Did you know that eating healthy foods is not only good for your body, but it can also help preserve your brain’s ability to function?

According to Mayo Clinic, “The research is in: Eating certain foods (and avoiding others) has been shown to slow brain aging by 7.5 years, and lessen the chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease.”

Researchers at the Rush University Medical Center found that certain foods help contribute to cognitive resilience in older adults. Their study showed that a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, which they called the MIND diet, was associated with better memory and thinking skills, regardless if the person showed “Alzheimer’s disease pathology and other common age-related brain pathologies.”

It’s not the only study to show a link between the food we eat and our ability think. According to an article published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, “several studies suggest that consuming a diet rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory components such as those found in fruits, nuts, vegetables, and fish may reduce age-related cognitive decline and the risk of developing various neurodegenerative diseases.”

What Should Seniors Eat to Reap the Benefits of a Healthy Mind and Body?

Designed to protect against Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, the MIND diet emphasizes vegetables, especially dark, leafy greens, berries, nuts and fish. It also limits butter, cheese, red meat and sweets. Whether you’re cooking for yourself or someone with dementia, follow these simple tips for a healthier mind and body.

Eat Your Vegetables

Researchers found that leafy green vegetables such as kale, collards, spinach and lettuce were shown to lower the risk of dementia and cognitive decline. They work because they’re packed with folate, vitamin E, carotenoids and flavonoids. One serving a day has been shown to slow brain aging. Eat at least six servings of greens each week and mix in at least one serving of another vegetable each day.

Pile on the Berries

Strawberries and blueberries are not only sweet and delicious, they contain high levels of flavonoids, which slow cognitive decline. Eat two or more servings of berries a week for your best brain health.

Pass the Nuts

Nuts feature fat-soluble vitamin E, known for its brain-protective qualities. When you need a snack, skip the chips and eat a handful of nuts. For the biggest bang, mix them in your diet at least five times a week. Choose dry-roasted or raw, unsalted and without oil.

Cook with Olive Oil

When you can, avoid butter and margarine and cook with heart-healthy extra virgin olive oil. Pick one in a dark glass bottle that isn’t labeled as “light.”

Opt for Meat-free Meals

Eat meat sparingly, fewer than four times a week. Instead, choose beans, lentils and soybeans, which are high in protein, fiber and B vitamins.

Eat Fish Once a Week

“Adults age 65 and older who ate fish once a week, or more, scored better on memory tests and tricky number games than those who had seafood less often,” according to Mayo Clinic.

Enjoy a Glass of Wine

Studies suggest that a glass of wine may help blood flow, lower the risk of dementia and delay the onset of Alzheimer’s by two to three years.

Ready to Eat Healthily?

Strap on your apron and pull out your pots and pans. Meal planning and cooking are among the best activities for seniors. It promotes self-confidence, creativity and learning skills, all of which are good for your brain’s health. What’s more, cooking fulfills social and emotional needs, especially for older adults. It offers a connection to past experiences and beloved family members and engages all of one’s senses.

Depending on their level of capability, individuals cooking with dementia should be accompanied in the kitchen to ensure their safety. If you’re responsible for caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, good nutrition is a critical component of their health and well-being.

“Proper nutrition is important to keep the body strong and healthy. For a person with Alzheimer’s or dementia, poor nutrition may increase behavioral symptoms and cause weight loss,” according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

If meal planning, grocery shopping and cooking at home are increasingly becoming a burden for you or a loved one, consider the benefits of a senior living community. For example, Beatitudes Campus, our retirement community in Phoenix, Arizona, offers multiple dining venues, including takeout and delivery options, and has an experienced culinary team, making it easy for you or your loved one to eat delicious, healthy meals every day. If you’re excited about the opportunity to protect your brain and enhance your overall health by eating well, check out our blog on how Beatitudes Campus can help you reach your goals.

Providing the Very Best Support

At Beatitudes Campus, we take caring for your cognitive health and well-being very seriously. In fact, we’re leading the way in memory care for seniors. Our Comfort Matters® program promotes living better with dementia by focusing on each individual’s day-to-day comfort. Our team’s ongoing education and research into memory care ensure our approach adapts and grows to follow the science to best serve all individuals experiencing early to advanced stages of dementia.

For more, read our blog post about Beatitudes Campus’ unique approach to memory support.

Do you have a family member who has trouble thinking or remembering things? We can help. You can learn more about our assisted living, memory care programs and health care options by visiting the Beatitudes Campus website, calling (602) 833-1358 or contacting us through our online form below.

Plan Your Move

Are you getting ready to plan your move? Packing up all of your belongings may seem like a daunting task. But with a plan of action and helpful tips, you’ll be on your way to a smooth move in no time. To help simplify the process, we’re sharing our resources and tips for downsizing and planning your move.

If you need a refresher of our first 3 steps of the quick start senior living guide, check out our blogs on setting expectations and goals, comparing your options, and exploring the community.

