You may have a loved one, parent, friend, aunt/uncle, grandparent or perhaps a sibling that is impacted by the transition of aging and the notion of being a 'senior' and the social changes that could impact their overall wellbeing. There are many opportunities whether they live independently or in an assisted living environment .

Social isolation isn’t specific to any age demographic, but it is more difficult to maintain a positive social life as you age. Health effects, both physical and mental, start to take their toll. While the average national life expectancy rises, many seniors live in assisted care facilities with many of their friends and same-aged relatives having already passed, or falling into similar health issues themselves. So the question remains: how does this impact seniors?

Technology Connects and Divides
It’s 2017—we’re all connected to each other through social media, text messaging, or email at the absolute least. We talk to friends that we don’t physically see in person for years at a time. One day, the younger generation will be in the same shoes as the current elder population, bent on technology and able to connect a little bit easier. But the fact is, nowadays, seniors are not utilizing social media—loneliness is much more simple to suffer from now than ever before. When a vast majority of the population is connecting through alternate means, you get left behind. How do we fix this?
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Crafting Brand New Opportunity
Assisted care facilities often fall short on proper programs for seniors to get involved in. Even when just socializing between other seniors in the facility, there are still numerous benefits to reap. Loneliness is linked to early death and increased levels of depression. Isolation is detrimental to mental health, which in turn can be just as damaging to physical health. It isn’t enough to simply bring up opportunities; seniors suffering from loneliness may already be accepting a false fact that they have to go the rest of life alone. It’s important to coach them into social situations and brings those situations to them.

What We Can All Do
Believe it or not, there are things that can be done to prevent or reverse these negative effects. Creating connections, whether it’s in terms of assisted living-exterior events to attend, colluding with residents from other assisted living centers (think of it as a collaborative effort from two separate centers), or volunteering your time.

Community, and the sense that’s supposed to come with it, is digitalized. While it may appear to have been here forever, and to some of you reading this, it may have actually been around since before you were born, digitalizing communities is still in its infancy. While the effects can be far spread, there’s no positive impact on the elderly community as of this time. In person interactions and attentiveness can decrease the need for seniors to isolate themselves, and in turn, increase senior living situations in ways that become visible almost immediately.

Article shared by Options for Senior Living

Let the Team at Meliora share the tools you need to create a sustainable wellness program that focuses on your employees with our unique and customizable wellness platform.

Call Bill Johnston at 817-546-2953 or via email at wjohnston@melioratech.com ​- Put our imagination, passion, innovation and creation to work for your company - Today!!

We Help You Engage Your Employees - Meliora - In Pursuit of Better

Is the fact bullying exists in the workplace today a surprise to you? Awareness to this ongoing dilemma in any size organization is a challenge. Many are surprised when asked about bullying and if they believe it exists inside their company. Compliance by human resources departments with policies & procedures, privacy, and employee confidentiality could be the reason why employees’ perception may be that it does not exist within their workspace.

Bullying within organizations is alive and well. Bringing up the critical question – what is the overall effect this has on those directly involved in bullying cases and those employees who do not even realize it exists. Employee’s wellbeing is the priority and managing the problem promptly is vital.

According to Lynne Curry, HR expert and President of The Growth Company states, ‘All bullies are not the same’ – she is the author of Beating the Workplace Bully: A Tactical Guide to Taking Charge.

We hope bringing you the information on the different forms of bullies (below), awareness for yourself and others in your organization will be more apparent – reduce bullying and lead to a better, more cohesive workplace.

The following is as found on FastCompany.com – Five Common Workplace Bullies.

They often have different styles and approaches. Some may even be hybrids of different types. Here are some of the most common:
AGGRESSIVE JERK
This angry bully thrives on and excels at insults and name calling, Curry says. This type of bully isn’t concerned with keeping a low profile–they’re hard to miss because of their bombastic style. They’ll embarrass and humiliate you in front of others, and are often in a position of authority or have some other sort of power that allows them to do so.
SCORCHED-EARTH FIGHTER
This type of bully is cutthroat with a relentless need to come out on top, Curry says. But it’s not enough to win—his or her opponent has to lose. Scorched-Earthers pull out all the stops to make sure that the victims in their sites are hurt in some way. Many cyberbullies fall into this category, she says.
SPINELESS SUPERVISOR
Some bullies carry out their activities under the guise of “just doing what they’re told,” says workplace abuse expert Patricia G. Barnes, author of Surviving Bullies, Queen Bees, and Psychopaths in the Workplace. “The spineless supervisor agrees to do anything that management wants to get rid of employees—good employees—for reasons that have nothing to do with work,” she says. If a worker is likely to file a workers’ compensation or other claim, the Spineless Supervisor may try to intimidate or fire the person instead of dealing with the problem.
SHAPE-SHIFTER
When you tell others about the bullying you’ve experienced at the hands of this person, they may have a hard time believing you. The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality differences make the Shape-Shifter seem like two different people, Curry says. This bully is charming to those they seek to take advantage of or who offer opportunity to them, “but they’ve got their claws out for anyone else,” Curry says.
CHARACTER ASSASSIN
This gossipy bully tells stories and defames you behind your back, Curry says. This bully can be particularly dangerous, because your reputation may be damaged before you know it’s even happening or can defend yourself.
HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM
While bullies vary in type, surprisingly, dealing with them often requires a very similar set of tactics, Barnes says. But the key is to stop the bullying as soon as you start to see it happening.
“If you’re being targeted and bullied, it’s going to take a toll. It’s a surprisingly short amount of time before you’re a nervous wreck,” she says. So, if you’re dealing with a workplace bully, try these steps.

Ground yourself. The bully is looking for your reaction. If you show that you’re hurt or upset, “that’s going to make them happy as heck,” Curry says. Find a way to stay calm and work on your game face. Try to stay calm in the face of bullying.

Start documenting. Write down what happened and when, Barnes says. Keep detailed accounts of the circumstances, exactly what was said, and who, if anyone, heard or saw it.
Turn the tables. Sometimes, calling the bully’s bluff works, Curry says. Try responding to abusive statements such as, “You always mess up,” with “What would you have done differently?” If the bully responds with another smear, like “I would have just done it right to begin with,” ask for specifics. Often, the bully has nothing constructive to add and will back off, she says.

Find a champion. Your company may have a formal human resources process for dealing with bullies. If so, don’t wait to report egregious behavior, Barnes says. The bully could be damaging your reputation behind your back. If your company doesn’t have such a process, or if the person to whom you would report is the culprit, then try to find a champion elsewhere—another supervisor or leader in the company who can intervene on your behalf, she says. “That can be a very powerful strategy, and I’ve seen it work,” she says.

Meliora provides you with the tools to offer biometric screening to your entire employee population ensuring employee participation and overall wellness for your organization.

Let the Team at Meliora share the tools you need to create a sustainable wellness program that focuses on your employees with our unique and customizable wellness platform.

Call Bill Johnston at 817-546-2953 or via email at wjohnston@melioratech.com ​- Put our imagination, passion, innovation and creation to work for your company - Today!!

We Help You Engage Your Employees - Meliora - In Pursuit of Better