After retirement, one of the most important decisions to make is where to live. When searching for senior living options for you or a loved one, there are many variables, and finding the right care can be overwhelming or confusing. You’ll want to ensure that they’re properly cared for and that their health and safety are prioritized. More than anything, you want you or your loved one to be happy and healthy. Here are some things to consider when choosing a senior living community:

Needs

What do you or your loved one need in terms of daily life? Not all senior living communities offer the same level of care or assistance.

• Independent living: This is best for seniors who don’t typically need any daily assistance and are interested in the amenities senior living communities offer, such as freshly made meals, activities, groundskeeping, and more.
• Assisted living: This is for seniors who need personalized care plans. Grand Oaks offers 24-hour nursing support with hands-on assistance with daily activities like housekeeping, laundry, bathing, and dressing. Being located on the campus of Sibley Memorial Hospital means that direct access to high-quality healthcare is available without ever having to step foot outside.
• Memory care: This is specifically for those who live with Alzheimer’s disease or other memory-related disorders. Caregivers, nurses, and other staff are trained to provide attentive support. In the Oasis Neighborhood at Grand Oaks, we provide a full staff of nurses available 24 hours a day, medication monitoring, management, and administration, monitoring of behavior, mood, routine, and cognitive abilities, hands-on assistance with daily activities, prompt and gentle reminders of your loved one’s daily schedule, and more.

Location

The location of the senior living community you choose is important. Is it close enough for family and other loved ones to visit regularly? Is it in a good neighborhood? Are there things to do in the surrounding areas? Is it close to a hospital?

At Grand Oaks, we can answer all these questions and more. Located in the heart of D.C., Grand Oaks is a tasteful, Georgian-style residence community close to a wide range of excursions for you or your loved one to enjoy. You can easily schedule a visit to see your loved one any day of the week. Owned by Johns Hopkins Medicine and located on the campus of Sibley Memorial Hospital, Grand Oaks provides the best medical care if and when you or your loved one need it.

Living Space

You or your loved one want to be comfortable where they live. Consider what amenities you or they may need or want in their room or apartment. This can include:

• Safety features such as shower bars and emergency alert systems
• Cooking/kitchen equipment
• Security monitoring
• Carpeting vs. wood or tile floors
• Natural light
• Furnished vs. unfurnished

Your or your loved one’s apartment will feel like home at Grand Oaks. One- and two-bedroom options are available, and all are spacious, light-filled, and stylish. A few features include 9-foot ceilings, bay windows, safety-centered design, 24/7 safety monitoring, a kitchenette, and more.

Tour

Everything about a senior living community could look great on paper and in pictures, but you and your loved one need to visit in person to truly experience the environment and ambiance for yourselves. This is where you can get a glimpse into the lives of residents.

While touring, ask yourself these questions:

• Do the residents seem happy?
• Is there a lot of social activity?
• How does the staff interact with residents?
• Are the common spaces well populated?
• Do the apartments seem homey?
• Is the overall environment welcoming?

While you silently gather that information, ask the staff these questions:

• What level of personal and healthcare services are offered?
• What privileges do residents have?
• What types of activities are offered?
• What is the most popular weekly activity?
• What happens if a resident is hospitalized?
• What are the food and nutrition options?

We’re here to answer any questions you may have. Come see how Grand Oaks is senior living the way it should be—schedule a tour today.

Cooking is a great activity for seniors to do with loved ones and a fun way to ensure they get a nutritious meal that ticks all the boxes. Summer is the perfect time to embrace all the fresh produce that farmers markets and other local producers have to offer. When you’re not enjoying freshly made meals from our executive chef, try adding these heart-healthy, nutritious recipes to your routine.

Sandwiches

• Salmon: High in antioxidants, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, salmon is a superfood that’s great for seniors’ brain function, joint health, and overall well-being. This salmon sandwich recipe is a quick and easy meal that’s ready in less than 30 minutes, combining fresh salmon fillets, lettuce, tomatoes, and your choice of bread.
• Avocado tuna salad: Avocados help lower cholesterol and are a great source of potassium. Like salmon, tuna is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which benefit heart health and the immune system. This easy avocado tuna salad can be eaten in a wrap, on sandwich bread, or with crackers. This is a great lunch option that can be ready in less than 10 minutes.