Step 4

• Ask us how we can help make your move easier and more affordable through our Moving Made Easy partnership program with Moving Station. With one-on-one support from a personal relocation manager, you’ll receive help with relocation decisions and advice from real estate experts.
• Start simplifying and organizing your furnishings and belongings now so you don’t feel rushed later. Check out this advice on downsizing for tips to make the process go more smoothly.

Ask Beatitudes Campus 

As you work towards your move, we’re to help you along the way. We would love to share with you what we’ve learned over our many years of helping older adults transition into community living. Call 602.883.1358 for any questions you may have or send us a note using the form below.

Arizona’s Valley of the Sun and the surrounding Phoenix area are renowned for their abundance of senior-friendly activities, from arts and music to history and culture, from golfing and sporting events to hiking desert preserves. Beyond these, what other winter activities do older adults enjoy in Phoenix? We talked with residents of Beatitudes Campus to find out, and here’s what we learned.

Holiday Activities for Seniors

This time of year, the refreshing temperatures make venturing outdoors a top priority while the holidays provide the perfect excuse for a little razzle-dazzle. The Phoenix Zoo offers a fantastic way to kick off your holiday season with its annual Zoolights holiday display. You can walk or drive through to enjoy twinkling lights, dazzling animal sculptures and music light shows on the lake. It’s a safe and easy activity for friends and families. The display runs until January 15, 2022.

All season long, you’ll find more spectacular holiday light displays throughout the city, including Las Noches de las Luminarias with its live musical performances at the Desert Botanical Garden and the World of Illumination at Reindeer Road at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

If you love twinkling lights, consider taking a weekend getaway to Flagstaff, Arizona, for a light display of another kind. While stargazing at the Lowell Observatory, you’ll see some stellar objects in space, from planets and stars to galaxies far, far away.

At Beatitudes Campus, the holiday season feels magical, too, with a community full of sparkling lights, resident musicians playing cheerful music, carolers singing, secret Santas leaving gifts, special worship services, festive parties and holiday feasts. Seniors can check out the decked-out campus by scheduling a personal tour or attending one of the upcoming special events.

Volunteer Opportunities for Seniors

If you like giving back by sharing your time and talents, Phoenix boasts a well-organized, senior-friendly volunteer program. You can find your niche among the many opportunities, from planting trees and serving as a docent or tour guide to working with elementary children, helping people with their taxes and more.

The Beatitudes Campus CAREcorps offers a robust and active volunteer program that includes residents who live on campus as well as individuals from the greater Phoenix area. Volunteers are encouraged to take the lead, start new groups and contribute in their own way. Reach out to the Beatitudes Campus volunteer coordinator if you’d like to get involved.

Unique Outdoor Activities for Seniors

​​​Pueblo Grande Museum is located on a 1,500-year-old archaeological site once inhabited by the Ancestral Sonoran Desert people. Located just minutes from downtown Phoenix, it offers a fully accessible trail and three display galleries.

You’ll find tranquil beauty at RoHoEn, the Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix. In addition to meandering around the garden’s lush plantings, flowing streams and rock formations, you can take classes and workshops on Japanese culture, enjoy a Japanese tea ceremony, capture mesmerizing photos and more.

Wellness Activities for Seniors

Want to focus on health and wellness in 2022? The Phoenix Parks and Recreation offers a variety of opportunities, including a walking club, aerobics, gentle yoga, meditation and Qigong in the park, golf instruction, hiking and more.

If you’d rather kickstart your exercise at home, you can take free virtual fitness classes through a program sponsored by Phoenix Parks and Recreation and AARP Arizona. FitPHX is a citywide initiative to improve residents’ health and wellness and make Phoenix one of the healthiest cities in the nation.

Beatitudes Campus also offers free exercise videos you can do at home on the Beatitudes Campus Fitness YouTube channel. If you enjoy the motivation and camaraderie that comes with being with people who know and care about you, you’ll love our vibrant and welcoming campus life. You can choose among dozens of fitness activities for seniors that will get you moving in enjoyable ways, including line dancing, putting contests, a walking group, exercise classes, a fitness center with certified trainers and more. You’ll also find a bocce ball court, heated pool and hot tub in our lively senior living community.

We invite you to visit Beatitudes Campus to learn about the more than 100 activities offered each month at the community and hear more from residents about what activities they enjoy here and around Phoenix. To schedule a visit, call (602) 833-1358 or contact us through our online form below.

Exploring The Community

When choosing the right senior living option for you, exploring the community is one of the best ways to get a feel for daily life and what you can expect while living there. If you’re following along with our quick start senior living guide, you’ll remember we discussed first setting your expectations and goals in step 1. In step 2, we provided resources for how to compare your different options.

