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Fall is almost here! As the days get shorter and the nights get cooler, this season is the perfect time of year for residents of independent living facilities in St. Petersburg, Florida to enrich their mental and physical health with fall-themed activities. We’ve curated a list of some wellness-focused fall activities for seniors in St. Petersburg that are easy and safe to do in challenging times – continue reading to learn more!

Tailgate Weekends

The advent of fall is nearly synonymous with the kickoff to a fresh football season. Saturdays and Sundays are dominated by America’s most-watched sport, and tailgating is one of the best ways to come together and enjoy a social setting. Socialization can lighten your mood and make you feel happier, and it may even lower your risk of dementia. Even seniors who don’t enjoy football can still enjoy the following tailgating ideas:

• Set up an outdoor lunch with hotdogs, hamburgers, chicken wings, and more.
• Encourage everyone to wear apparel from their favorite teams.
• Bring a TV and turn it to any of the day’s games for extra entertainment.

Seasonal Gardening

Fall is the best time of year to plant perennial flower bulbs, which are those that bloom year after year. Make note of your favorite flowers and consider which ones you’d like to see sprout in a few months. Daffodils, tulips, and hyacinth are popular choices due to their adaptability to all planting zones. Then, come spring, you’ll be able to reap the full rewards of your gardening investment! Flowers are proven to improve mood, memory, and energy, as well as aid in relaxation, making them an ideal activity for residents of St. Petersburg, Florida independent living.

Soak Up the Scenery

Fall is a delight to the senses – the trees change colors, crunchy leaves adorn the ground, and the air feels a little less heavy. There’s no better way to make the most of the season than simply getting outside and enjoying it firsthand! Consider any of the following activities:

• Open a window to let that fresh fall air in.
• Take a walk down a block or two around your St. Petersburg independent living neighborhood.
• Sit back and relax on your backyard or porch. Don’t be afraid to put your legs up!

Whip Up Festive Treats

Apples, pumpkins, cinnamon – these are all staples of many fall-themed recipes. Cooking and baking more often are both good for you because, not only do they enhance new skills, but they also allow you to save money and control what goes into the food you eat. Furthermore, cooking is an act of patience, mindfulness, an outlet for creative expression, and helps to raise one’s self esteem after a job well done. All of these are reasons why making fall treats benefits your mental health (as well as your stomach). So, dust off your favorite recipe book and get to it! Might we suggest:

• Caramel apple pie.
• Pumpkin cinnamon rolls.
• Apple cider donuts.
• And whatever else you love!

Fall presents those in St. Petersburg independent living with a beautiful opportunity to make the most of the great outdoors. Even if you choose not to step foot outside, all it takes is an open window to let those incredible sights and sounds inside. To learn more about premier living in St. Petersburg, give Westminster Shores a call today. Chart your course to luxurious accommodations and amenities in our independent living facilities on the stunning waterfront of Tampa Bay!

Assets can earn you more money in the future. Examples include equipment, supplies, and business vehicles. A copyright or patent on a product you invented are examples of intangible assets. All assets can be minimized before entering an assisted living program.

1. Recycle Tangible Assets

The first thing you can do if you have any physical assets is recycle them prior to entering an assisted living program. You should check with your city’s laws and regulations regarding recycling to learn what type of materials can be recycled. Remember, tangible assets may need to be documented and analyzed when entering independent living. Written errors can lead to delays. Additionally, the benefit of recycling physical items is that doing so puts the materials back to good use while ridding them from the list of financial documentation you need to note.

2. Sell Rights to Products That Aren’t Selling

Before entering an assisted living facility in St Petersburg, if you have patents and copyrights on music or other creations, consider whether or not you’re making money on what you created. While everyone wants to reserve their identity on a creation forever, should someone else want to take the idea to new heights, consider negotiating a sale to make a profit. If you haven’t already considered asset management or other professional services, this way (when done correctly) can earn you profit and save hassle in keeping up with miscellaneous payments.

3. Pay for Independent Living

In assisted living facilities in St. Petersburg, Florida, you can minimize your assets by channeling them into a lump sum payment for your assisted living program. The costs of assisted living can cost under $2,000 for monthly fees. This allows residents the opportunity to get everything they need on the side of amenities and services. If you have extra assets, you can sell them and use the funds to pay for your assisted living expenses.