Salads

• Spinach: Spinach is rich in many vitamins and nutrients that help improve eye and brain health and lower blood pressure. This apple spinach salad combines fresh apples and red onion with walnuts, dried cranberries, goat cheese, and an apple cider vinaigrette.
• Quinoa: Quinoa is a good source of fiber, iron, and calcium, and is high in protein and low in fat and calories. It contains all the essential building blocks for cell replacement and muscle building. Follow this easy quinoa salad recipe for a light and refreshing meal including quinoa, spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, and green onion.
• Fruit: Eating five or more portions of fruits (and vegetables) each day can help prevent heart disease and improve the immune system, heart and skin health, blood glucose levels, and more. This rainbow fruit salad includes blueberries, red grapes, bananas, kiwis, and more, all tossed in a honey lime dressing.

Soups

• Salmorejo: This Spanish chilled soup is perfect for a warm summer day. The recipe includes tomatoes, which are a good source of vitamin C, and green peppers, which contain lutein, a compound that promotes eye health. You’ll finish the soup with one boiled egg and some ham, two great sources of protein.
• Minestrone: This summer vegetable minestrone is filled with fresh vegetables including celery, leeks, asparagus, and peas. It’s an easy and delicious way to incorporate more fiber and vitamin C into your diet.
• Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt is high in protein and calcium, which helps prevent osteoporosis and preserve muscle mass. This no-cook, chilled Greek yogurt soup combines yogurt, cucumbers, and fresh dill for a cool and refreshing meal that can be ready in about 10 minutes.

Sides

• Eggplant: This vegetable has antioxidants like vitamins A and C, which help protect your cells against damage. It also contains phytonutrients—a memory booster—and fiber. Try grilled eggplant with garlicky yogurt sauce for a flavorful side.
• Root vegetables: This includes sweet potatoes, beets, parsnips, and carrots. These vegetables are high in fiber and antioxidants and can stabilize blood sugar as a successful part of a diabetic diet. This recipe is a healthy, delicious, and filling side dish to pair with any of your favorite proteins.
• Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes are a staple that contain many nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, including vitamin A, which can help improve your immune system. If you’re looking for a comforting side, try these roasted sweet potatoes that replace butter and brown sugar with extra virgin olive oil, honey, and cinnamon.

As always, consult your doctor before starting a new diet.

The Grand Oaks experience is second to none. Located on the campus of Sibley Memorial Hospital, the Grand Oaks team offers residents fun daily activities and top-quality senior living care. Our award-winning staff are devoted and caring, focusing on building relationships every day. The result is satisfied residents who are happy, healthy, and thriving.

Here are 10 ways the Grand Oaks team’s compassionate care and expertise will improve your life or the life of your senior loved one.

1. We make sure their basic needs are always met. Housekeeping, laundry, bathing, dressing, continence care—whatever our residents need, we are here to help, respectfully.
2. We keep them safe. Residents and their families find comfort in the safety features in every room including call for help, security, and monitoring.
3. We make the transition smooth and easy. From the moment you or your loved one tours Grand Oaks, we are here to set you up for success. Many of our residents have raved about how easy and positive their move to our assisted living community was. Here’s what they have to say.
4. We care about family and caregivers. We want you to always feel connected to your loved one, even when you can’t be here on site. We send daily update emails with news about Grand Oaks happenings, have resources on our website for families and caregivers, do everything we can to make safe visits possible throughout the pandemic, and more.
5. We help them remain independent. We want our residents to feel empowered. Our senior living care maximizes dignity, privacy, freedom of choice, and independence. It’s our goal to support and help all residents maintain quality of life.
6. We stay on top of their health and wellness. With direct access to Sibley Memorial Hospital, quality healthcare is accessible without ever stepping foot outside. We offer post short-term surgery and recovery care stays, and we have a nurse practitioner on staff who promotes aging in place.
7. We connect them with the latest and greatest. There are plenty of resources for seniors with access to the latest health, wellness, and prevention programs through our partnership with Johns Hopkins Medicine. We value this partnership, and our residents reap the rewards.
8. We help them live an active, fulfilling lifestyle. Socialization among seniors keeps the mind sharp while also decreasing the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Our activities director leads fun activities on campus that allow residents to mingle and stay active (you can check out a few—like our Mother’s Day celebration or music and ice cream get-together—on our Facebook page). Common areas like our courtyard are always lively and engaging, too.
9. We respect their wishes. We understand each resident has unique needs, so our aging well model takes this into account, focusing on their psychological and social well-being.
10. We’re always there—literally and figuratively. We offer 24/7 nursing support, so someone is always here to meet our residents’ health needs. Our team is also here, emotionally. Our staff and residents are like family. We are here when they need a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, and a friendly face. We truly care.

