Family engagement in senior care plays an integral role in helping seniors feel supported as they transition into a new stage of life, whether it’s at home or in a senior living community. It involves active participation in the care planning and social activities of our loved ones. When family members stay proactive with their involvement, the benefits are endless.
Some key benefits may include better customized care, stronger family bonds, and an enhanced quality of life. Staying close to family can also ease feelings of loneliness, boost overall well-being, and even help slow the changes that come with dementia.
Benefits of Family Engagement in Senior Care
There are several benefits to family engagement in senior care, including improved quality of care and stronger relationships. When families stay connected and involved in care, they can better advocate for their loved one's rights and needs, resulting in customized care. This connection can also increase trust between the senior, family members, and caregivers.
Emotional and Psychological Benefits
Family members can be a familiar and comforting presence for an older adult who may be experiencing life changes, such as relocating to a new environment or adjusting to a new dementia diagnosis. When older adults choose to move from their established home into an assisted living community, for instance, they may feel like they are cut off from the life they previously knew, including a home, a neighborhood, or fellowship in church or community centers.
Staying connected with family members reduces those thoughts and keeps an important bridge in place. This familiarity can help prevent or reduce depression, boost overall mood, and soothe anxiety.
Physical Health Benefits
When family members visit senior loved ones in senior living communities regularly, it may increase older adults' mobility. For instance, a senior may feel more motivated to do something as simple as getting up out of bed to dress up and look nice for their family. Additionally, when grandkids and others encourage seniors to go on walks or play with them, it may help them get more exercise.
If an in-person visit isn’t always possible, families can encourage their loved ones over the phone. A suggestion or reminder can motivate seniors to take medication regularly or get up and moving, leading to improved health.
Cognitive Benefits
Loneliness and lack of social interaction may lead to poor cognitive health for older adults, according to the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease Reports. When a family engages with their senior loved one in-person, via video calls, or on phone calls, it adds consistent social interaction to their life. This can in turn reduce loneliness, engage their brain, and support cognitive health.
Family can also encourage seniors to engage in fun activities that are appropriate for their cognitive level, including memory games and storytelling. These activities can stimulate those critical cognitive functions.
How Sunrise Facilitates Family Engagement in Senior Care
In a Sunrise senior living community, our team members organize regular meetings between family members and care teams to keep loved ones in the loop on care decisions and strategies. We also help ensure that family members are aware of their loved one's progress and any concerns that arise during care. By fostering open communication with families, we strive to help residents feel fully supported.
To foster connection, Sunrise communities also use a family engagement app by Smile® for Senior Living. Families can use this app to stay in touch no matter how far they are from their loved one.
The app enables family members to share photographs and videos with ease to help their senior loved ones keep family close to their heart. They can also see photos of their senior loved one thriving in the community and participating in on-site activities.
Furthermore, family members can view information about community activities at Sunrise and leave messages for activity coordinators to help them incorporate activities your loved one would enjoy. The app even lets you record memories to create a life story that can be enjoyed by a senior or used by team members to spark memories in a senior resident.
Family Involvement in Daily Activities
To further support family engagement, we encourage residents’ families to join in on the engaging activities and programming. Share meals with your loved one, get active in an exercise class, or meet their new community friends at social events. To help ensure all families have activities they can enjoy with their loved one, Sunrise offers plenty of options, including family game nights, art classes, and shared gardening projects.
Special Programs and Events
Sunrise communities host a variety of special events designed to help families feel comfortable and engaged when visiting our communities. Some examples include holiday celebrations, family nights, and birthday parties. Family members are also welcome to use our private dining rooms to host their own celebrations.
Senior Living Activities That Promote Family Engagement
Sunrise is dedicated to creating stimulating activities that help promote the emotional, physical, and cognitive well-being of our residents. We also aim to create options that make it easy for resident families to join in.
Social and Recreational Activities
We recognize that senior socialization is a critical aspect of retirement, and it continues to be important even when someone is living with dementia. While we offer daily opportunities for seniors to socialize with each other at Sunrise, we also involve friends and family in this process. That's why we host family picnics, community outings, movie nights, and other opportunities for vibrant socialization. When family members can join a senior loved one in their new community, it can enhance that person's overall sense of belonging and help them engage with activities and others.
Cognitive and Creative Activities
When we gather families and residents together, we of course hope they enjoy their time. However, we also hope that it has a lasting impact on a resident’s relationships with their loved ones and on their overall health.
At Sunrise, our curated activity calendars are filled with options that spark mental, cognitive, and creative health. Families can participate in music sessions, arts and crafts activities, and game nights to encourage their loved ones to try new activities. Trying new games and creative activities with loved ones can introduce new hobbies they can continue to enjoy on their own while creating new memories.
Physical Activities
Mobility and movement are key to optimal health, even when older adults are facing chronic conditions like arthritis or dementia. We offer activities such as gardening clubs, light exercise programs, group fitness classes, and walking clubs to promote physical health, which families can easily join in on.
Importance of Family Involvement in Dementia Care
Family engagement is important in any senior care setting. However, there are some unique challenges present in dementia care settings because of the specialized needs of loved ones with dementia. However, Sunrise is happy to help foster positive communication between residents and family members.
Team members learn about each resident’s diagnosis, preferences, and required support to create individualized care plans to help ensure a better quality of life. They also may use this knowledge to help residents’ families better engage with their families when they visit.
Families that remain involved in the care process can help support their loved one in memory care. They can help inform their routines to help ensure familiarity and advocate for their needs and preferences based on what they know.
Family Involvement Activities for Loved Ones with Dementia
While dementia is a complex condition, family involvement doesn't have to be. Simply sitting and listening to music together provides your loved one with dementia an opportunity to reminisce, socialize, and recall cherished memories.
Families can also help with sensory stimulation with activities like a walk in a garden or happy hours featuring snacks and drinks. These activities can also help reduce agitation and improve mood in loved ones with dementia.
We understand that it can sometimes be hard to understand how dementia affects your loved one. To support families, Sunrise hosts regular family support groups and encourages family members to attend. These groups can help families strengthen their bond and better understand their loved one’s dementia journey.
Choose a Way to Engage with Your Loved One Today
Family engagement may look different from resident to resident, but the benefits are clear. It can improve emotional, physical, and cognitive health for a senior loved one in the next stage of their life. A simple visit, phone call, video call, or even text message can help.
Learn more about the types of care at Sunrise Senior Living to see how each one fosters a better lifestyle for each resident. You can also find a Sunrise community near you to learn more about how your local Sunrise prioritizes family engagement in senior care.