So what is the experience like for the seniors in a residential assisted living home, and what does an average day look like? Here we give you a simple schedule of activities and what seniors could expect to participate in on any given day.
7:30 a.m. — Wake Up
You leisurely wake up in your private apartment and wait for the friendly nursing staff to bring your medication.
8:00 a.m. — Eat Breakfast
You’re off to the dining room for a delicious and nutritious breakfast in the dining room. Sometimes you have breakfast in your room, but today you want to catch up with friends over a cup of coffee.
9:00 am — Enjoy Personal Time
You soak up this relaxation time by sipping on a second cup of coffee in the dining room and then head to the living room to enjoy your favorite morning TV show.
10:00 am — Get Moving
Now it’s time to get the blood pumping! Today, you attend senior yoga as an instructor take everyone through some basic low-impact movements.
11:00 am — Get Creative
Arts and crafts, you finish up a watercolor painting that you had worked on last week of the local garden. Meanwhile, other seniors make jewelry or participate in a YouTube session about pottery making.
12:00 Noon — Eat Lunch
It’s lunchtime! You’re really looking forward to it because you and some other residents are heading out in the van to a local café. Lunches at the assisted living home are great, but it is nice to get out and see new environments.
1:30 p.m. — Stimulate Your Brain
You are always excited to see what new mental activity is on the schedule. Today, you are participating in a community discussion session . But tomorrow you could be exploring the iPad or engaging with your favorite brain teasers.
2:45 p.m. — Music
A local youth group comes over to perform a few classic music pieces from the good old days and as you and your fellow seniors sit back and listen, it sparks wonderful memories of yesteryear.
4:00 p.m. — Relax
5:00 p.m. — Eat Dinner
As you sit at a table with friends, you can hardly wait for the three-course dinner. All of it sounds so delicious! You’re having a mixed green salad appetizer, then grilled farm-raised salmon with roasted green beans and red peppers. You’re especially excited about dessert, as the chef has prepared the special no sugar added apple pie you asked about last week.
7:00 p.m. — Watch Movies
You made sure to save room for some delicious popcorn as you sit with your friends and watch a golden oldie on the television. This naturally sparks a friendly discussion of how they don’t make movies like this anymore.
9:00 p.m. — Get Ready for Bed
After a fun-filled day, it’s time for bed. You take a shower with some help from the staff, climb into bed and do a little reading and contemplation. Tomorrow brings a whole new menu of activities to choose from, and you can’t wait to experience them all.
