Mindfulness for Senior Living

We are a Nonprofit Organization dedicated to improving the mental health of the community.

Overview

Senior living centers are where nearly every person will go to as they move into old age. Senior living centers house our older population, but they also tend to be hotspots for loneliness, depression, and illness. Mental and physical health issues tend to increase as we get older, so this population has a much higher need for support. By providing a mindfulness-based preventative measure with the YOG Foundation, senior living residents can gain an improved quality of life so that they can enjoy their golden years more fully.

A Vision for a More Mindful Future

In the United States alone, there are currently around 1 million people in senior living centers, and this number is only increasing with time. Most individuals in senior living centers are over the age of 85, and they often live there for 22 months on average. With the extended amount of time that this population spends in these centers during such a critical time of their lives, it is essential that they have sufficient resources to support them both mentally and physically. By implementing a mindfulness program with the YOG Foundation, senior living residents can improve their functioning in their body, mind, and soul.

If you are in a senior home, then click here…

Goals

Objectives

Today – Without Mindfulness

18% of all suicides occur in the senior population
The average life expectancy for people in the U.S. is 78 years
40% of people over the age of 85 have Alzheimer’s Disease
Up to 48% of seniors suffer from insomnia
Immune functioning significantly declines with age, leading to the onset of numerous diseases
13.9% of people over the age of 71 have dementia
28% of older adults in the U.S. live alone, leading to significant feelings of loneliness
Around 40% of people over the age of 65 have at least one physical disability
Every 11 seconds an older adult is treated in the hospital for a fall

Tomorrow – With Mindfulness

43% decreased risk for depression and suicide
25% increase in life expectancy for long term meditators
Can increase officer attention, concentration, and focus, thereby improving cognitive functioning
79% decrease in insomnia
A 12-week yoga intervention led to a significant boost in immunity, preventing infection from disease
Improved memory and reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s after a mindfulness intervention in senior living residents
22% reduction in loneliness
Yoga interventions improve balance and mobility in senior populations

Change the community

The YOG Foundation Implements Mindful Yoga & Mindful Meditation Sessions Across Various Senior Living Centers

Residents in senior living centers often face a wide range of mental and physical health issues. So, by implementing a mindfulness program with the YOG Foundation, it can both prevent these issues from arising initially and reduce the rate of any additional health issues from occurring.

The Benefits of Mindfulness for Senior Living Centers

Mindfulness has been extensively studied in seniors and has been proven to be an effective intervention for a variety of mental and physical factors.

One meta-analysis surveyed the current research on the benefits of mindfulness for seniors and found that a mindfulness intervention resulted in improved levels of:

Cognitive functioning
Attention control
Emotional regulation
Stress
Inflammation
Wellbeing
Working memory
Attention

Given the wide range of impacts that mindfulness provides for seniors, it is undeniable that this intervention can significantly assist residents of senior living centers in improving their quality of life in addition to their mental and physical health.