Uncategorized – Orland Park
(708) 479-1082
(708) 479-1082

Category: Uncategorized

Senior Sports Fans

Friday, June 6, 2023   

If your senior is a sports fan, you might wonder how they can still enjoy their passion. They may have fond memories of playing on teams and attending games with friends and family. Sports have the power to bring strangers and generations together, and your senior should not have to give up that part of their life. There are still plenty of ways they can experience sports! Here are some things to do:

 

Sporting Events:

A great way to help your senior enjoy a game is by visiting a local venue. Calling the location beforehand to inquire about accommodations would ease any complications or stress. Similarly, attending a local high school event can also be engaging and thrilling! Some local recommendations from minor league teams are Joliet Slammers, Schaumburg Boomers, and Windy City Thunderbolts. Additionally, sports at Carl Sandburg High School include football, baseball, soccer, softball, tennis, badminton, and more!

 

Casual Sports and Entertainment:

If your senior does not wish to travel to a stadium or arena, plenty of local spots have a sporty atmosphere. In fact, there are even restaurants with bocce ball so your senior can spectate or play. Some other restaurants have golf or bowling available. Local picks include Mama Vesuvio’s East, Pinstripes, Topgolf, or the 19th Hole.

Another way to encourage your loved one to express their competitive spirit is through sports-themed board games. Try trivia, checkers, Shuffleboard, an edition of Monopoly specific to their favorite team, etc. These games can be played from home comfortably, but teamwork and friendly rivalry will quickly form!

 

Watching Live Sports:

If an exciting game or series is coming up, you could organize a viewing party. Invite their friends or relatives for snacks and share past stories and memories from athletic experiences! For seniors that watch sports frequently and hate missing a game, consider a live-streaming app, such as Fox Sports, ESPN, or FuboTV. Technology has provided sports fans with numerous chances to support their favorite teams. Your senior will surely cherish watching an event live with some company.

 

Our residents at Evergreen Senior Living have many unique hobbies and passions, which is why our community is so joyful and compassionate. To hear more about this community, please schedule a tour! We’d love to show you around. 

Tags:

Move-in Gifts Your Senior Will Love

Monday, March 3, 2023   

.If your senior is moving soon or in the future, you might be trying to find a valuable welcome gift they will appreciate. Since moving might be stressful, gifts are great ways to brighten their mood or reassure them that they are loved. Here are some sentimental and practical ideas to warm up their home:

  • If your loved one enjoys a challenge, puzzles make great gifts, especially personalized ones. It could even be a picture of a fond memory from their old residence! Find options here.
  • For readers, a magazine or book subscription can entertain and inspire your loved one. They might be interested in AARP, Reader’s Digest, Prevention, or Woman’s Day. Additionally, Big Reads is a subscription service that delivers large-print books monthly. You choose the genre; they choose the book and ship it. You can also send your seniors an included, personalized note with each package!
  • Additionally, a comforting gift is a chair cushion or an infrared foot massager. These items are the next best thing to a massage, and your senior will love them when they’re in the mood for self-care and relaxation.
  • Another physically satisfying item is acupressure accessories that offer relief if they are affected by chronic pain. For example, the Aculief hand clip may be a good option if they have migraines or headaches. An acupressure relief mat may assist if they want to target their back!
  • An organizational gift can say welcome home as well. Daily planners or wall calendars make unique gifts so your senior can create plans, work toward achieving them, and follow a daily routine. When they write down their appointments and goals, they will have something to look forward to and are less likely to forget.
  • If you are trying to take your senior’s mind off moving for a while, gifting them tickets to a musical or local event they would enjoy also supports their move. Although they cannot hang it on their wall, they will cherish the memory forever!

If your senior is considering or planning a move to Evergreen Senior Living Orland Park, check out the floor plans here. Although the move-in process can be hectic, we assist our seniors and families in many ways. Contact us for more information.

Tags:

Journaling: How and Why to Get Started

Monday, March 3, 2023   

If your senior is looking for a new hobby, consider suggesting journaling. Not only is it self-paced, but it also provides a stream of benefits like boosted memory function and stress relief. Adopting this new pastime may help your senior with their routine and schedule; they might decide to journal every morning when they wake up. But what topics should they journal about? Well, that’s where creativity and cognitive skills come in—the sky’s the limit!

 

Benefits of Journaling

The physical action and produced result are a few positive outcomes from this pursuit, but they are not the only ones. Of course, an album of memories can be extremely valuable. It can be fun to reminisce, and future generations will surely appreciate the stories. Additionally, recalling thoughts and feelings can help keep your senior’s mind sharp, even if they are just reacting to a movie scene they watched. No matter the content or time spent, journaling has many positive impacts on the health and happiness of seniors.