Step 3 of our quick start senior living guide brings you to exploring the community for yourself. Visiting the community on-site is a great way to get a sense of the grounds, meet the staff, and decide if it’s a good fit. However, visiting on-site isn’t the only way to explore the community. Virtual options also allow you to discover floor plan options and explore the lifestyle and entertainment opportunities.

Take a look at a few tips for how to explore all that a community has to offer.

Step 3

• Learn the facts as Beatitudes Campus residents dispel the biggest myths about senior living.
• Read this story to learn how valuable senior living Life Enrichment programs are to your health and well-being and how to evaluate what communities offer.
• Explore the video gallery to meet residents and get a sense of the community before visiting.
• Explore the virtual tours offered to get a quick peek at various floor plans, sizes, styles and locations.
• Schedule an in-person tour. The very best way to get to know Beatitudes Campus is to see the community for yourself.
• Consider joining us for an upcoming event. It’s a great way to try out our services and amenities, meet a few residents and staff, and experience Beatitudes Campus’ friendliness and camaraderie firsthand.

Explore Beatitudes Campus 

As you progress on your senior living journey, keep in mind that we have lots of resources to help you with your decision. As questions arise, please reach out to us by calling 602.883.1358 or send us a note using the form below. We’ll be happy to share more resources with you and answer your questions. We’d also love to show you around Beatitudes Campus with a campus tour.

And when you’re ready for the next step, check back for step 4!

Your Guide to Navigating the Right Senior Living Choice

We’re back with step 2 of our quick start senior living guide. A guide to help you navigate the right senior living choice for you. This series will provide you with practical information to help you make decisions about your retirement planning. Better yet, we’ll walk you step by step through the process. In step 1, we discussed how to set your expectations and goals.

With 55 years of serving and helping seniors, we understand how confusing the process of choosing a senior living lifestyle can be. That’s why we’re here to help. With Beatitudes Campus, you can be certain that you have a trusted guide through it all.

To help keep you informed, we have lots of resources available that explain what your options are and how to compare those options, and we’ll be glad to answer any questions you have along the way. We have programs that let you get to know us better and build friendships before ever moving in, that help with the entire moving process, and help you get acclimated to the community as a newcomer, and much more.

However, before making any important choice, it’s best to understand all of the options in front of you. After setting your goals and expectations, it’s time to research and compare.

Step 2

Compare Your Options

• Start by reading up on the basics of senior living. Our blog on how to decipher the language of senior living is a helpful resource for understanding the different options you’ll come across.
• Dig deeper into the different types of senior living options. Our blogs on Life Plan Communities, the purpose of Entrance Fees and the benefits of renting at Beatitudes Campus are great places to start.
• Use our MoneyGauge Cost Comparison Calculator to learn what financial options might be right for you.

When you’re ready for more, check back for steps 3 & 4 of the Quick Start Senior Living Guide series.

We welcome you to reach out to us with any questions you have. And if you’re ready to get a glimpse of our community, you can schedule an in-person visit by calling us at 602.883.1358 or by using the form below. We look forward to helping you find your perfect senior living fit!

Your Guide To Navigating The Right Senior Living Choice

Are you curious about senior living but not sure where to start? We can help. At Beatitudes Campus, we’ve been offering older adults a vibrant lifestyle infused with laughter, learning, health and wellness for more than 55 years. Thousands of wonderful friends and neighbors have called our community home. To answer your questions and fulfill your curiosity, we are introducing a Quick Start Senior Living Guide series. This series will provide practical information to help you move forward and make the choice that’s right for you. In following each step, you can be certain you’re not only well-informed but also on the correct path to a more secure, enjoyable future that meets your needs and aspirations.

As you read through each step of our Quick Start Senior Living Guide, keep in mind we have lots of resources available that explain what your options are, how to compare those options and their costs as well as the value you get in return for your money. We have programs that let you get to know us better and build friendships before ever moving in, that help with the entire moving process, and help you get acclimated to the community as a newcomer, and much more.

It’s time to take the worry out of the senior living decision. With Beatitudes Campus, you can be certain that you have a trusted guide through it all. Our Quick Start Senior Living Guide starts by offering resources to help set your expectations and goals. When you’re ready for more, check back for steps 2-4 for the rest of the Quick Start Senior Living Guide series.

Step 1

Set Your Expectations & Goals

• Make a list of your current and future needs based on your finances, health and abilities, and lifestyle preferences.
• Outline your expectations and aspirations for the future. Have fun with this and consider enlisting friends and family in the conversation.
• Request our Retirement Planning Guide. It offers an easy, interactive way of thinking through what’s most important to you.
• Establish a loose timeframe for making a choice and one for making your move. Check out this great advice about the best time to make your move.

For more resources like this Quick Start Senior Living Guide or to schedule an in-person visit, call us today at (602) 883-1358 or connect with us using the form below. We look forward to hearing from you and sharing any resources or information to help you with your decisions!

When you’re ready, check out step 2!