If you have arthritis, normal physical activity and exercise may feel impossible. The thought of increased pain, stiffness, and swelling might make you shy away from being active. However, exercise is crucial for people with arthritis, as it reduces symptoms and helps ease pain.

Why Physical Activity Is Important

For people with arthritis, joint-friendly exercises can improve pain, function, mood, and quality of life. Though you may think physical activity would aggravate joint pain, it’s actually the opposite. Lack of exercise can make your joints more painful and stiff. Without exercise, the muscles surrounding your joints begin to get weaker, which results in more stress. Exercise can also:

• Help you maintain bone strength
• Improve your quality of sleep
• Help you control your weight
• Improve your balance
• Give you more energy throughout the day

In addition, regular exercise can help you manage other chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

Exercises for Arthritis

Low-impact exercises. If you have arthritis, you want to choose joint-friendly, low-impact exercises. Low-impact activities put less stress on your body, reducing the risk of injury or irritation. There are many different low-impact exercises, including:

• Swimming
• Walking
• Cycling
• Water aerobics
• Gardening
• Dancing
• Yoga

Grand Oaks offers many low-impact exercise classes for seniors. For the best results, aim for 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week.

Range-of-motion exercises. These exercises help reduce pressure and stiffness in your joints, allowing you to move more freely. They include movements like raising your arms or legs, extending your knees, bending your hips, rolling your shoulders forward and backward, and more. Doing these exercises daily can help improve your range of motion.

Muscle-strengthening exercises. These exercises help build your muscles so they can adequately support and protect your joints. Simple weightlifting can help increase blood flow and circulation. Choose a dumbbell weight that’s comfortable for you. If you choose one that’s too heavy, you risk injuring yourself. Remember to take a rest day between your workouts. If your joints are swollen or painful, wait until they feel better to resume. Aim to complete strengthening exercises 2-3 times per week. Before beginning weight training, talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

Exercising Safely

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), exercising safely with arthritis starts by being S.M.A.R.T.:

• Start low, go slow: When starting a new exercise routine, pay attention to how your body reacts to it. You don’t want to do too much too quickly—that can result in injury. If you’ve been inactive for some time, start slowly, with just 5-10 minutes each day, then add a few minutes each day until you reach your daily goal. Always talk to your doctor before trying new exercises.
• Modify activity when arthritis symptoms increase: Your symptoms—pain, stiffness, soreness, and fatigue—may come and go each day. If you’re in pain, don’t push it. Take a break and make up for it when you feel better. Try to stay as active as your symptoms allow.
• Activities should be joint-friendly: As mentioned above, choose activities that don’t add stress to your joints, such as walking, biking, or water activities.
• Recognize safe places and ways to be active: As a senior, exercising on your own can be scary. You may think about what were to happen if you fall or have a medical emergency. For these reasons, exercising in groups, such as taking an exercise class, is a great option for seniors. If you do plan to exercise by yourself, always inform friends, family, or a staff member where you will be exercising.
• Talk to your doctor: Your doctor is a great resource for information about exercise. Because they know you and your health history, they can recommend exercises to help keep you active and healthy. Always speak to your doctor before starting a new exercise regimen.

At Grand Oaks, you will find physical activities that fit your ability and interests, including walking club, aquatic exercise, and more to help keep you happy and pain-free. To learn more, schedule a tour today.