Columbia Pacific Communities Articles

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the world into an unprecedented situation. The importance of maintaining personal hygiene, maintaining social distance and self-quarantining cannot be emphasized enough given the contagious nature of the infection. While older people are more vulnerable to the infection, for people living in senior citizen homes in India, it is important to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic in a better way. Here are a few tips that could help senior living communities handle the COVID-19 pandemic better: Empower residents with information: The real threat in the times of a pandemic is not just the infection but also the misinformation. Providing residents accurate and non-judgmental information around COVID-19 is the best way to manage the pandemic. At Columbia Pacific Communities, we raised awareness about how to stop the spread of the virus, what to do if they develop symptoms of the disease, and how to best manage their health and well-being during quarantine. The information shared with our residents have been vetted by leading medical practitioners. Sense of security: Knowing that the staff at the senior living community they live in is taking all the safety precautions can help residents have peace of mind. Many senior citizen housing complexes have put in place safety measures and hygiene practices. To ensure that our residents are well-protected, the entry for visitors has been restricted at all our Communities. Community staff members are ensuring that all the essential items are being delivered to residents. Stay connected: The need for seniors to remain connected with others has become all the more important in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Social isolation and loneliness in older adults can adversely affect their physical and mental well-being. To help seniors not feel shut out, our Wellness team encourages residents to connect with their family and friends over video calls. Those who are not tech-savvy are provided assistance. Virtual talent hunts have kept the morale high. Community messages are exchanged regularly so that everybody stays updated and feels like a part of the community. Seniors are also encouraged to go for walks while maintaining social distancing.

Exercising regularly has many physical and mental health benefits. It helps seniors increase strength, balance, and mobility. It also reduces the risk of falling by helping seniors improve their gait. The best way to get physically active is to go outside and get started. But before you do that, here are some tips that will help you stay safe: Think of your safety: While stepping out for a jog or a walk, carry your ID with emergency contact information, especially if you are walking alone. Stick to well-lit places where there are people around. If you are walking in the dark, wear brightly colored clothes to be seen easily and carry a flashlight. At our senior citizen homes in India, we have dedicated jogging and walking tracks which are well-lit. The communities, manned by security guards 24×7, are under CCTV surveillance. Listen to your body: Start your workout with proper warm-up exercises and end with cool-down exercises. Doing this reduces muscle soreness and reduces risk of injury. Always gauge your level of comfort. Do not exert yourself. If you are experiencing pain or exhaustion, take rest for a few days before resuming your workout. At our senior citizen housing communities, daily stretching exercises are conducted under the supervision of trained physiotherapists. This is to ensure that the residents get the technique right. Wear appropriate shoes and clothing: To avoid slipping, make sure you choose shoes that are right for the type of activity you are doing. Also, make sure you wear clothes suitable to the temperature outside. Wear sweat-wicking clothes that will help you stay comfortable and dry. In our communities, all the jogging and walking tracks, aerobics and yoga decks have anti-skid flooring to prevent falls. Stay hydrated: Keep yourself hydrated while exercising. The best option is to drink water. You can also drink freshly squeezed juice. It’s best to avoid caffeinated beverages. In case you suffer from a medical condition wherein your doctor has advised you to limit your liquid intake, then do consult your doctor before exercising outdoors. At Columbia Pacific Communities, we encourage our residents to be physically active. If you do not wish to exercise because of rain or any other reason, there are fully-equipped gyms on the premises. Indoor and outdoor games make exercising fun. We hope you will find these tips helpful the next time when you are exercising outdoors!

For many seniors, moving to a community living can be emotionally difficult, leaving old friends behind and starting over in a new place. We understand that any change in your living situation is bound to stress you and make you anxious, hence it’s important to give yourself time and space to cope with change. Once you move to a community living facility, take your time to adjust to the new environment but at the same time don’t feel shy to interact with others. If you are moving into a community living facility, here’s what you can do to make new friends: Spend more time in common areas: Instead of going back to your apartment or villa, spend more time in common areas where you can find people with common interests. There are many ways you can occupy yourself in a community living facility like ours. You can participate in indoor and outdoor games and other activities throughout the day that will give you ample opportunities to strike a conversation and foster new friendships. Attend events: When you’re moving in, look at the social calendars and see if you fancy anything. Many assisted living facilities like ours realise that making friends in a new place can be difficult. Hence we organise events that are developed keeping in mind the needs and interests of our residents. You will find one or the other activity of your interest. At our community living facility, we organise music concerts, lectures, and workshops that are fun and informative. These places provide you with ways to identify common grounds with other residents. It’s better to catch up with a movie screening with others rather than watching it alone in your apartment. Break bread together: Food plays a very important role when it comes to fostering friendship. Sharing a meal with others is the easiest way to interact with them and get to know them. Sitting with new people and eating with them can go a long way in developing relationships. At our community living facility, we have spacious dining halls where you can enjoy relaxed meals. Finding new friends while eating will make your meals fun. Those of you who feel like ordering in can have the meals delivered to the doorstep. Some luxury community living facilities also have a beverage station with juicers, smoothie makers and coffee machines so that you can indulge in your favorite beverage while enjoying with your friends. Join a fitness class: Joining an exercise class can be a great way to meet people and get to know them better. Exercising is a common interest that everybody loves to talk about. Besides sharing workout tips, there is a lot that you can talk about while exercising. There is one added benefit in this; when you have someone to exercise with, you are more likely to stick to commitment and schedule. At our community living facilities, we offer yoga classes and other physical activities designed by our physiotherapists that will help you stay healthy and yet meet new people. We offer a variety of opportunities for seniors to stay involved in their community, including music concerts and movie screenings. We hope you find the above-mentioned tips handy when you are moving into a community living facility.

