Active Senior Activities and Older Adults

Assess Active Senior Activities

Introduction

The elderly's programs allow creative, musical, social, and group environments that promote interactions at a personal level, community involvement, and regular attendance. Activity programs offer a potential solution to reducing social isolation among the elderly. Isolation is linked to poor health outcomes (Coyle & Dugan, 2012). There is evidence that social, educational, and physical exercise programs for the elderly enhance the mental and physical health conditions (Leung, Orrell & Orgeta, 2015).

Physical exercise plans have been proven to enhance physical health outcomes among frail adults. The outcomes of the programs have been maintained for 12 months following participation. More research is needed to launch the impacts after the 12 months (Hobbs et al., 2013). This paper reviews activities for seniors' programs, related physical and mental gains, the complications in following the activities, and the openings available for seniors to participate in these health-enhancing programs.

Activities for a senior's program

Listed below are the top five social activity plans for seniors to help them stay physically, socially, and mentally astute.

Walking: Walking around with friends is the most beneficial physical activity for the elderly. This activity helps seniors to strengthen their body and enhances a positive attitude. It is common to find seniors walking around the parks together, in their neighborhoods, and in other outdoor locations. They also move around inside malls and department stores when the weather is not favorable (Kim et al., 2011). It is also common to find advertisements for walking groups in newspapers.

Classes for Exercise: Exercise helps to alleviate boredom and depression. It has also been found to be an effective activity for strengthening muscles. The latter is a critical part of the health of older adults. Exercise programs can enhance cognitive abilities. Such classes push the seniors to think about moving their bodies and parts thereof(Pruneti et al., 2019). Apart from providing aerobic classes and stretching exercises, many senior centers and gyms incorporate yoga in their exercise programs. Such aspects enhance flexibility, control, and balance.

Swimming and Water Aerobics Classes–

Water aerobics and swimming are great activities to pursue. Indeed, water exercises are more effective than dry land activities for arthritis patients since it does not exert pressure on the joints(Pruneti et al., 2019). One can join water aerobics at the local center or register with a gym with an indoor swimming pool facility.

Dancing: There are many ways that dancing improves the well-being of the elderly. Since dancing can involve a dance partner, it is a highly-touted social activity. It has been demonstrated that dancing is great for the joints and heart(Noice, Noice & Kramer, 2014).

Dancing triggers mental alertness, which may help in lowering the chances of developing dementia. Apart from moving the body, dancing calls for thinking too. The thinking aspect includes memorizing the dance moves and steps. Dancing may also help seniors with Parkinson's disease, asthma, and cancer if they get approval from the doctor.

Board Games: Board games happen to be a great way to make friends bond(Pruneti et al., 2019). One of the games that a lot of seniors enjoy is Bingo. It carries the capacity to stimulate mental health. Scrabble has also been a common favorite for a long time. Seniors are also known to love card games. The latter is an easy game to access, whether in a club or with family members.

How these activities contribute to older adults' physical and mental well-being

The gains of physical exercise for the elderly are many. Keeping healthy enhances the health of one's bones, joints, and muscles. It also helps prevent joints' swelling and arthritis pains (Johnson et al., 2020). Additionally, it has been established that exercising regularly helps to reduce coronary heart disease, cancer of the colon, diabetes, and high blood pressure (Johnson et al., 2020; Noice et al., 2014). Engaging in physical activity is also associated with reduced anxiety and depression.

In evaluation studies conducted in the US and the UK, group activity and social engagement including participating in art, community choir membership, and faith-based communities and social activities in museums have been found to enhance cognition, mental health, and emotional health for the seniors (Fancourt & Steptoe, 2018).

They have also been found to reduce loneliness (Johnson et al., 2020). Studies have shown that in South Korea and the US, activities in seniors' centers may promote friendships among elderly female folk, especially those who live alone, hence slowing cognitive decline among those who participate (Lee & Kim, 2016).

It has been established that social contact works just as well in mood improvement and eventual enhancement of the quality of life among older adults (Noice et al., 2014). The social interaction outcomes include a better sense of belonging, a sharper mind, and world connectedness. Social interaction is also associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular complications, and various cancers (Kim et al., 2011). An active social life also enhances the immune system.

Challenges that prevent older adults from engaging in these activities

Poor Health: It is the most conspicuous hindrance to physical activity. Strong epidemiological evidence shows that poor self-rated health and equally poorly rated physical abilities are linked to a low-level physical activity in older adults (Bethancourt et al., 2014).

