Maintain your outdoor lifestyle at HillView Care

If you’re thinking about moving your loved one into an aged care home, but worried whether they’ll be able to maintain their outdoor lifestyle, don’t worry. At HillView Care we know how important the outdoors is for your body and mind and offer a range of ways to maintain an active lifestyle.

Research suggests that spending time outdoors has wide-ranging positive health benefits and some other sources show that people who spend time being active outdoors have improved physical and mental wellbeing.

If your loved one already loves getting active outdoors, they’ll know the benefits, but here’s a reminder:

A boost of vitamin D

Do you know that 90% of our daily intake of vitamin D is derived from the sun, with only 10% from the foods we eat?

Just a few minutes of sunlight gives the body a vitamin D boost, a great way to help the immune system, improve calcium absorption and protect muscle, bone and heart health.

Improved physical health

Spending time being active outdoors will improve physical health. Even mild exercise can help:

• With heart health.
• Reduce cholesterol levels.
• Reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and certain cancers.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Maintain balance and motor skills.
• Improve strength.
• Increase energy.
• Decrease risk of falls.

Before starting any new exercise program it’s best that your loved ones speak with their GP, physiotherapist or exercise physiologist. As a resident at HillView we can organise these appointments for your loved ones.

Enhance mental health

Getting outside for fresh air and sunlight can also help boost mental health and wellbeing.

It’s a great way to reduce stress, anxiety and depression, increase mental energy and improve overall mood.

Better sleep

Spending time outdoors can improve sleep quality. Going outside into natural light helps the body clock and melatonin levels to regulate sleep.

Being outside in nature is relaxing and can help reduce stress to improve the quality of sleep.

Connect and make friends

Spending time outdoors is a great way to build social connections and meet up with family and friends.

One of the biggest challenges for seniors is isolation, so spending time outdoors is a great way to build social connections and meet up with family and friends. While they may not meet people every time they go outdoors, they have a greater chance of meeting new people and bumping into other residents, staff or neighbours to have a chat and enjoy the company of others.

How you can enjoy the great outdoors at HillView Care

At HillView Care we encourage all our residents to spend time outdoors. Both our Merrimac and Ashmore homes are surrounded by beautiful landscaped gardens, perfect for a morning stroll or afternoon catch-up with family or friends.

At our Gold Coast residential aged care homes our diversional therapists are dedicated to empowering and improving the wellbeing of all residents. To help support this, they organise a variety of activities and events where residents can spend time outdoors.

Some regular activities include exercise classes, day trips, morning teas in the park, garden walks and more.

For more active residents, we offer regular exercise therapy bus trips to a range of outdoor venues across the Gold Coast, including beaches, parks and lakes where residents can go for a walk and do a variety of exercises.

Find out more about HillView Care

Find out exactly what HillView Premium Aged Care Homes have to offer, book a tour or request a callback and we’ll be in touch soon!