In a well-tuned orchestra, every instrument plays its part. On a championship football team, every player works together to secure a win. And in a well-balanced life, you need not only fitness and healthcare, but also emotional, cognitive and social wellness.
For Deniese Williams, Director of Living Well at The Glenridge’s Kamberg Center, physical and mental health have always gone hand in hand. “When did we decide the brain was separate from the rest of the body?” she asks. “It isn’t. The head is connected to the body, and what happens in the head affects the body – just as physical health affects emotional well-being.”
Emotional wellness is often overlooked in healthcare for older adults, but experts say that managing stress is a critical component of healthy aging. Over time, day-to-day worries, uncertainty and loneliness can take a physical toll on the immune system and brain health – and because stress often creates different symptoms in older people, mental health may go untreated in favor of addressing physical symptoms.
In her long career working with patients as a geriatric nurse practitioner, Deniese has seen firsthand how a lack of mental health care can limit recovery and treatment – and in 2022, that experience inspired her to return to school and earn a second master’s degree as a nurse practitioner, this time with a certification in psychiatric mental health.
“Now, when a member comes in for help at the clinic, we have more options,” she says. “If a patient has an issue that might have more than one cause – for example, difficulty falling asleep – we can get to the root of the problem and figure out why it’s happening. Maybe it’s physical, and we can treat it physically. Or maybe it’s related to a mental aspect like stress and anxiety. We can treat either – or, if needed, both.”
This philosophy isn’t new to The Glenridge. In fact, it’s at the heart of what the Kamberg Center was designed to be. Since its official opening in early 2023, the state-of-the-art wellness pavilion has been home to acute care at the Living Well Clinic, chaplaincy resources, a Brain Health Studio for intellectual wellness, mindful exercise classes, and more.
“At The Glenridge, we take a proactive approach to wellness – in other words, we try to get ahead of the game,” says Deniese. “We don’t want to wait until someone comes to the Living Well Clinic for care. That’s why the Kamberg Center offers many programs for health and emotional wellness: yoga and tai chi, social activities, educational events, and trips into the Sarasota community. And it all connects with the Fitness Center and other resources at The Glenridge.”
For more than 20 years, The Glenridge on Palmer Ranch has been raising the bar for holistic health and wellness. To learn more about our approach to living well, check our previous blogs … or plan your visit and experience the difference for yourself. Send us a message or give our Life Planning Team a call at 941-552-5369 to schedule your tour.
To discover what life is like at The Glenridge on Palmer Ranch – once again named the best senior living community in Sarasota (for the 15th year in a row!) – visit our other blog posts or find us on Facebook.