever needed, residents can experience the support they require. They can also enjoy all this and more at our sister community in Buffalo.
Contact us today to discover more about Canterbury Woods Williamsville! (716) 427-6928