Exercise offers several health benefits to people of all ages, including seniors. But one exercise that particularly benefits seniors is swimming. Being a low-impact exercise, it doesn’t exert too much pressure on the joints, making it an ideal exercise for seniors. To make sure that our residents benefit from swimming, some of our senior living communities in India have swimming pools with non-slip vitrified tiles all around them. Swimming is a complete work out for seniors. Here are a few of the health benefits that swimming offers to seniors: Improved cardiovascular health: Swimming is great for your cardiovascular health. Regular swimming helps you lower your blood pressure by making your heart more efficient in pumping the blood. The improved blood circulation reduces the risk of heart disease. Increased flexibility: Stretching exercises help the body regain flexibility. Swimming is an overall workout that promotes flexibility in your legs, arms and neck. The strokes and motions used in swimming help naturally relax the muscles and alleviate back pain. Weight management: As you age, your metabolism slows down, making it difficult for you to lose weight as easily as you could have done earlier. Regular swimming helps in improving metabolism. The good thing about swimming is that you not only shed calories but also get toned muscles, giving you a better posture. As swimming is an exercise that is easy on the joints, it is ideal for those who suffer from joint pain and stiffness. Improves mental health: Swimming is a little more fun than lifting weights in the gym for many people. Swimming is a great way to socialise. When done with friends, swimming can be fun. Being in the water has positive effects on the overall mood of a person. Whether it’s swimming or enjoying light exercises in the gardens, our senior living communities help our residents enjoy an active life. The wellness programmes at our senior living communities are designed by trained physiotherapists. We take a holistic approach towards the overall well-being of our residents.

Designed to help seniors enjoy a lifestyle based on independence, wellbeing and active living, the best rated senior living communities like ours offer a bouquet of services. Let’s take a brief look at some of the services and amenities you can expect at the best senior living communities- ● Housekeeping services: To help you enjoy doing the things you love, we take care of all your housekeeping needs, be it cleaning or property upkeep. From daily cleaning and mopping to fixing a leaky faucet – all your housekeeping and property maintenance needs are handled by our trained team. To address any maintenance or breakdown issues, our team is available 24X7, on the premises. ● Concierge: Whether you want to plan a weekend trip or catch the latest movie at your favourite theater, our concierge team will not only help you hire vehicles but also book tickets. ● Food and Beverage: At Columbia Pacific Communities, food is an experience. Our menu offers flavorsome meals prepared fresh by our chefs. You’ll find a variety of choices on the menu which is designed after taking inputs from our residents. Our premium senior living community in Bangalore has multiple dining options, including restaurants, a beverage station and nutrition centre. ● Swimming pools: Swimming is a great way to stay in shape and improve flexibility. For our residents, we have swimming pools in select senior living communities where they can swim some laps and spend quality time with other residents. ● Fitness studio: To help our residents stay active and fit, we have gyms equipped with cardiovascular and strength training equipment. Our fitness programs are designed by experienced instructors and physiotherapists. ● Movie screenings: We have movie screenings so that our residents can catch up on the latest blockbusters and revisit the classics. The Virtuoso Club and Serviced Residences, our senior living community in Bangalore, has a theatre as well as an outdoor area for movie screenings. We encourage you to visit our senior living communities. Contact us today to learn more and schedule your personal tour.

When it comes to physical activities for seniors, it’s hard to imagine anything that brings more health and spiritual benefits than yoga. Yoga relaxes the mind and body and is a great way to stay flexible. At our communities in India, experienced trainers conduct yoga classes that are designed to help seniors maintain joint flexibility while enhancing muscle and core strength. Here are the top three reasons why yoga is an important activity at senior citizen communities in India – Yoga improves balance and strength: As people age, they often lose their sense of balance. There are many yoga exercises that help seniors regain their balance and coordination. With regular practice, seniors can improve their gait, balance and flexibility. Yoga reduces stress: According to the Harvard Mental Health Letter, yoga is a great way to manage emotional problems like stress and depression. There are several postures and breathing exercises that help seniors relieve stress and anxiety. Intentional deep breathing exercises not only help calm an unsettled mind but also help create a sense of harmony. Relieve aches and pains: As people age, their joints tend to become stiff because of reduced physical activity. There are several yoga asanas that gently stretch the body and  help seniors get relief from joint stiffness and improve their range of motion. Yoga is also an effective way to get relief from pain caused by inflammatory joint conditions. The best thing about yoga is that it is a low-impact exercise that doesn’t put too much pressure on the joints, making it ideal for seniors. Yoga involves bending, stretching and twisting – all these movements improve blood circulation and boost a person’s metabolism. Yoga is an important part of wellness programs at Columbia Pacific Communities. Get in touch with us to know more about our wellness programs.