Poor health outcomes that deter physical activity span from heart complications, back problems, knee problems, and other functional challenges. Cognitive decline is a notable aspect of poor health barriers in taking part in physical activity. It should be noted that seniors with memory loss problems or a decline in cognitive health may still be healthy physically and capable of participating in exercises.

Expectations of negative outcomes related to physical activity in advanced age could explain why many older adults reduce their physical activity involvement when their health has issues already (Moschny et al., 2011). Many older adults fear that participating in physical exercise could be painful, including injury, falling, and chest pain. Such fear could emanate from a lack of experience in participating in physical activity and related negative experiences.

Lack of Company or having limited or no friends to pursue mental and physical activities is a common hindrance for people aged 70 years and above (Moschny et al., 2011). Several studies internationally corroborate the company's important when pursuing physical activity among older adults(Bethancourt et al., 2014; Kim et al., 2011). Indeed, most people succeed in exercising physically when they are in their partner or peers' company. If one's partner is diseased or disabled, one may find it hard to pursue physical activity. There are times when older adults feel vulnerable and unsafe to walk

Lack of transportation resources to sports facilities and programs and other opportunities were barriers that seniors with long-term mobility conditions faced (Moschny et al., 2011). How a senior can access facilities was considered a determining factor that allows elderly persons to initiate physical activities.

The limited income that seniors access was yet another barrier that the elderly face in their effort to engage in physical exercise. Due to their limited financial resources, they cannot easily access the gym, health service, and club memberships. Accessing personal training services is also a notable challenge, still because of the lack of sufficient finances. Thus, there is a general feeling among many older adults that they lack the means to facilitate engaging in physical exercise.

Time is yet another factor that hampers efforts by the elderly to engage in physical activity. It is reasonable to assume that among the elderly, lack of time is not just about committing new time. Rather it is also an issue to do with one's priorities for leisure-time pursuits and lack of interest in programs for the elderly (Moschny et al., 2011).

Where older adults may find activities in which to participate

Facilities for the elderly across the country provide educational, physical, and social activity plans. NCOA, which is the shorthand for the National Council On Aging, providers support for seniors' programs, including support for centers for the elderly. The institute oversees the practice in centers for the elderly by offering Programs of Excellence Awards via the National Institute of Senior Centers annually ("Activity programs…," 2020). States across the US also have Aging Services units and even programs to consolidate information regarding the activity programs that could be recommended, the available senior centers, and the social services offered for the elderly. Examples of such programs include North Carolina Aging Services, the FL-elder Affairs, KY-Aging programs and Services, and the WI DHS- Older adults services based in North Carolina, Florida, Kentucky, and Wisconsin, respectively.

CBSS, which shorthand for Community Based Supports And Services, is another opening for seniors to engage in mental and physical programs. Community-Based Supports and Services are created to assist the elderly within the community to stay safely within their residences and prevent or at least delay being put in an institution for care. Some examples of Community Based Supports and Services include Adult Day Services, Senior Centers, and Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities.

Other opportunities are local initiatives commonly found in social centers such as clubs, churches, gated communities, and even families. Churches provide a chance for seniors to pursue both mental and physical activities. Some church congregations organize physical activity gigs and programs for seniors frequently. Furthermore, for seniors living in a definite community such as in gated communities, towns, villages, or estates, they can join and create a group where they can pursue a wide range of activities, including physical exercise and socialization. The family has been identified as one of the most desirable and effective openings for engaging adults in the much needed physical and mental stimulation. The elderly benefit even more in families where there is a mix of both the elderly and the young. The seniors can engage the young in a range of discourses and be mentally and physically stimulated.

Finally, some openings are available through independent and corporate programs such as SilverSneakers. The older adults can access physical and mental stimulation services through SilverSneakers, a nationwide program designed to cater to seniors over 65. Participants in this group also need to have registered with Medicare Advantage Plans. The members are spread across 17 000 locations in the US. They include national gyms, Seniors Centers, and Community Centers. The program also provides online physical exercise videos for seniors who prefer engaging in activities from home or whose movement is restricted for whatever reason ("Activity programs…," 2020). Another popular physical activity program is Choose to Move. It is based in British Columbia in Canada. This program offers tailored physical exercise lessons and sessions for free. It also facilitates social interaction by enabling them to meet. Such meetings could be via virtual interaction, or even physical contact meets organized by the group. As a result, it is evident that there are many initiatives to help seniors stay active and promote their well-being. The important role of the family is evident in these efforts. Family members, associates, and friends can play a significant role in enabling the seniors to access the highlighted services in their locations and communities.