How to Create a Homelike Environment in Assisted Living
Transitioning to an assisted living community can come with mixed emotions. You will be leaving the familiar surroundings of your previous home, but you will be moving into a safe, supportive environment with any assistance you need at your fingertips, day and night. In addition, many assisted living communities offer an outstanding array of other services and amenities and a built-in social network that meets your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs.
Many seniors choose assisted living in Arizona, like the Mission at Agua Fria, because of the beautiful surroundings, fantastic weather year-round, and lower cost of living. With such gorgeous vistas outside, you can easily create a homelike environment inside your assisted living apartment, personalized to your preferences and needs.
Keep reading for tips on making your new home feel like home and why it is important to do so:
Incorporate Your Personality
Although you likely downsized your belongings, everyone has certain favorite items like a coffee mug from your vacation to Las Vegas, family pictures, artwork, or a comfy blanket you knit yourself. Bring those items to your new home to personalize your space, focusing on things that have sentimental value or bring positive memories to mind.
Consider bringing familiar smells into your new home through air fresheners or scented candles in comforting scents you love. National Institutes of Health research suggests that scent-based memories tend to be more positive than memories elicited by other senses like taste or hearing. There are candles out there with scents like petrichor, cornbread with honey,
If you have hobbies like jigsaw puzzles, board games, painting, or playing the guitar, set aside a place, like a basket on a bookshelf, to store what you need. You will also need to carve out a space in your new home to engage in your hobby with visitors and new friends.
Choosing colors, patterns, and textiles that appeal to you for curtains, bedding, towels, and throw pillows. This action can upgrade your space quickly and add a dose of your style and flair to make your apartment your own.
Focus on Comfort
Don’t try to bring all your furniture with you. It’s important not to overcrowd or clutter up your space. In the long run, you will be more relaxed if you can easily navigate your home. Arrange furniture to maximize the space and ensure that essential items like lamps are within easy reach.
Comfortable and supportive furniture, like a good, comfy reading chair instead of a recliner, will be more beneficial than designer furniture. Oval or round-topped kitchen tables are a good choice in smaller spaces, as well as furniture that can do double duty, like a cushioned bench for seating that also opens up for storage.
Planning ahead can go a long way to taking some of the stress out of moving. You can access floor plans for the Mission at Agua Fria apartments to help you visualize your needs. Scheduling a tour to visit in person and take measurements is also helpful.
Enhance Your Environment
Be sure that your apartment is well-lit with soft, warm lighting. Warm lighting is closer to daylight and works with our natural circadian rhythms to help us relax at the end of the day and sleep better at night. Also, lighting creates a more cheerful atmosphere and allows us to see where we are going, which can minimize trips and falls.
Adding greenery, plants, and flowers to your apartment is another way to enhance your living environment. If you’re worried you don’t have a green thumb, succulents are easy to care for and thrive indoors. Even high-quality artificial plants that look realistic can give you the beauty you crave without all the maintenance.
Some assisted living communities allow pets. If you already have one, this is excellent news! You can bring them with you when you move. If you don’t have one, dogs can help get you some exercise on a regular basis and also could help lower your blood pressure! Cats are great, too, with studies showing a lower risk of heart attack for those who share their home with a feline.
Benefits of Creating a Homey Atmosphere
Working to create a homey atmosphere in your new assisted living apartment has several mental, physical, and emotional benefits, including:
- Increased social interaction: You will be much more likely to have friends over if your living space is warm, comfortable, and inviting. You can share meals, host a game night, involve them in your hobbies, or start new ones together.
- Enhanced mental health: Being surrounded by familiar objects and positive memories can positively affect your mental health. Familiarity promotes relaxation and reduces the stress and anxiety that can sometimes come with change.
- Smoother transition: Moving to a new home that is uncluttered, cozy, and full of your personality will require much less adjustment than moving somewhere that feels unfamiliar and new.
- Autonomy and independence: Adding your personal touches and ensuring you have exactly what you need will help you feel empowered and more in control of your surroundings and maintain your independence.
- Overall wellness: We all know that our mental and emotional well-being is tied to physical health. When our living atmosphere is calm, peaceful, and full of joy, chances are that we will be too, which will increase our wellness in all areas.
Make Yourself at Home at The Mission at Agua Fria!
If you are considering assisted living in Arizona, we would love to meet you and your family! Nestled in the beautiful desert oasis of Peoria, AZ, the Mission at Agua Fria has everything you need to live well. From our outstanding services and amenities – meals, housekeeping and laundry, chauffeured transportation, on-site hair salon, game and media rooms, exercise program and wellness center, and more – to our compassionate care at just the right level for your needs, we think you’ll feel right at home here. Call or email us today to schedule a tour to see our community in person or ask any questions you might have. We look forward to connecting with you!