There are fixed and financial assets, plus many more examples of assets including vehicles, furniture, and accounts receivable. If you talk to the right professionals, you can learn how to minimize these assets so that you don’t have as many financial worries to worry about at once. Assisted living facilities in St. Petersburg, Florida want guests to feel organized and comfortable about their finances before enjoying their stay.

Westminster Communities Of Florida Wins Gold, 5 Awards in 2021 National Mature Media Awards

Westminster Communities of Florida was a winner in the 30th Annual National Mature Media Awards Program. The program, presented by the Mature Market Resource Center, a national clearing-house for the senior market, recognizes the nation’s finest marketing, communications, educational materials, and programs designed and produced for older adults. 

The organization was pleased to receive a Gold Award for its “Westminster Sings What The World Needs Now (Is Love)” social media campaign, in the category of Social Media. This video, which featured nearly 50 residents and team members representing our 22 communities, is a heart-warming antidote to the hardest days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The video is still available on Westminster’s YouTube channel for viewers to enjoy — go to https://youtu.be/8FhSpfMu_QI.

In addition, Westminster Communities of Florida was recognized with awards for: 

• The rebrand of the Westminster Communities Foundation, which received a Bronze Award in the category of Marketing and Advertising Campaigns. This campaign of brochures, flyers, personalized donor cultivation materials, recognition gifts and more has contributed to the successful launch of a major new campaign focused on donor recruitment for our charitable foundation. We congratulate the Westminster Communities Foundation team.

• A campaign offering advice to our team members who graduated high school and college, “Seniors 2 Seniors,” was recognized with a Bronze Award in the category of Social Media. We asked residents what advice they might give, and then captured them offering it and shared it on social media, as well as our internal CCTV systems. Enjoy the video and get their advice on Westminster’s YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/d4fzkMIP8Io
  
• To help provide the most up-to-date information on the COVID-19 pandemic to our residents and their family members, we created a special “Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources” online guide. These web pages contained a variety of information about how residents and their families could stay safe, support each other and our communities, and even a fun kids’ activity pack for summer, when camps and day cares were closed. The COVID-19 guide was recognized with a Bronze Award in the category of Web-based Resource/Tool. These resources are still available and up-to-date at https://westminstercommunitiesfl.org/coronavirus-news-and-resources

• Our “Thank You Team Members” campaign, celebrating our team members for their heroic work of caring for vulnerable residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, received a Merit Award in the category of Marketing and Advertising Campaigns. It consisted of a campaign of signs, banners, recognition gifts, online graphics, social media posts and more. We congratulate our Human Resources and Creative teams for their work on the campaign.

Those involved with the art direction, design and copywriting for the campaigns were Nicole Muller, Vice President of Sales and Marketing; Wes Meltzer, Director of Marketing and Communications; Katherine Peters, Director of Sales, Chris Ware, Creative Services Coordinator; Natalie Rooney, Creative Design Specialist; and Sydney March, Social Media Specialist.

“We were delighted and honored to have been selected for these awards,” Meltzer said. “Our Creative Team does amazing work. The recognition of the Mature Media Awards just confirms it for us. Westminster Communities of Florida was pleased to take part in the 30th anniversary of the Mature Media Awards program, and very happy with the results.”

The entries were judged by a distinguished panel of mature market experts from across the United States for overall excellence of design, content, creativity and relevance to the senior market.

About Westminster Communities of Florida: Westminster Communities of Florida serves more than 7,000 residents in 22 communities throughout Florida who are in search of an enlightened, fully integrated, person-centered approach to health and wellness. Since 1954, we’ve been Florida’s best choice in active senior living. Find out more about how you can Live Well. Be Happy. at a Westminster community – visit our Web site at www.WestminsterCommunitiesFL.org or call 407-839-5050.

According to a report by the Washington Dental Service Foundation, roughly 75% of people over the age of 60 are missing some of their natural teeth. From youth to advanced age, oral health never stops being important. Afflictions such as gum and periodontal disease are typically caused by a lack of self-care. Stop oral disease in its tracks by following our 5 tips for residents of assisted living facilities in St. Petersburg!

