For Jennifer Bushati, healthy aging is not about how many miles someone can walk or how much weight they can lift. It is about having a reason to get up in the morning.
As September marks Healthy Aging Month, Bushati, director of recreation at Plattduetsche Home Society in Franklin Square, is encouraging families to look beyond traditional ideas of exercise and wellness and focus on the things that help older adults stay active, connected and independent.
For residents of the seven-acre senior living community, that can look different for everyone. Some may join a chair yoga class or take a walk, while others find purpose in tending a garden, playing poker, painting or simply spending time with friends and family.
With more than 30 years of experience working with older adults, Bushati has seen how staying active — both physically and mentally — can affect a person’s quality of life.
“The biggest thing we see is loss of balance, cognitive deficits and mobility issues,” Bushati said. “Participating in the programs that we provide really help them maintain their independence as much as possible.”
Residents have a range of ways to keep moving, including chair yoga, music and movement, aquatic exercise, walking groups and traditional gym workouts. The facility recently renovated its gym, adding equipment residents can use on their own or with assistance from staff and physical and occupational therapy professionals.
But exercise does not have to be strenuous to make a difference.
For residents who are nervous about falling or have difficulty with mobility, Bushati said even small movements can help.
“Even just doing like marching in place, getting their body moving, just moving their arms in front of them, even little toe taps, the smallest things are very beneficial and helpful,” she said.
Still, Bushati said movement is only one part of the picture.
For older adults, staying connected can be just as important as staying physically active. A family visit, phone call, FaceTime conversation or even a handwritten letter can give someone something to look forward to.
“I feel like families don’t realize how important visiting their loved ones are,” Bushati said.
There are plenty of opportunities to socialize through activities such as the weekly Friendship Hobby Hour, poker club, swimming, group exercise and outings. The community also has outdoor gardens where residents can grow vegetables and plants.
During a tour with the Herald last week, one resident proudly showed off her garden, pointing out tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, onions and other plants.
For Bushati, the garden represents something bigger than the vegetables growing in it.
It gives the resident something to care for.
“Everybody needs a purpose,” Bushati said.
The same philosophy is behind Plattduetsche’s Adult Day Life Enrichment Program, which allows people who live in the surrounding community to spend their days at the facility participating in activities while continuing to live at home.
Rebecca Proscia, assistant director of recreation, said Bushati created the program after recognizing that some older adults could benefit from the social and recreational opportunities without moving into the community.
“She saw that there were so many people in the community that couldn’t have that because they were still living at home,” Proscia said.
That focus on connection is especially important for older adults who may otherwise become isolated. Elaine Hualoto, a recreation intern, saw that firsthand during her previous experience working in a nursing home. She said residents can become withdrawn when they do not have opportunities to socialize and take part in activities.
“Sometimes they just need that little push,” Hualoto said.
For Hualoto, those moments show how a little encouragement can help someone become more comfortable getting involved and give them something to look forward to.
Residents are also encouraged to share their own interests and talents.
One resident who enjoys painting recently led a painting class after Bushati encouraged her to share her talent with others.
For Bushati, those moments get to the heart of what healthy aging should look like.
Her guiding philosophy is to “meet people where their motivation and identity already exist.”
That might mean tending a garden, taking an exercise class, picking up a paintbrush, joining a club or sitting down for a visit with family.
The activity itself may change from person to person. What matters, Bushati said, is that older adults have something that keeps them moving and connected.