 

For example, one study found that journaling thoughts about the future, such as the following day’s to-do list, leads to better sleep. This is because journaling is proven to decrease mental distress! Writing or typing about situations encountered or resurfaced memories can help seniors process their inner emotions, allowing for relaxation.

 

Examples of Journaling Prompts

Unlike a card game, this activity has no rules! Your senior can creatively make up a fictional story, reflect on their day, or write notes to their friends. Here are a few ideas to get them established as a new author:

  • Day-to-day thoughts and activities: Your senior might want to express gratitude, document spiritual thoughts and revelations, or review a book they recently finished reading.
  • Reactions to movies and music: Sometimes, we just wish we could watch a movie for the first time again to relive that bliss!
  • Memories and advice to pass along: Noting lessons and tips in a journal is a great way to preserve and spread words of wisdom.
  • Dreams: Your senior might have brilliant visions at night, so reinventing the dream may help them express their creativity and imagination.
  • Food and Fitness: Tracking physical activity and food intake can help your senior gain better health awareness and stick to a routine.
  • If your senior feels more comfortable journaling on their laptop or tablet, a speak-to-text option can further assist. There are even options for personalized journals that your senior might appreciate! Check out some options here.

Our residents at Evergreen Senior Living in Orland Park enjoy numerous activities that promote artistic inspiration and exercise brain function. To learn more, schedule a tour to see for yourself. Call (708) 479-1082.

Tags:

How to Manage your Senior’s Seasonal Allergies

Tuesday, February 2, 2023   

 Allergy season can be frustrating for our loved ones but helping them manage these symptoms should not be. The potential inconsistency of allergies can make it challenging to determine the best actions to take. As spring rolls around this year, here are some steps to ensure our seniors stay happy and healthy.

 

More than 50 million people in America experience allergy symptoms each year. It’s not surprising that our seniors are not excluded. These allergies may develop as our seniors age because they have increased exposure to environmental allergens, so look for any indicators that your senior may have recently developed an allergy. Watch for sneezing, itchy and runny noses, itchy and watering eyes, or congestion. Whether new or old, if your loved one is affected, there are a few ways to avoid flare-ups:

 

  • Reduce their exposure to allergens. Although this might be tricky, stay current with the local pollen count and mold spore level reports to know when your senior should catch some fresh air. While walking outside is excellent for physical activity, it might be counterproductive if triggers are present. Additionally, keep these details in mind when opening windows.
  • If your loved one is outside when allergen levels are high, help them shower and change clothes when they arrive home. Of course, clean hands will reduce the risk of allergens spreading rampantly, so family members and friends should also be mindful. Wearing sunglasses is more than a fashion statement; they keep pollen out of the sensitive eye area!
  • For allergy relief, your senior can try using nasal sprays. An indoor air purifier or dehumidifier might make a great gift! Your senior’s doctor can better assess the condition and identify specific triggers, so always convey these concerns to them.
 

At Evergreen Senior Living Orland Park, we have everything needed to maintain your senior’s health. Even if they need to stay inside due to allergen levels occasionally, our senior Flex fitness center is available to keep your senior active. Schedule a tour to see our amenities now!

Tags:

6 Indoor Activities to Do with Your Senior

Tuesday, January 1, 2023   

We all long for some fresh outdoor air around this time, and our seniors are no different. When the chilly temperatures confine us indoors, the days seem long and tedious if we are not strategic with our plans. Get rid of cabin fever with indoor activities you and your senior can do together!


Puzzles are bound to bring out your senior’s focus and determination, and numerous options exist. Between jigsaw puzzles, 3D puzzles, logic puzzles like word searches and sudoku, and crossword puzzles, you are sure to find something to interest and challenge your senior while having a blast teaming up together!


Crafts are another way to kick boredom and let your senior’s creativity shine. One of the most fun parts about crafting is making something useful out of a few materials. Set out some paper towels or old magazines for easy cleanup to catch any excess mess.


If your senior is a candle lover, try making your own with empty jars or vases. Collect a natural candle wick, unscented soy wax, a double boiler, and scissors. Add the wick to the jar and cut it to match the size. Then, melt the soy wax with a double boiler and pour it into the jar. You can add scented oil or herbs to the wax if preferred. Wait for it to solidify and enjoy the gentle flame.


