Across the country, health providers have been steadily incorporating the concept of holistic lifestyles into their care. It seems everywhere we turn as consumers we are encouraged to pursue this concept of holistic living. But, what does holistic living really mean and how can you introduce such an unusual concept to the population of American seniors?

Introducing Holistic Living

The challenge to introduce holistic living, or more commonly understood as care that targets all aspects of a person’s life beyond the physical, has become a major goal for the American senior care industry. Geriatric specialists, senior living facilities and health aides have all worked to change their definitions of care.Despite the research which points to the long-term benefits of holistic living, many consumers especially those with the 75 years or older age bracket still have doubts. Pushing forward change while assuaging doubts have led many organizations to get creative on how to introduce this new approach to care.

Innovation and Creativity

Innovation was the goal when Aviva – A Campus for Senior Life introduced our holistic approach to health in 2014. This unique program works to engage the four pillars of resident health; mind, body, spirit and social well-being.Combining the technical skills of the wellness and therapy departments with the dynamic excitement and creativity of our Life Enrichment department, the Aviva4Life program works to offer specialized programming to residents included in their daily calendar.By creating an environment with an abundance of health resources and easily accessible industry experts, Aviva has created a way for every resident to maximize their potential for well-being.

Well-Being for All Residents

Aviva4Life’s success comes in two major aspects within a resident’s daily life. First is programming. By capitalizing on the talented and top-level staff at Aviva, the community has developed one of the most unique and dynamic activities’ calendars in the area. Utilizing the core ideas of Aviva4Life, the Aviva activities calendar offers options for residents which target every aspect of their well-being.

Inspiring a Balanced Day

On an average day a resident can start their morning with a balance class in the wellness center, enjoy a lecture from a local historian before lunch, and end the night with a gourmet heart-healthy meal before enjoying a live performance by a local classical musician.While residents are free to enjoy these activities they often fail to realize that by doing so they are seeing to their own well-being. All they have to worry about is doing the things they love to do, and our staff works behind the scenes to ensure that every aspect of campus works to improve the health of those who live there.That commitment extends far beyond an activities calendar. It includes the work of Aviva’s classically trained Executive Chef, a dedicated full-time nurse, a geriatric fitness specialist, an on-site chaplain and the staff of all departments fully trained in customer service and resident care.

Working Behind the Scenes

The second major aspect of Aviva4Life is one that happens behind the scenes thanks to the tireless work of Aviva’s staff. When Aviva launched our Aviva4Life program we created a staff network of communication which works to monitor the health and well-being of residents in a non-intrusive manner.As leaders in the healthcare industry, the Aviva4Life network of staff work around the clock to pull research and innovative techniques into the Aviva community to improve the health of our residents. Past initiatives have included a multi-disciplinary brain health campaign which included new programming, partnerships with local experts like the Memory Clinic at Sarasota Memorial, and fundraising for one-of-a-kind tools and techniques used to stimulate memory and reverse cognitive aging.By creating this network of Aviva staff, the community has found a way to stay on the cutting edge of health-related technology while making new trends in wellness accessible for a population which has trouble embracing these dynamic innovations on their own.

Looking to the Future of Holistic Living

Now almost 4 years later, the Aviva4Life program has continued to evolve and grow. Aviva4Life works to not only improve the lives at Aviva’s Independent Living community, but also the Assisted Living and Memory Care communities.Aviva’s team has bigger and bigger goals in mind for their proprietary program, including its expansion into their Skilled Nursing facility and ongoing education course for staff of all levels and positions. While Aviva is passionate about the program on campus the staff are also working hard to help surrounding communities create their own unique health networks.With the help of an amazing staff and a dream, Aviva has created a unique holistic living model for our community of seniors. Every day we are working to bring new activities and ways to keep our resident’s mind, body, and spirit healthy.Experience all of the possibilities, contact Aviva today!