“The decision of who to marry will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.”
These famous words by H. Jackson Brown Jr., ring true to anyone who has ever been married. The same could be said for all social connections we forge in our lifetimes. Circumstance often dictates who we befriend as we make our way through school and careers, but once we retire from work, it can be a lonely time punctuated by the occasional visit by a family member or someone from church, especially if we grieve the loss of a spouse.
A transition from the home to an Assisted Living community like Regency can reinvigorate our social lives as we meet and spend time with new peers in activities specifically designed to be fun and keep us active.
A Harvard University Study that’s been ongoing since 1938 hints that such social connections are key to living longer, healthier lives. Seniors who feel a sense of bonding to others experience better long-term physical and mental health than those who feel isolated, depressed and struggle to stay healthy and active.
At Regency, new faces receive a warm welcome. Our activity director specifically caters events to be fun and foster fellowship among residents. Newcomers may be paired at meals with someone whose interests or personality are a good match for them. While seniors may be naturally apprehensive about fitting in and making friends, Regency works to create a homelike environment where it is easy to build the kind of connections that make our community feel more like a family than an apartment complex.
Lifelong extroverts may settle in more quickly than those who’ve always struggled to make lasting friendships, but when a person spends time with people in similar stages of life doing enjoyable activities, the reserved individual can find a pleasing balance between feeling involved and having their need for privacy and occasional solitude preserved. All it takes is some bravery to step outside of our comfort zone to introduce ourselves to new people.
Friendships aren’t just reserved to residents – our staff spend lots of time with seniors helping with tasks like bathing, dressing and getting medications, so we come to think of our residents as extensions of our family.
Even those who join us for short-term housing (perhaps while their caregiver is traveling for weddings, graduations or vacations) do find smiles and fun awaiting them. Someone thinking of moving to Regency may stay short-term to try it out and see if they want to stay longer.
Visiting with residents who’ve lived here for a while, they almost always express the sentiment that they wish they’d moved in sooner. What’s not to love about never having to worry about cleaning dishes, doing housework or mowing the lawn ever again? What remains is the freedom to simply enjoy life.
Residents eventually discover that they’ve started an exciting new chapter of life in which they can feel safe and secure, loved and respected.
To learn more about Regency, call us at (205) 942-3355.