Dear Jenny,
How important is social interaction? My mom says all she wants to do is, “sit at home and watch TV.”
Thanks,
Barbara
Very good question Barbara. Social interaction is instrumental in avoiding or slowing down the progression of memory loss. Study after study has been conducted and all have come to the same conclusion.
Activities such as reading the newspaper daily or watching the news are better than nothing, but it is the face to face daily interaction that is so important. “You can take all the Aricept or Namenda [medication] you want, but it is many times less effective than daily social interaction,” said William Almario, Nurse at Villa Bonita Senior Living. We have seen it many times, a senior moves into Villa Bonita very antisocial and very forgetful, yet without any prescription changes, that same resident becomes more alert and less forgetful in as little as a few weeks. In addition to social interaction, daily seated exercise also plays an important role. Every morning at Villa Bonita starts off with seated exercise. Then the day changes with activities such as current events. Not just listening to current events, but open dialogue between the residents about the current events. Card games are very popular, Dominos, Bingo, Sudoku, live music, and scenic drives are just a few more examples of positive social events at Villa Bonita. For those residents who are really anti-social just sitting in the lobby and watching the action is even better and more stimulating than just sitting in their apartments by themselves. “Getting residents involved is a really big focus of mine,” said Executive Director, Ryan Test. “It is one of the main reasons residents love living here.”
If you have questions about senior care or helping an elderly loved one, contact Jenny Wallis, community marketing director at Villa Bonita Senior Living at (619) 739-4400 or by e-mail at villabonitamkg2@islllc.com. Villa Bonita Senior Living is an assisted living community licensed by the California Department of Social Services, located at 3434 Bonita Road, Chula Vista. You can also visit Villa Bonita online at www.villabonitaseniorliving.com.
