Elderly Wellbeing

There’s a very good reason why the phrase “wellbeing” is so open-ended. It’s because it’s all relative, really. One person’s requirements and needs for a fulfilling lifestyle are not the same as the next person’s.

This becomes all the more true later in life when health, both physical and mental, have to be factored in more than they ever have before. Most of us see retirement as a golden opportunity to get back to doing the things we love and most of us seize upon that chance. Elderly wellbeing however is about more than that and generally has to take a lot more things into account. It’s the driving force of what we do at Signature but wherever you are in later life, here are some of the principles we stand by in elderly wellbeing that you should too.

It’s easy to assume that elderly wellbeing is about making sure that someone gets the right amount of nursing care that they require to keep them going. It’s not a bad start but let’s go beyond that. After all, living and surviving are two different things.

Starting with the premise that wellbeing is giving someone whatever they may need, we as a society can go further and define it as something that enables more than just necessities.

At this link you’ll find a page on our website entitled ‘Lifestyle’ where we  showcase many of the aspects that take elderly wellbeing up a step. The basic care that someone requires is one thing but it can and should be about a whole lot more.

The knock-on effects of poor wellbeing are easily measured as well. Mental and physical setbacks, extended and more frequent need for medical attention and even a shorter lifespan can all be attributed to this and the steps required to rectify these can be easily outlined.

The UK is said to have an ageing population, but then the whole planet does. As our human population ages, more strain is put on health care, family and society to manage these longer periods of time and ensuring that this time is well spent and fulfilling comes right along with it.

Elderly wellbeing can start off on some basic levels with things like exercise regimes, diet and regular social interaction and push right on through to communities enabling people’s wellbeing through events, clubs, groups, activities and more developed care providing. The term encompasses far more than just nursing care but a faculty in which older people are able to continue to flourish and not simply exist and maintained.

So whatever level of care someone requires, if any at all, it should be something that is one small piece of the puzzle of elderly wellbeing. Nursing and medical care are one section, quality of life is another and combining both is where the truest sense of wellbeing lies.

Find out more about how Signature supports elderly wellbeing.