Brush and Floss Daily

Something as simple as brushing and flossing twice a day can play a significant role in reducing the risk of oral disease. For older adults, consider investing in an electric toothbrush if you have difficulty gripping a normal toothbrush. Furthermore, flossing is crucial because it cleans between teeth in ways that toothbrushes are not able to reach.

Incorporate Nutritious Foods into Your Diet

The nutrients found in fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products are conducive to excellent oral health. Beyond regular brushing and flossing, it is just as important to make sure that you are also eating foods that promote oral health. Avoid sugary treats and seek out foods rich in calcium as these foster bone strength as well as a healthier mouth.

Avoid Tobacco

Smokers are seven times more likely to develop periodontal disease than non-smokers. As if that isn’t already bad enough, tobacco use can also increase one’s risk for oral and throat cancers. Smoking doesn’t just pose a threat to your oral health; it can have irreversible and fatal consequences, too. We recommend avoiding tobacco to ensure the best possible oral health and lifestyle.

Drink Alcohol in Moderation

Alcohol drinkers are six times more likely to develop oral cancer than non-drinkers. In addition to that risk, sugary drinks can also cause cavities and overall damage to teeth. It pays to monitor which beverages you consume. If you do choose to consume alcohol, limit your intake – you will be doing your oral health a big favor.

Visit Your Dentist Annually

Dentists are the leading experts on oral health and will work with you to create a strategy for taking care of your teeth! Seeing your dentist once or twice a year can go a long way towards keeping your teeth clean and avoiding dangers that may put your overall health at risk. Dentist visits are some of the best ways to remain proactive with your oral health.

If you have any questions about oral health for seniors, our compassionate team at Westminster Shores is always happy to help! Here, being happy never gets old and our residents get to enjoy that every day. We offer a customized approach to providing support while maintaining dignity and individuality through a host of lifestyle-enhancing services. Call Westminster Shores today to learn more about better living in our assisted living facilities in St. Petersburg, Florida.

One of the biggest barriers that seniors in St. Petersburg independent living facilities face is the need to go to the doctor for routine visits and to get care for things like minor infections. Telehealth has done much to bring these barriers down. This is because in many cases, a telehealth doctor can diagnose conditions over the internet or by phone, eliminating the need to arrange for a ride to a physical doctor’s office.

Retirement Communities Rely on Telehealth

Retirees often need to see doctors, not for new diagnoses, but to get prescription refills. Here, telehealth really shines. A telemedicine professional can renew prescriptions for residents of St. Petersburg retirement communities with no need for an office visit. The new prescription is then sent to the patient’s usual pharmacy. This can be a mail-order pharmacy, which totally eliminates the need to go out, or it can be a standard outlet that is conveniently close to the patient.

Why Do People in Assisted Living Arrangements Need Telehealth?

Unlike those in a skilled nursing facility, people who live in assisted living facilities in St. Petersburg, Florida take care of many of their own needs. The assistance can include reminders of when to take medicines, but in many cases, actually getting prescriptions and medications is still up to the patient. This makes the telehealth option very valuable to these residents.

Residents of other St. Petersburg retirement communities, such as memory care or rehabilitation, also benefit from telemedicine services. For them, telemedicine allows for faster diagnosis and treatment of conditions since they don’t have to wait for a facility doctor to handle everything. Needed prescriptions can also be renewed more efficiently. Because of this, assisted living facilities in St. Petersburg often have arrangements with one or more telemedicine providers already in place.

Don’t Waste Hours Being Shuttled to Doctors

When residents leave their St. Petersburg, Florida assisted living apartments, it should be for fun things like shopping. Telemedicine eliminates the need for many rides to the doctor’s office, so residents can take the shuttle bus to exciting places instead and pursue their favorite hobbies.

If you’re looking for a community that makes life easier for you so that you can remain independent longer, check out our assisted living arrangements at Westminster Shores. Along with telemedicine, you’ll enjoy restaurant-style dining, a fitness center, two pools, a library and computer center, and much more.