Michigan City, Indiana, just 45 miles east of Chicago, Illinois, is a beautiful lakeside city steeped in rich history and offers many nature exploration opportunities. Its location along Lake Michigan and the Indiana Dunes National Park provides access to green and blue spaces, hiking trails, and other outdoor activities.
Given all these positive attributes, it’s no wonder many seniors call Michigan City home. Neilsberg.com says seniors account for nearly 18% of the city’s population (17.89%)!
However, as Michigan City’s older adult population grows, so will concerns about senior safety risks.
To that end, the kind and compassionate team at Rittenhouse Village at Michigan City, our beautiful retirement community in Michigan City, IN, put together this guide. Please read on for insights into safety in senior living and secure aging strategies.
Develop an Emergency Plan
Safety and emergency planning for seniors involves:
- Familiarizing oneself with potential environmental-related emergencies, such as extreme heat events
- Assessing one’s physical, medical, and cognitive needs that could give rise to safety risks
- Building an emergency contact list
- Having a communication system
A well-structured emergency plan can help seniors reduce safety risks while enhancing their response capabilities. For instance, when older adults have a solid communication system and an up-to-date emergency contact list, they can immediately seek help. Their contacts can also respond quickly, further mitigating the potential consequences of the emergency.
Don’t Hesitate to Seek Help
Once you become a resident of our independent living or assisted living campus, you can rely on the caring professional team at Rittenhouse Village at Michigan City. Our team members are available around the clock to provide help and support if and when needed. Residents can also count on an emergency call system for even more peace of mind.
If you ever need assistance, especially in an event that could put you in harm’s way, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll immediately come to your aid, no matter the time of day.
For instance, suppose you were sound asleep but woke up with an urge to pee, a condition known as nocturia. According to an article in the National Library of Medicine, it affects an estimated 50% of adults 65+. Unfortunately, having just awakened, you feel a bit woozy and have difficulty getting out of bed.
In that case, please don’t risk your safety by forcing yourself to get up and go to the toilet alone, as you risk experiencing a fall. While not all falls cause injuries, many do. Indeed, the U.S. CDC noted that a third of older adults who had a fall required injury treatment or had to restrict their activities for at least a day.
Rather than risking your safety, please call our caring team for help. We’ll keep you safe and provide the compassionate, dignified assistance you deserve.
Practice Daily Wellness for Elderly Adults
Daily wellness for seniors includes:
- Engaging in physical activity
- Participating in recreational and social events
- Eating healthily
Let’s explore how the above strategies can help promote safety and well-being in older adults.
Engaging in Physical Activity
As the Mayo Clinic points out, regular physical activity brings many health benefits, including:
- Helping combat health and safety woes, including falls, type 2 diabetes, stroke, anxiety, and depression, among others
- Controlling weight
- Enhancing mood
- Boosting energy
- Promoting better sleep
So, regular exercise is not only a crucial component of fall prevention for seniors. It’s also vital for their overall health and safety, as it can help prevent many diseases.
At Rittenhouse Village at Michigan City, we encourage residents to keep moving and stay on their feet by giving them access to a daily calendar of physical activities and events as part of our many exclusive senior living programs. Here, you or your older loved one can enjoy exercising in many ways, from walking clubs to yoga, Zumba, and chair exercises.
Participating in Recreational and Social Events
Recreation and socialization are vital to senior safety, as they help older adults combat loneliness and isolation. Preventing the last two is imperative, considering their association with:
- Mental health issues
- Increased risk of falls
- Decreased cognitive function
Our Michigan City senior living community recognizes the importance of recreational and social activities for senior health and safety, so we include them in our daily activities and events calendar. Some examples of the group stuff we do here for fun, stimulation, engagement, and socialization include:
- Art classes
- Crafts, such as knitting clubs
- Exciting games like Bingo, cards, board games, Jeopardy, and Wii Bowling
- Social hours
- Movies and popcorn
- Pet therapy
Rittenhouse Village at Michigan City also features beautiful landscaped grounds and courtyards where residents, friends, and loved ones can relax and socialize. Multifunction entertainment areas are also part of our community’s many on-site amenities.
Eating Healthily
Just as crucial for senior safety is a healthy, well-balanced diet with sufficient amounts of essential nutrients, including:
- Minerals (e.g., calcium, iron, and potassium)
- Vitamins (A, B, C, D, E, and K)
- Carbohydrates
- Healthy fats (lipids)
- Proteins
- Water
A balanced diet optimized for senior nutrition can help keep older adults safe by promoting overall health and preventing diseases. It helps enhance mobility by strengthening bones and muscles, which is necessary for mitigating fall risks.
Rittenhouse Village at Michigan City supports senior safety and wellness through our Sensations Dining program. Here, you or your aging loved one can enjoy restaurant-style, 5-star dining in our beautiful dining area or the comfort of your senior apartment home. Our talented chefs prepare each meal from scratch and use only fresh, nutritious ingredients.
Age Gracefully by Prioritizing Senior Safety
At Rittenhouse Village at Michigan City, we take senior safety and well-being seriously. We ensure our residents have 24/7 access to our professional team and an emergency call system they can rely on. Furthermore, we provide many amenities and services to help keep them healthy and safe, including daily activities, events, and nutritious gourmet meals.
Do all those perks and pros align with your or your aging loved one’s needs and preferences? If so, we encourage you to visit and explore our Michigan City, IN, senior living community in person. It’s the best way to discover why we’ve been a Reader’s Choice Award for Best Retirement Community for 13 consecutive years.
Call us today to book your tour of our community!