For avid readers, suggest crafting a personal bookmark! Some material recommendations are scrapbook paper or cardstock, book or magazine pages, scissors, craft punches, a hole punch, a glue stick, and ribbon. However, this idea is customizable and could even be made from a brown paper bag!


With some of the same materials, try to put together a scrapbook to show off to family and friends! Just find an album, cardstock, favorite photos, adhesive, decorative embellishments, markers or pens to write captions, stickers, and scissors. Of course, these crafts are about the quality time spent together, not the product.


Lastly, help your loved one stay warm and comfy with homemade grippy socks. Just take a pair of socks and use puffy paint to draw lines on the bottom of the sock. After the paint dries, the socks are perfectly safe to wash.

At Evergreen Senior Living in Orland Park, we love to see our residents expressing their creativity in new ways, so we regularly offer activities like these. Give us a call at 708-479-1082 to schedule a tour and check out our community.



Tags:

Life Therapy and Wellness

Wednesday, January 1, 2023   

A simple accident like tripping on a rug or slipping on a wet floor can change your life. In fact, falls are responsible for 90% of injury-related ER and hospital visits for those aged 65+. Falling can lead to a broken bone, which thousands of seniors experience each year. For seniors, a broken bone can also start more serious health problems and lead to long-term disability. That’s why at Evergreen Senior Living Orland Park, we empower our residents to take control of their health, well-being, and quality of life with services like Life Therapy and Wellness .

Life Therapy and Wellness by Select Rehabilitation is a program designed to help our seniors live life to the fullest. Select Rehab includes therapists specializing in physical activities, daily occupational tasks, and speech! The therapists at Select Rehab apply a holistic approach that supports successful aging and assists individuals by incorporating the many aspects of wellness into your senior’s day-to-day life.

Life Therapy and Wellness provided by Select Rehab has also introduced VirtuSense to the ESL Orland Park community. This service uses artificial intelligence with machine vision to objectively identify deficits in the three main areas of fall risk; balance, gait, and function. Select Rehab has been a great success in helping reduce falls at ESL Orland Park. Average success statistics of seniors enrolled in VSTBalance at ESL Orland Park include:

  • Residents improving their gait speed by 57%
  • 71% of re-screened residents improved their balance
  • Re-screened residents improved their sit-to-stand times by an average of 23%
  • 94% of re-screened residents showed improvement in function, gait, or balance

Help your loved one regain their independence by developing a therapy plan that is specific to their needs. Call or email us today for additional information about the Life Therapy and Wellness services offered at Evergreen Senior Living in Orland Park. Or schedule a tour to see for yourself!

 

Tags:

Benefits of Physical Activity

Wednesday, January 1, 2023   

Most people are aware of the many benefits of physical activity, but often forget about the benefits of social activity. Although physical activity is still a critical part in your seniors’ day to day life, interacting with others is just as important to their health.

Many seniors may lose their daily social activities as they age due to various reasons such as mobility issues or family members and friends moving away. However, it’s important that a senior maintains an active social life both for their mental and physical wellbeing.

Learn more about the different ways social activity can enhance your senior’s day-to-day life!

1. Enhanced Mental Health
Interactions with friends and family can help maintain good mental health. Positive contact with other people can reduce stress and even slow down cognitive decline!

2. Improved Nutrition
Some seniors may skip meals or opt for a quick, unhealthy snack instead of cooking. Being social and enjoying meals with others can improve seniors’ chances of eating regularly and consuming nutritious foods.

3. Improved Quality of Life
Social activities can give a person a sense of belonging. When a senior is having fun, receiving, and offering support, and enjoying the company of others, they tend to have a reduced risk of depression and an increased appreciation for life!

4. Better Physical Health 
Socialization can also improve seniors’ physical health. There are a variety of activities that are fun to enjoy with another person or a group. Simple activities such as taking a walk, going to a park, or going fishing are wonderful ways your senior can stay social.

5. Longer Life Span

Seniors can increase their life span by socializing regularly, as the combination of physical and mental benefits can ultimately lead to a longer and happier life!

As a caregiver, it’s critical to incorporate social activities into your loved one’s daily routine. There are many ways a senior can get involved, such as joining a club or group, attending church services, volunteering in the community, taking an online class and learning a new skill, or reaching out to old friends for coffee.

At Evergreen Senior Living, we focus on socialization for all our residents in both our supportive living and memory care communities. Take a tour to learn more about how Evergreen Senior Living implements social activities into our seniors’ daily routine!

