One inevitable downside to aging is the deterioration of the immune system. This is attributed to a range of factors including gene degeneration, accumulation of oxidants, poor feeding habits, concomitant diseases, and more. This puts post-retirement individuals in an immunocompromised state where they are likely to get recurrent infections that are difficult to treat. Living in retirement communities is one of the things that can be done to improve one’s immune system. Of course, this depends on the quality of the retirement community. Trustworthy senior living communities have amenities and resources to help such individuals. Other ways in which living in a retirement community can help in strengthening the immune system include:
Watch Your Diet
Diet has a key role to play in determining one’s immunity irrespective of their age. If an important nutrient such as Zinc is not present in the required quantities, the immune system will not work as expected. This will manifest as recurrent infections. In retired individuals, this can be devastating. It can cause preexisting conditions to worsen, leading to a poor prognosis. We offer various modalities of making sure our guests have a nutritious diet. These include only using fresh ingredients when cooking, considering each guest’s dietary requirements, and providing nutritional advice from professional team members. Our Sensations Dining program is tailored to each guest’s needs. Our team members also check in on guests to ensure that they eat adequately. If a problem such as poor feeding for a long time is noted, this will be escalated and the right advice sought to remedy it.
Hand Washing and General Hygiene
Since the COVID-19 breakout, many people have learned how to wash their hands properly. Many have also learned the importance of washing their hands. When you live in a retirement community, the team members often encourage guests to wash their hands to avoid passing on any infectious diseases. The community is dotted with conveniently placed hand-washing facilities. Soap, clean towels, and other toiletries are often renewed in the apartment to ensure that no guest runs out of soap or detergent when needed.
Hand washing prevents the transmission of numerous diseases in addition to COVID-19. Adhering to the hand washing protocols reduces the chances of getting ill, which boosts guests’ immunity.
Vaccination
Through the Expressions Concierge services, we can organize vaccinations for our guests, and even transport them to the vaccination center using our transportation service if the service providers won’t come to the community to inoculate those who need it. Vaccinations are important as they strengthen the immune system against specific pathogens. This is helpful in post-retirement since people in this age group tend to be more susceptible to infections.
Exercise
Living in a retirement community allows one to take part in exercises designed to not only improve strength, balance, and general well-being but also improve immunity. Various cytokines and other molecules are released when one exercises, and this results in improved immunity. Consistency is key when doing this to get the best value out of it. Our team members are on hand to help pick exercises that will have this effect without causing injuries or fractures to the guests.
