How Holistic Healthcare Has Reshaped Modern Aged Care Solutions

Updated on January 22, 2022

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Modern aged care providers across the globe have been embracing the benefits of holistic healthcare, using these modern frameworks for providing care to reinvent the idea of the traditional aged care facility as a whole. Holistic healthcare is all about taking care of all aspects of the body, and not simply treating a problem or issue in isolation. As you may imagine, this ‘whole systems’ approach to healthcare has also held an immensely positive impact on the evolution of modern aged care solutions. 

Read through our guide to holistic healthcare below to understand how this new field of study has reshaped modern retirement villages and aged care solutions for the better.

Discovering the full self

Holistic healthcare hasn’t just been altering our perception of healthcare as a whole, but of modern aged care solutions too. By placing emphasis on the need for seniors to care for all aspects of their health and wellbeing, ranging from their mental and physical health to the benefits of maintaining a healthy and nutritional diet, many retirees have been recognising deficits in their own personal care schedules that may be fulfilled by enlisting the services of community carers and other support workers. 

For any individuals receiving care from aged care providers, the primary care model shouldn’t just be based on physical care alone. Emotional, social, and spiritual care are all just as essential to maintaining a satisfying and healthy lifestyle, as these elements act both as methods for personal healing as well as preventative care measures. Reshaping aged care to be about supporting the elderly in all aspects of life has naturally allowed modern aged care solutions to provide the next generation of seniors with a higher standard of care that doesn’t just use their resources to treat symptoms, but to provide genuine enrichment that will keep health concerns firmly at bay.

Helping to provide calm

Aged care and the transition to aged care can be a stressful time, as with any of life’s other major changes. Holistic healthcare has helped redefine what this transition into retirement can mean for new seniors, simpy by exploring the links between an individual’s mental and physical health and wellbeing. 

For this reason, activities like yoga, meditation and breathing exercises are commonplace in aged care now. Not only do these activities nurture a person’s body, but it also heals the mind as well. Meditation, yoga and breathing are all great stress relievers, which is perfect for those of us who are experiencing big transitions, including making the move into a retirement village.

Creating connections

Staying social is such an important and powerful aspect in the holistic care of any individual, but the positive impacts of social interactions become even more palpable in the context of modern aged care. Social interactions help create connections and stimulate the mind in a myriad of ways, activating neural pathways in a manner that honestly can’t be replicated by any other recreational task. 

In the context of aged care, the blend of holistic healthcare means activities like music sessions and pet visits become a fixture in the weekly routines of individuals receiving care. These activities boost the release of positive hormones like serotonin into the brain, greatly reducing an individual’s risks of experiencing mental health conditions like depression or anxiety, and even Alzheimer’s.

It’s shared care

Holistic healthcare does more than simply look after the whole self: it brings the voice of the resident into the conversation when a care plan is being developed. Holistic healthcare has allowed residents to have a say in how their care is provided, equipping them with a sense of control over their time in retirement that many seniors naturally value quite highly. 

This approach has helped to both reshape aged care as well as provide residents with feelings of safety and security in their day-to-day care. Not only do residents feel actively involved in decisions that are most impactful for them, but the discussions required in creating holistic healthcare plans also ensure that they stay well-educated and in the loop regarding exactly why select treatments and activities are so intrinsic to their overall health and wellbeing. 

Care providers take the time to explain in detail the situation, any treatment options that may be available to residents, and on top of all of this, listen to residents to ascertain their personal care preferences as well.

Someone to talk to

In the past, traditional constructs of aged care largely revolved around the physical treatment of conditions alone, without a lot of consideration for the benefits of communication. Holistic healthcare has helped change this through the availability of counsellors in aged care settings. Offering aged care residents a qualified person to speak with does wonders for adjustment and working through any anxieties they may have about their care situation. This approach essentially provides residents with the chance to better understand their care, as well as the ways in which they can care for themselves in the long term.

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It goes without saying that holistic healthcare has changed aged care for the better, helping to advocate for more than just the reactive treatment alone. In the modern day, aged care has come to revolve around providing a holistic and thorough approach to residential care, offering services and resources that can positively impact a resident’s physical and mental health.

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.