Assisted Living Virtual Tour

Memory Support Virtual Tour

Tags:

December Activities to do with your Loved One

Wednesday, December 12, 2022   

Wintertime is here, which means sparkling white snow, beautiful lights, and, most importantly, quality family time. We want to help you make this holiday season one your senior will remember with these meaningful holiday activities.

Pass down family recipes

Cooking and baking can be great activities to bond with your senior. Ask for their favorite family recipe. The creation of delicious snacks and meals is a great opportunity to grab those ingredients and have some children in the family learn how to cook with grandma and grandpa.


Deck the halls

Show your holiday spirit with twinkling lights, a nice Christmas tree, and stocking hanging! To make decorating a great memory, have grandchildren get creative and make their own Christmas ornament decorations for your family tree or something special for grandma and grandpa!


Share holiday traditions

It is always a fun time sharing and remembering past holidays. Sharing traditions will truly help make this season more enjoyable for your senior. For example, on Christmas eve, pick someone special to represent St Nick, and let everyone open one gift that Santa passes out. It’s a great laugh for the grownups and a moment of magic for the little ones.


Cookie decorating competition

Winter is the best season for cookie decorating! And a great time to have a little friendly competition. Purchase different sprinkles, food coloring for the frosting, and any other fun item you can find! Cover the distance by inviting far-away family members to see the finished cookies and vote via a video call!


Scrapbooking

Nowadays, everyone takes photos on their phones. It is easy to print off those photos and make a meaningful scrapbook with your senior. Not only will these photos bring back memories, but it is also a great way to share with future generations all those lovely stories.


At Evergreen Senior Living, we want to help keep your senior in the Christmas spirit! We also plan multiple great activities to help keep your senior engaged, creative, and in a festive mood. Contact us today to see how we do the holidays at Evergreen Place Assisted Living and the Legacy: Memory Support in Orland Park!

Tags:

Should Your Senior Be Behind the Wheel

Wednesday, November 11, 2022   

Talking to your senior about their driving can be a tough conversation. There may come a time in anyone’s life when you question if it is still safe for them and others on the road for them to be behind the wheel.


As we age, some physical and mental abilities decline, causing difficulty driving. Being aware of warning signs of unsafe driving can help keep your senior and those around them protected. Safe driving requires cognitive capabilities, skills that can decline over time. You should monitor these proficiencies to gauge whether your senior should be driving.

Warning signs of unsafe driving include:

• Delayed response
• Easily distracted
• Driving too fast or driving too slow
• Reduced confidence in driving
• Difficulty moving into another lane of traffic
• Becoming unfamiliar with the area that they drive-in
• Confused by traffic signals
• Stopping at traffic lights when the light is green
• Not stopping completely at red lights or stop signs

If you are unsure about your senior’s abilities to drive, there are physical therapy centers able to measure reaction time and test vision. If you notice your loved one is showing any of these signs while driving, it would be good to talk with them. Driving is often one of the last ties seniors have to their independence. Your senior might have strong feelings about losing that piece of their freedom.
At Evergreen Senior Living in Orland Park, we offer our residents the best and safest transportation whenever we go on outings, trips, and community events. Learn more about the safe transportation we offer here by scheduling a tour today!

Tags:

Brain Functions that Improve with Age

Wednesday, October 10, 2022   

When it comes to cognitive functions and their correlation with age, people often focus on declines. But a new study challenges these preconceptions and suggests that certain operations in our brain improve over time!

Cognitive functioning includes thinking, memory, and self-control. Many researchers agree there comes an age when these mental faculties start to decline. While it’s true some seniors show deterioration; others may show an increase and improvement. Dr. Ullman, a professor in the Department of Neuroscience and director of Georgetown University Medical Center’s Brain and Language Lab in Washington, D.C., conducted a study with 702 participants ages 58 to 98, testing in three areas:

Orienting Function– Shifting attention to an unexpected movement

Alerting Function – Increased preparedness

Executive Function – Inhibiting distractions so you can stay focused

This test showed how these participants responded to the target stimulus. This recent study revealed that only the alerting function declined. Past studies indicated a decline in all three functions. In this case, the orientation and executive function improved! The hypothesis is that these operations are part of our everyday lives and are regularly practiced. And although these functions seem to improve as we age, many activities can further improve cognitive abilities, such as

  • Social interaction
  • Trivia games
  • Puzzles
  • Board games
  • Arts and crafts

At Evergreen Senior Living in Orland Park, we are dedicated to maintaining the cognitive health of our residents. All our games and activities are designed strategically to ensure that your senior continues to live their best life. Contact us to learn more about our assisted living and memory support communities, or schedule your tour online today!

Tags: