How Assisted Living Support Improves Health Beyond Medical Care

Understanding the Wellness Benefits of Assisted Living

Many people think of an assisted living community as a fancy nursing home that provides medical care. But assisted living is about wellness, not medical care. It’s a supported lifestyle with a caring team to take over chores, do the cooking, and provide personal care. Having a professional care team manage daily needs, like dressing, bathing, and toileting, can restore dignity and confidence to enjoy an active lifestyle in assisted living.

When your loved one moves into The Herrick House, we’ll welcome your family’s involvement in care planning so we can understand their needs. Our families often see loved ones reinvigorated as they become active in our community.

Key Takeaways: Assisted Living Support at a Glance

• Assisted living services support overall senior health and wellness, covering physical, cognitive, emotional, and social well-being.
• Support with activities of daily living restores dignity and provides the energy and confidence to enjoy an active lifestyle with friends.
• Social connection is at the heart of assisted living and protects mental and physical health.
• At The Herrick House, we’re dedicated to supporting whole-person health through personalized support, social connections, and a comprehensive wellness program.

Community Dining Supports Physical Wellness and More

Finding the daily motivation to prepare healthy meals for one can be hard at any age. For older adults living alone, physical challenges, fatigue, and loneliness can make meal preparation especially challenging. Inconsistent nutrition can reduce muscle and bone strength and increase the risk of falls. Even if you're prepping their meals, you may not be able to be there every day, and you may worry about whether the nutrition is just right.

Mealtime in assisted living means enjoying delicious food three times a day while talking and laughing with others. It means grocery shopping and meal preparation are taken care of.

Our five restaurant-style dining rooms feature delicious chef-prepared meals from a menu reviewed by a dietitian. Your loved one's food will be prepared according to their personalized care plan and served by our cheerful waitstaff. They’ll dine with dignity at a beautifully set table with other residents they’ve bonded with.

Social Connection: The Heart of Assisted Living Support

Community living for older adults does more than just pass the time. Being happy and connected are quality-of-life markers. An active social life supports health across all dimensions. Social isolation and loneliness have proven links to depression, heart disease, dementia, and premature death.

Our Director of Resident Life focuses exclusively on designing social, wellness, and creative programs our residents love. Our VoiceFriend technology provides personalized activity reminders, so your loved one never misses out on:

• Daily social hour at the Heel Tapper Pub
• Resident town meetings
• Movie and trivia nights
• Off-campus outings

Our outings and on-site activities offer natural bonding opportunities without pressure.

Daily Support Makes an Active Lifestyle Possible

Assistance with activities of daily living like toileting, bathing, dressing, and grooming protects dignity, so your loved one can be active with confidence. Regular movement supports energy, balance, and strength in older adults. An active lifestyle means your loved one can spend their days enjoying life instead of recovering from injuries.

At The Herrick House, we build physical activity into daily life, so your loved one can stay active without thinking about it. They can:

• Walk our beautiful, wooded campus
• Participate in our Eldergrow therapeutic gardening program
• Enjoy golf on our putting and driving range
• Take regular walks with their beloved pet in our pet-friendly community 

Our daily exercise classes, which include gentle options like chair yoga and tai chi, can improve muscle tone, strength, and balance.

Assisted Living Support and Cognitive Well-Being

Managing medications, coordinating medical care, and keeping up with household chores can consume most of an aging parent’s mental resources without cognitive benefits. Just as movement supports a strong, healthy body, mentally stimulating activities promote brain health. Learning something new causes the brain to build new connections. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more connections lead to a more resilient brain and may reduce the risk of dementia.

Your loved one will need to keep challenging, keep learning, and keep growing. At The Herrick House, we handle the mundane responsibilities, freeing your loved one’s mind to focus on more beneficial tasks. Our classes and educational opportunities change often, so the learning never has to stop.

Ready for a Lifestyle that Supports Whole-Person Wellness?

Needing support shouldn’t mean losing out on an active lifestyle. And at The Herrick House, it doesn’t. We offer compassionate support for daily needs, personalized care plans, and a full calendar that will keep you or your loved one physically and socially active.

Rather than medical care, Assisted Living is a supported lifestyle. But medical care is still here when you need it. As part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, our community is in a beautiful, wooded section of the Beverly Hospital Campus, so medical help is just minutes away. Curious about what a supported lifestyle could look like for your loved one? Download our Assisted Living Guide.